Tristen Keys visited Ole Miss on Saturday just a few days after he committed to LSU. Passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach George McDonald not-so-quietly changed his profile photo in the middle of the visit.
What does it mean? That’s a great question.
Keys, a five-star prospect in the college football recruiting Class of 2026, is considered to be the top player at his position and a top-five player overall. He hails from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, approximately 250 miles south of Oxford. His home town is actually 75 miles closer to Baton Rouge.
Location aside, both LSU and Ole Miss consistently produce pass-catchers who go on to successful careers in the NFL. Keys chose the former over the latter during his commitment ceremony on Wednesday.
It was the best place for me to get to the next level in life and football. Even if football doesn’t work out, I’ll be successful in life just by going to LSU. You see Angel Reese, you see Malik Nabors, you see Jetta, you see Shaq, all of them. They are known for going to LSU. They develop you in every way possible.
— Keys, via 247 Sports
However, his recruitment is far from over. Tennessee, Auburn, USC, Colorado and Alabama are still in the mix. He has scholarship offers (and NIL offers) from 33 different schools. None of them are going to stop pursuing Keys even though he technically decided to play for the Bayou Bengals. Much like Caleb Cunningham.
In fact, the Rebels got the in-state phenom to campus over the weekend. Keys committed to LSU on Wednesday. He drove north to Ole Miss on Saturday. It is not his first time to Oxford. It won’t be his last.
Although I do not know exactly when Keys arrived to campus, I would assume he got there mid-morning.
George McDonald changed his profile picture on X, formerly Twitter, around 4:15 p.m. CST. The photo appears to be an image of… the Keys. As in, Tristen Keys.
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/CAfixuZ16l
— George McDonald (@CoachGMcDonald) March 22, 2025
The Rebels’ coaching staff has a history with cryptic activity on social media. Lane Kiffin’s shenanigans trickle down to his assistants. Rarely, if ever, does it not come with an underlying meaning.
Perhaps Ole Miss feels good about where it stands with the five-star wide receiver. Perhaps Tristen Keys silently flipped behind closed doors. Probably not, but maybe.
McDonald may not mean anything serious. He may just be trolling LSU. Regardless of the intended subliminal messaging, this recruitment is far from over. His commitment is just a formality!