Top wide receiver says Alabama canceled his visit — not the other way around.

From an external perspective, flipping five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys from his LSU commitment appeared to be Alabama’s top priority this week. Keys was slated to visit Tuscaloosa officially on Tuesday alongside two other prospects, marking the fifth of six official visits for the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2026 class.

However, internal sentiment at Alabama suggests limited interest in the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native.

On3’s Chad Simmons reported Tuesday morning that Keys “is no longer expected to visit Alabama this week but will return to Baton Rouge this weekend.” Initially, it seemed Keys chose to skip the Alabama visit, suggesting he was either firm in his LSU commitment or influenced by prior visits to Miami, Texas A&M, Auburn, or Tennessee. Keys later clarified his stance on social media.

Tristen Keys announced that Alabama canceled his official visit to Tuscaloosa. As the nation’s top wide receiver, Keys is now expected to choose between LSU and Tennessee, leaving Alabama out of contention. This means the Crimson Tide not only lose a potential pairing with 2025 five-star quarterback Keelon Russell but also face the challenge of defensive coordinator Kane Wommack scheming against Keys annually.

Whether Alabama or Keys initiated the cancellation, missing this flip opportunity is a major setback for Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class. With only seven commitments secured by mid-June under coach Kalen DeBoer, it’s surprising that Alabama’s staff reportedly discouraged Keys’ visit.

On a positive note, DeBoer secured the program’s seventh commitment on Tuesday—the day Keys was scheduled to visit—with four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla flipping from Iowa State. However, recruiting news has largely been unfavorable for Alabama. On Monday, five-star athlete Brandon Arrington excluded Alabama from his list ahead of his Thursday commitment, despite recently visiting Tuscaloosa between trips to Texas A&M and Oregon.

While Thomalla’s commitment offers some relief, DeBoer needed a major recruiting win. Keys’ revelation further dents Alabama’s recruiting momentum as the critical official visit season nears its close.