Tennessee football has put together a strong 2026 recruiting class so far, including some of the best players in the class.
Between five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon, five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys, and a dozen four-stars, the Vols have the potential to bring one of the most talented classes in program history to Rocky Top next season.
While the Vols have some elite players committed to the 2026 recruiting class, that only means they have to work harder to keep them committed and ensure conference rivals don't poach them.
That includes Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Rebels, who are going after five-star Tristen Keys pretty hard, trying to flip him from Tennessee to Ole Miss.
The Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native flipped from LSU to Tennessee in August and has since been firmly committed to Tennessee, but that could change at any point in the NIL era.
247Sports' Tom Loy reported this week that Kiffin is "doing everything he can" to flip Keys from Tennessee, but he is currently firmly committed to Tennessee.
"Ole Miss is trying — the Rebels are doing all that they can to flip him — but from all accounts, he's a through-and-through Vol," Loy shares. "His recruitment is over, according to sources."
That's good news for Josh Heupel and the Vols, who are trying to keep the recruiting class together. The elite talent scattered throughout this group alone brings national championship potential to Rocky Top in this class.
Pair their skills with what Tennessee already has on campus and what they could bring to campus through the transfer portal, and we could see the Vols get closer to winning their first national title since 1998.
As for Kiffin and the Rebels, they will have to look elsewhere for their elite receiver because it looks like they are going to fail in their attempt to poach Keys from Rocky Top.