The commitment plots are getting interesting with every passing day. Right now it’s 5-star wide receiver Tristen Keys who has finally come to his decision. For so long, he had been pursued by a long list of suitors. While he now chalks out his travel plan among schools, some big shots are there for his spring visit. But so what? That did not stop Keys from planning his official tours. Meanwhile, he has been hailed by the power-packed programs for so long like Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines. Looks like it won’t be an easy race to land the highly prized WR.

The 5-star from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, does have a packed spring visit schedule. The month of March and early April is going to be a busy one for Keys. And it has to be so. After all, the craze is real for the No.1 WR of the 2026 class. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder is prepping himself to hit the road and start with the Tennessee Volunteers on March 10. This visit will be followed by placing a foot in Brian Kelly’s LSU on March 18, Texas A&M on March 29, and rounding it off with Sherrone Moore’s Michigan on April 5. He inaugurated his spring visits spree with the Miami Hurricanes on Monday, March 3. But his official visit schedule brings in more competition.

Keys revealed to On3 sources that he is not going to hit the ‘SETTLE’ button after he is done with the spring visits. So when is Keys going to make the final call? The No.5 overall prospect said, “I plan to commit right after official visits. I want to commit before August hits and before the season starts.” His official visit would start with the Canes from May 30 – June 1. Texas A&M’s next, on June 5-7, followed by Tennessee on June 13-15, Alabama on June 17-19, and LSU on June 20-22. While Keys looks pretty sorted about what he wants – “to play in an air raid offense… surrounded by the right people” – he already comes off as the hot target.

After his impressive Under Armour All-America feat, a scout shared his take. “He was one of the more physically gifted pass-catchers on hand.” He continued, “He was a standout on Day 1, showing the strong hands and the ability to finish through contact while working over the middle field.” Well, Keys’ suitors, y’all better hurry up with your game to grab this prospect, who now has declared a timeline to commit.

How Michigan and Alabama once led the charge in the Tristen Keys race

Now, Keys has been feeling for the Wolverines and Crimson Tide for a long time now. Steve Wiltfong stated on his podcast – “They’re a program that seems to be rising with Tristen Keys… but I think they’ve got to make a move on some other programs. Alabama and Tennessee I view at the forefront of that recruitment. LSU is in the middle of it. Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas A&M is one that’s probably in the top 3 with Alabama and Tennesse.” Yes, even though Moore’s program was not leading the race to woo Keys, they will try their luck.

After all, they now have a top-10 recruiting class for 2025 with the No.1 recruit Bryce Underwood on board. As a junior in high school at Hattiesburg, Tristen Keys caught 40 passes for 839 yards and 12 touchdowns. In that way, pairing the WR up with Underwood could help Michigan ignite a passing game they have not seen in some time. And well, as the Wolverines craze started to build up, he did have a special place for the Bama squad.

So, what’s the X-factor in Tuscaloosa that might have wooed the No.1 WR of the 2026 class? He stated, “They produce a lot of great receivers, and it’s a lot of WRUs, but I feel like that’s one of them. They have produced a lot of first-round receivers.” No doubt about that. You just name them – Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, Ryan Williams – the Bama squad is a legit WR factory, and the wait is on till August, folks!