Tristen Keys made his first trip to Auburn Saturday.

It's one of several visits he's got planned for this fall to SEC programs, but even after seeing the Tigers drop a home game to Cal, he still holds Auburn in high standing.

"I mean, despite the loss, they’re still at the top of my list," Keys said. "I thought the atmosphere was great. They didn’t come out with the dub, but you have good games and you have bad games."

Keys doesn't have a No. 1 in his recruitment, just a few schools that are starting to separate themselves from the rest of his offers. The SEC is the prominent conference in his top group, with Tennessee, Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss other programs he likes early on.

"I’m gonna most definitely come back," Keys said of Auburn.

The 6-foot-2 wide receiver picked a tough game to attend, as Auburn was upset 21-14 by visiting Cal. Coming into the game, Keys shared the same thoughts that a lot of Auburn fans had.

"I thought they were gonna handle business, but it’s football," Keys said.

While on his visit, he spoke with wide receivers coach Marcus Davis, assistant director of personnel Grant Miller and head coach Hugh Freeze.

"They’re some great coaches, I absolutely love how they communicate," Keys said.

Auburn talks with Keys daily, as the No. 2 player in Mississippi is a top target for the Tigers at receiver in the 2026 class. Davis is his primary recruiter and there's plenty of admiration for Davis coming from Keys.

"He’s a great coach, he’s young, he’s a cool guy," Keys said. "Developing receivers, he’s great at that."

Keys will be at Mississippi State this weekend, and has plans to visit Tennessee, Florida State and Texas A&M as well.