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AI-assisted summary
• Top-ranked 2026 wide receiver recruit Tristen Keys, already signed with Adidas, is considering flipping his commitment from LSU to Tennessee, an Adidas school starting in 2026.
• Tennessee’s 10-year apparel deal with Adidas may influence Keys’ decision, as it aligns with his existing NIL contract.
• Five-star quarterback and Tennessee commit Faizon Brandon is actively recruiting Keys, adding another layer to the Vols’ pursuit.

While University of Tennessee was mulling a lucrative offer from Adidas this spring, Tristen Keys, the No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the nation, was doing the same.

There’s a chance they could join forces under the Adidas umbrella now that both UT and the blue-chip prospect have signed with the apparel brand.

On Aug. 13, UT announced a 10-year deal with Adidas, beginning in 2026, to become the Vols’ official apparel partner.

On June 8, Adidas announced it had signed Keys to a name, image and likeness contract, continuing its strategy to aggressively land elite high school recruits before they choose a college.

“When we think about our core consumer, they know about that kid, that top high school athlete, more than ever,” Chris McGuire, Adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing, told Knox News when referring to the company’s approach to NIL for high school athletes.

“Social (media) has led all these individual athletes to have their own platform to talk to larger fan bases. They are becoming individuals that kids look up to in their sport.”

How 5-star QB Faizon Brandon can land Tristen Keys

In March, Keys committed to LSU, a Nike school. But it’s been widely reported that he is considering flipping his commitment to Tennessee, Miami or Texas A&M. All three will be Adidas schools when UT joins the fold in July 2026.

Keys is a 6-foot-3, 180-pounder from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The five-star recruit is ranked the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 6 prospect overall in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports Composite.

Tennessee commitment Faizon Brandon, a five-star quarterback, has been trying to convince Keys to flip to the Vols. Notably, Brandon wore bright orange Adidas cleats during a recent high school practice.

It hinted that Brandon and Keys could be fellow Adidas ambassadors as well as future teammates.

That would be a dream pairing for the Vols. It’s only a fantasy unless Keys commits to UT, and there’s no timetable for that potential announcement.

But UT’s deal with Adidas is an encouraging sign for the Vols landing Keys, a centerpiece of the shoe brand’s collection of high school athletes.

What Adidas says about impact on recruiting via NIL

Whether UT can flip Keys won’t define Adidas’ impact on Vols recruiting. But it’s a timely peek into the triangulation that goes into landing premier prospects in the NIL era.

The university matters. The brand and its NIL package matters. And the recruit considers both.

Typically, players wear the shoe brand under contract to their school. In the NIL era, that might change as athletes sign with brands not partnered with their school.

But it’s much easier, and perhaps more financially beneficial to the athlete, if the athlete and school are contracted to the same brand.

Adidas is a leader in NIL because it dove headfirst into the industry once it was adopted by the NCAA in 2021. The company has remained aggressive in the NIL space, and but there’s plenty of competition by other apparel brands like Nike and Under Armour.

Adidas knows its impact on recruiting through NIL is a selling point to potential

“What we want to do is make sure we have a strong base of NIL athletes under contract, and then our college coaches know that they are comfortable talking to them,” McGuire said. “At the end of the day, it’s up to that kid to make that choice of what school they want to attend.”

Adidas is already trying to sign current UT athletes to NIL deals.

Once the partnership begins in July 2026, every UT athlete will be eligible to participate in Adidas’ NIL Ambassador Network, which touts more than 12,000 college athletes who earn a percentage of the sales they drive for key products and campaigns.

The NIL Ambassador Network is only available to athletes at Adidas-partnered Division I schools. It’s part of Adidas’ attempt to lock up athletes from high school to college and possibly professional ranks.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Emailadam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

AI-assisted summary
• Top-ranked 2026 wide receiver recruit Tristen Keys, already signed with Adidas, is considering flipping his commitment from LSU to Tennessee, an Adidas school starting in 2026.
• Tennessee’s 10-year apparel deal with Adidas may influence Keys’ decision, as it aligns with his existing NIL contract.
• Five-star quarterback and Tennessee commit Faizon Brandon is actively recruiting Keys, adding another layer to the Vols’ pursuit.

While University of Tennessee was mulling a lucrative offer from Adidas this spring, Tristen Keys, the No. 1 wide receiver recruit in the nation, was doing the same.

There’s a chance they could join forces under the Adidas umbrella now that both UT and the blue-chip prospect have signed with the apparel brand.

On Aug. 13, UT announced a 10-year deal with Adidas, beginning in 2026, to become the Vols’ official apparel partner.

On June 8, Adidas announced it had signed Keys to a name, image and likeness contract, continuing its strategy to aggressively land elite high school recruits before they choose a college.

“When we think about our core consumer, they know about that kid, that top high school athlete, more than ever,” Chris McGuire, Adidas Vice President of Sports Marketing, told Knox News when referring to the company’s approach to NIL for high school athletes.

“Social (media) has led all these individual athletes to have their own platform to talk to larger fan bases. They are becoming individuals that kids look up to in their sport.”

How 5-star QB Faizon Brandon can land Tristen Keys

In March, Keys committed to LSU, a Nike school. But it’s been widely reported that he is considering flipping his commitment to Tennessee, Miami or Texas A&M. All three will be Adidas schools when UT joins the fold in July 2026.

Keys is a 6-foot-3, 180-pounder from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The five-star recruit is ranked the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 6 prospect overall in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports Composite.

Tennessee commitment Faizon Brandon, a five-star quarterback, has been trying to convince Keys to flip to the Vols. Notably, Brandon wore bright orange Adidas cleats during a recent high school practice.

It hinted that Brandon and Keys could be fellow Adidas ambassadors as well as future teammates.

That would be a dream pairing for the Vols. It’s only a fantasy unless Keys commits to UT, and there’s no timetable for that potential announcement.

But UT’s deal with Adidas is an encouraging sign for the Vols landing Keys, a centerpiece of the shoe brand’s collection of high school athletes.

What Adidas says about impact on recruiting via NIL

Whether UT can flip Keys won’t define Adidas’ impact on Vols recruiting. But it’s a timely peek into the triangulation that goes into landing premier prospects in the NIL era.

The university matters. The brand and its NIL package matters. And the recruit considers both.

Typically, players wear the shoe brand under contract to their school. In the NIL era, that might change as athletes sign with brands not partnered with their school.

But it’s much easier, and perhaps more financially beneficial to the athlete, if the athlete and school are contracted to the same brand.

Adidas is a leader in NIL because it dove headfirst into the industry once it was adopted by the NCAA in 2021. The company has remained aggressive in the NIL space, and but there’s plenty of competition by other apparel brands like Nike and Under Armour.

Adidas knows its impact on recruiting through NIL is a selling point to potential

“What we want to do is make sure we have a strong base of NIL athletes under contract, and then our college coaches know that they are comfortable talking to them,” McGuire said. “At the end of the day, it’s up to that kid to make that choice of what school they want to attend.”

Adidas is already trying to sign current UT athletes to NIL deals.

Once the partnership begins in July 2026, every UT athlete will be eligible to participate in Adidas’ NIL Ambassador Network, which touts more than 12,000 college athletes who earn a percentage of the sales they drive for key products and campaigns.

The NIL Ambassador Network is only available to athletes at Adidas-partnered Division I schools. It’s part of Adidas’ attempt to lock up athletes from high school to college and possibly professional ranks.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Emailadam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.