The biggest swing decision in the 2027 recruiting cycle still belongs to Jalen Brewster, and the No. 1 player in America is keeping plenty of programs in the fight.
Brewster, a blue-chip defensive lineman, is committed to Texas Tech for now. But that hasn’t stopped schools from pressing hard to pry him away, and the latest read on the situation points to a two-team battle that has tightened around LSU and the Red Raiders.
“I do think LSU is the biggest threat to Texas Tech,” Rivals recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong said of the Brewster situation right now.
LSU has made a real push to change his mind, bringing Brewster into the fold for the school’s five star recruiting weekend this summer. Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron also got serious face-to-face time with him, underscoring how aggressively the Tigers have gone after one of the cycle’s premier names.
That kind of involvement has shown up elsewhere, too. LSU’s pursuit of Brewster, along with other major flip targets such as No. 1 wideout and Texas commit Easton Royal, says plenty about how far the Kiffin regime and its NIL operation are willing to go in chasing elite talent.
Even with that pressure, one expert projection is still leaning toward Texas Tech holding on.
“I’m picking that I think he sticks,” Wiltfong said, predicting that Brewster will remain with the Red Raiders based on current information.
At the same time, the signals have not been one-sided.
“I think that Jalen Brewster and his camp have given the Red Raiders reason to believe that he is sticking. But I, on the flipside, think that Jalen Brewster and his camp have given Lane Kiffin and the Tigers reason to believe that he’s coming,” he added.
Texas Tech has plenty working in its favor. Head coach Joey McGuire, who coached Brewster’s current high school team in Cedar Hill (Tex.), has built a strong relationship with him. The Red Raiders also sold Brewster on the program’s recent defensive improvement and its NIL infrastructure.
But the offseason departure of Zarnell Fitch, the former Texas Tech defensive line coach who helped land Brewster in the first place, opened the door for other schools to get involved this summer.
Florida was in the mix for a while, too. The Gators had Brewster around for a practice viewing during the offseason, and Jon Sumrall also hosted him at the stadium for the team’s annual spring game. For a stretch, that looked like a relationship with real traction.
That buzz has cooled lately, though Florida still can’t be fully dismissed. Right now, the momentum around Brewster appears to be headed toward an LSU-Texas Tech showdown as the decision nears.
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