The summer heat is here, and with SEC Media Days right around the corner, college football fandom is excited. Amidst the recruitment and transfer hullabaloo, two names have caught the world’s attention. Texas A&M is one of them. After an 8-4 season in 2024, it is stepping into its second season under Mike Elko. As the Aggies reload in optimism, the other program that’s making noise is doing so for unfortunate reasons.
Brian Kelly and his crew just lost a huge recruit. Top-five QB Bowe Bentley was supposed to headline LSU’s next great class, but now he’s headed to Norman. That’s a big loss for Kelly, considering Bentley comes with a 4,000-yard, 60-touchdown junior season resume in Texas. As one prized name leaves, there are already rumors of another five-star possibly flipping sides.
CFB Analyst Steve Gotkin Believes Texas A&M Might Flip LSU Recruit Tristan Keys
Recently, CFB analyst Steve Gotkin of On3 went on to talk about Texas A&M. He seems to think that Mike Elko’s squad is sitting on a recruiting goldmine, and the biggest prize could be none other than LSU’s prized commit, WR Tristan Keys. “When you talk about the number one receiver in the country, LSU commit Tristan Keys, my list starts with A&M as the biggest threat to flip him,” said Gotkin.
Texas A&M has been trying hard to land Keys for months now. He visited College Station this spring, returned for an official over the summer, and even showed up at a game last fall. As Gotkin puts it, “Which school is the biggest threat to flip him from the Tigers? My list starts with A&M, then it goes to Miami (FL).” But why Keys and why all this attention?
Keys is a 6’2”, 185-pound wide receiver. Last season at Hattiesburg High, he caught 40 passes for 839 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s also the No. 1 player in Mississippi and the No. 3 overall recruit in the entire 2026 class, according to On3. LSU has projected him as the crown jewel of their 2026 class. But Signing Day’s nine months away, and the ink hasn’t dried yet, which leaves the door wide open for Aggies.
However, Keys seems to be loyal to the Tigers. So much so that he even reacted to Bentley heading to Oklahoma. “Noooo, why not come throw to the 3 Top 10 WRs?” wrote Keys. It sounds like Keys was looking forward to catching balls from Bentley. And now, that dream is long gone. This again gives names like Texas A&M and Miami a chance to land him.
Let’s not forget Texas A&M has a pitch of its own as well. It has an evolving offense led by Marcel Reed, who stepped up after Connor Weigman went down and made the most of his shot. Reed threw for 1,864 yards and ran for another 543. The Aggies also have star transfer Kevin Concepcion already on campus, and adding Keys would make them dangerous.
However, the Aggies need to fix their defense. Last season, the unit gave up an average of nearly 35 points per game over their final four losses. And Elko’s still patching holes on the D-line after losing three future pros to the draft. But there is no denying that they are doing great on the recruiting trail.
They’ve already flipped momentum away from Texas by landing RB KJ Edwards. They’re still in it for No. 1 QB Brandon Arrington, No. 1 safety Brilland WAC, and five-star “jumbo athlete” Lamar Brown. Brown is another athlete LSU wants to keep around. Gotkin went on to add, “Texas A&M, he’s (Brown) been there six or seven times, including his official visit. They’re the biggest threat to LSU to pull him out of the Bayou State.”
There’s also Ethan “Boobie” Feaster. He was trending early to LSU in RPM, but there will likely be movement. “I’m hearing more about Texas A&M and USC right now,” added Gotkin. Feaster has visited the Aggies four times since spring. He also seems to like “Holman Wiggins, Coach Trooper Taylor, Coach Elko, and what they’re building.” Feaster could fit right into the Elko roster.
Now, with a roster that’s shaping up so well and Elko leading the team, a little luck can help land Tristan Keys. This could change the SEC matchups entirely for LSU. “A&M has the juice on the board to make a run at the number one class,” added Gotkin. If Aggies land the big names, LSU might struggle a bit in the years to come.
