Well, we have seen how the race to land the No.1 recruit keeps football programs on their toes. Thanks to No.1 QB recruit Bryce Underwood and his thrilling recruiting race. The college football fans now get lucky as they will be witnessing another neck-to-neck fight. This time for the No.1 WR recruit Tristen Keys. The 5-star had already kept his long list of suitors on the edge. Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, and so on. Turns out that Keys is ready to jump wagons and sees an ACC program as his next and final stop.
While programs almost locked horns to land the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder, Keys dropped a banger. He confirmed, “I plan to commit right after official visits. I want to commit before August hits and before the season starts.” Right now, the programs have opened the gates to the No.1 WR for his spring visits. Keys is all set to hit the road with Tennessee Volunteers on March 10. He will then be off to LSU on March 18, Texas A&M on March 29, and close it with Michigan on April 5. His official visits will be starting with Miami from May 30 – June 1. Keys will be paying a visit to Texas A&M on June 5, next is Tennessee on June 13-15 followed by Alabama and LSU. However, the WR’s heart is full with his first spring visit to Mario Cristobal’s squad on March 3.
Five-star 2026 WR Tristen Keys @Tkgot5 recaps visit to Miami:
“I want to be in the number one offense…if you got the number one offense, why not go however far to go check it out?”@canes_county | @Rivals
More here:https://t.co/SL52zIoIDt
— Marcus Benjamin (@BenjaminRivals) March 4, 2025
Now come on, it has to be like this. After all, the Hurricanes are now the legit wide receiver factory that lands it big in the NFL. You name them – Xavier Restrepo, Sam Brown, and Jacolby George. The trio did turn heads representing Canes in the NFL Combine. So, Keys knows that if he wants to be in the NFL, Cristobal’s army is the runway that would help him to take off. “Knowing that they are the number one offense… and I want to be in the number one offense. I’ll put it like this: if you got the number one offense, why not go however far to go check it out?” The fact that how the Canes’ offense under OC Shannon Dawson feels so confident in their skin did win Keys’ heart.
The 5-star from Hattiesburg stated, “They’ve been running the same offense forever. He doesn’t change the offense for nobody because zebras don’t change their stripes.” When SEC powerhouses like LSU and Alabama are chasing him what made Keys go for Miami? “I feel like football is football… as far as conference-wise, it is what it is. I look for what’s best for me and what’s going to make me successful,” came his reply. While Cristobal is likely to bag Keys away, two people must be truly upset: Brian Kelly and Kirby Smart.
How Mario Cristobal’s charm left Brian Kelly and Kirby Smart behind in the Tristen Keys’ race
At first, it was Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers who came off as Keys’ biggest suitor, with the advantage of already having a commitment from 2026 five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon. But it turned out that Heupel and Co. wouldn’t be that lucky, as the ACC giant Bulldogs jumped into the race. As analyst Adam Gorney stated, “The word is Georgia has ‘a chance’ to be among Keys’ top programs as the Aggies and the Vols have been battling it out most recently, but if Georgia pushes, there could be some momentum there.” The same went for the Tigers.
Kelly and his program were set to leave no stone unturned and make the best pitch this spring and summer to land this 5-star WR. After all, they saw Keys as their next Justin Jefferson. Yes, the long lean frame did remind them of Jefferson during his time in Baton Rouge. Plus having a versatile, do-it-all athlete who dominates track & field (third place in state high jump) and the basketball court would have been a bonus. However, here HC Cristobal has successfully turned the cards in their favor.
Tristen Keys is all head over heels for the Miami HC. The No.1 WR stated, “He got a great personality. He thinks mine is great, too. He kind of reminds me of myself. Very outgoing person. You can put him in a room with anybody; he’ll get along with anyone.” So, in case the Canes land Keys, it’s going to be a DOUBLE WIN for Cristobal! They snatched away Georgia QB Carson Beck and will proudly boast the No.1 WR recruit.
The post 5-Star Tristen Keys’ ACC Destination Almost Confirmed in Latest Intel as Brian Kelly and Kirby Smart Left Hanging appeared first on EssentiallySports.