Tennessee athletics is officially back with the three-stripes, announcing its massive apparel deal with Adidas Thursday afternoon. It ends a decade-plus run with Nike and marks a reunion between Tennessee and the brand they partnered with from 1995-2015.
One concern people have stated about the reunion is that the move will hurt Tennessee in recruiting as top athletes won’t want to wear Adidas gear instead of Nike. That certainly could be the case for a small sect of players, but it also could help Tennessee with one of the top recruits in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
Five-star Tristen Keys signed an NIL deal with Adidas back in June as the Vols continue to push for the highly touted pass catcher.
Keys ranks as a five-star and the No. 6 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings. The Hattiesburg native also ranks as the top receiver in the country and the top player in the state of Mississippi in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
The 6-foot-2 receiver is currently committed to LSU and has been since mid March. Of course, LSU is a Nike branch and there’s nothing forcing Keys to attend an Adidas school even with his NIL deal. For instance, Tennessee basketball’s five-star freshman Nate Ament is a Reebok athlete and will wear Reebok in the NBA, but he’ll wear Nike gear this season at Tennessee.
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Still, there has been a common theme as Keys has visited other schools and considered a flip this offseason. The blue-chip receiver has taken visits to Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M this summer— all three are Adidas schools. Tennessee and Texas A&M are largely considered the two schools with the best chance to flip the receiver from LSU.
And in the joint announcement between Tennessee and Adidas Wednesday, the company clearly stated a desire to help support the Vols’ NIL as they try to land the top players in the country.
“The role of a college athletics sideline partner has changed dramatically in the 11 years since we last partnered with Tennessee Athletics,” adidas Vice President of North America Sports Marketing Chris McGuire said in a statement. “adidas is establishing a new standard for investment in NIL with this partnership that will sustain UT’s powerful athletics program as the university continues competing for championships for years to come.”
