The LSU football recruiting platform for 2026 is nothing less than a sparkplug—a true statement year for Brian Kelly’s crew. On3 moved the Tigers to No. 1 in the country after a burst of 10 commitments, while 247Sports and Rivals each have them at No. 3. Skill positions, particularly wide receiver and defensive back, have been the Tigers’ laser beam focus. Three of their existing commits are wideouts, all top 50 prospects nationally, and they’ve got two of the top 10 secondary prospects too. Most of these prospective Tigers are from Louisiana, keeping it homegrown, but LSU’s scope is undoubtedly national.

And then there’s Tristen Keys: he’s the gem of this class, a quasi-unanimous No. 1 wideout in the nation, and his pledge was a big score for LSU. Keys is a difference-maker—he’s got the size, speed, and sure hands to be a day-one contributor. His pledge made it clear that LSU is once again a destination for top offensive playmakers. He’s already causing a stir off the field as well, with a publicity-stunting NIL agreement with Adidas. Although we don’t know the specifics, On3 estimates the average NIL worth of LSU’s 2026 blue-chippers at some $222,000, and with Keys’ profile, you can be sure his contract is one of the most expensive.

But just when Tiger Nation was beginning to drool over Keys lighting up SEC defenses in purple and gold, a bit of drama began percolating on social media. You know the drill—recruiting never rests, nor do the internet sleuths. Out of the blue, the LSU Twitterverse began buzzing after a tweet by @burner_LSU fell like a bomb. “Tristen Keys has removed all LSU tags from his socials.” The tweet wasn’t much else—just a photo of Keys’ now-spotless Instagram bio and a lot of gasping emojis—but that was all it took to put the fanbase into a total panic spiral. Was Keys having second thoughts about his commitment?

Just after all the theatrics about him washing LSU tags off his socials, the timing couldn’t have been worse, because Keys had an official visit scheduled with Miami on May 31. And this wasn’t some random visit; it was his third time evaluating the Hurricanes, and the buzz emanating from Coral Gables was legitimate. Miami has been pursuing Keys for a while, and this trip was their opportunity to make a strong impression and potentially even convert him from LSU. With the Hurricanes already having inked the No. 1 prospect in the nation, Jackson Cantwell, bringing in Keys would be a huge statement for their 2026 class.

Following the visit, Keys didn’t necessarily slam the door shut on Miami. He informed the media that he’s “strongly considering” playing his college ball at Coral Gables. That alone is enough to make LSU fans sweat a little bit, particularly with the social media drama still so fresh. But the thing is—high-level recruits like Keys almost always take their official visits, even if they’re committed elsewhere. It’s all part of the process, and schools continue to recruit them hard until signing day has the ink dried.

Moreover, that isn’t the only visit Keys is going to take. He is scheduled to visit Texas A&M on June 5, followed by a visit to Auburn on June 10 and Tennessee on June 13. To make matters worse, the LSU commit is also going to visit Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama on June 17. Fortunately for Brian Kelly, there is an LSU visit scheduled for June 20.

LSU fans sound off after Tristen Keys’ digital scrub

Fan panic is intense. “He is definitely flipping,” particularly following Keys’ Miami trip and his move to wipe LSU off his socials. But let’s be realistic: there’s no real evidence that he’s flipping—so far. Keys remains publicly pledged to LSU, and several insiders, including On3’s Steve Wiltfong, indicate there’s high conviction in Baton Rouge he’ll remain committed to the Tigers. Nevertheless, Miami and others (such as Tennessee and Texas A&M) are keeping the pressure on, and Keys is remaining uncommitted with additional visits on the horizon.

“Verbal commits should be binding,” another fan said. This is more hope than reality. Verbal commitments are non-binding according to NCAA regulations. Recruits can—and do—have second thoughts before signing their National Letter of Intent. The recruiting wildness is real, and flips do occur regularly. One fan had another theory, “I heard Miami offered him 20 mil.” There is no factual basis for a $20 million NIL deal from Miami. That figure is nearly certainly online. On3, however, puts Keys’ NIL value at about $536,000, which is gigantic for a high school player but nowhere close to eight figures.

“That Adidas deal pretty much confirms that he’s going to Miami,” one more LSU fan chimed in. Hold up. Adidas did ink Keys to a headline NIL contract, but Adidas is not Miami exclusive. But the fact here is that LSU is a Nike school. The deal is about Keys’ marketability, not where he goes to school. Keys himself said that LSU has done an excellent job keeping in touch with him and making him feel like he’s a priority, and that is why he remains committed.