You don’t take a vacation to South Beach if everything’s solid back home. That’s true in life, and it’s definitely true in college football recruiting—especially when it comes to a five-star wide receiver who's already committed to LSU.
Tristen Keys, the No. 1 wide receiver in the country and a “hard commit” to LSU, is packing his bags for an official visit to Miami. And you’d be naive to think it’s just about the weather.
Let’s be real: this isn’t just some sightseeing trip. When a blue-chip talent like Keys—who has 33 offers and counting—decides to check out another program this late in the process, it usually means something's up. Miami’s pulling out the stops, and there’s a pretty good chance NIL dollars are at the center of it all.
The NIL Era Strikes Again
It used to be that when a kid committed, that meant something. Now? A “hard commit” just means they’ve got a spot—for now. But until the ink is dry in December or February, nothing is final. Really, it doesn't even stop there with the Transfer Portal. And LSU fans know that all too well.
In today’s landscape, there’s a war chest behind every recruiting pitch. Miami has made it clear they’re going to spend whatever it takes to get top talent. Just ask around—there are more than a few whispers that NIL money played a role in flipping commitments last cycle.
If you’re Brian Kelly and the Tigers, you can’t afford to lose someone like Keys, who racked up 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns last fall while leading his team to a 6A state title game, even with the receivers they've already got committed.
Keys is the type of player you build an offense around. At 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, he’s explosive, confident, and knows how to get open at every level. He was invited to both the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl, where he showed out against the nation’s best. The guy is legit. And right now, he’s walking into the lion’s den in Coral Gables.
There’s already pressure on LSU to bounce back from a 2024 season that didn’t live up to expectations. Losing a talent like Keys would send ripple effects through the rest of the class—and probably embolden other schools to start picking off Tigers commits one by one.
We’ve seen it happen. One big flip, especially one this high-profile, can trigger doubt, second-guessing, and a whole lot of drama. If Keys leaves LSU’s class, it could shift the narrative for their entire 2025 cycle.