Tennessee and Adidas have announced a new partnership beginning in 2026. Photo via Tennessee Athletics.
Class of 2026 wide receiver Tristen Keys had the college football world on fire Thursday night after he officially flipped his longstanding commitment with LSU to Tennessee. The news shook up the recruiting landscape and vaulted Tennessee into the Top 10 of both 247Sports and On3 Sports’ 2026 team rankings.
Adidas, Tennessee’s new uniform and apparel partner starting in July 2026, was also celebrating the news on Thursday night. The worldwide sports brand signed Keys to an NIL deal in June to make him a partner athlete as he begins his collegiate career soon. His deal with Adidas didn’t prevent him from signing with another school with a different brand, but it does help the synergy that’s now on deck moving forward.
Adidas changed the bio of its US Football account on X to give a shoutout Keys: “Ya neva knowwwww” with an orange emoji and a Tristen Keys profile tag.
While the revived partnership between Tennessee and Adidas isn’t in effect quite yet, it’s easy to tell the excitement that’s on both sides moving forward. The word going around at the time of the announcement was that Adidas was going to prioritize Tennessee, and it says something about the partnership when the apparel and uniform mogul is already posting something like this.
Flipping Keys from LSU on Thursday evening was a massive win for Josh Heupel and his staff. The 6-foot-2.5 pass catcher from Hattiesburg, MS, is ranked as a five-star prospect, the No. 7 player in the class, and the No. 1 receiver in the 2026 cycle, according to Rivals’ Industry Rankings.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee football recruiting news and coverage of Keys’ flip to the Volunteers.
