Kell 4-star LB Brayden Rouse narrows his decision down to four schools

One of the top players in the Class of 2026 in the state of Georgia, and the country, Kell linebacker Brayden Rouse has announced that he has narrowed his college commitment down to four schools.

Rouse’s top-four schools he lists are Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Michigan as the linebacker is coming off of a phenomenal junior season playing for the Kell Longhorns under head coach Bobby May.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker accumulated offers from all over the country but has dwindled his decision down to four of the most prestigious college football programs in the country.

Rouse is highly-rated by 247Sports.com, as he is ranked as a top-10 player in the state and a top-five linebacker in the Class of 2026. Nationally, Rouse is rated as a 4-star recruit and a top-100 player in the recruiting class.

The Marietta-native plays multiple sports for the Longhorns as he competes on the track as well as the football field.

Last season as a junior for Kell, Rouse made himself effective on both sides of the ball for the Longhorns. From his natural linebacker position, Rouse accumulated 105 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks as well as five pass breakups on the defensive side of the ball.

On offense, Rouse was hard to keep off the field as the Longhorns lined him up at tight end on occasion, where he was able to make a major impact to the team’s passing game. Rouse brought in 25 receptions totaling 378 yards and eight touchdowns on his way to closing out a monster junior season.

According to On3, Rouse has visits lined up with each school in his top-four including a visit to Alabama on the weekend of May 30, Michigan on June 6, Texas on June 13 and Tennessee on June 20.

Rouse was a part of a Kell Longhorns team that finished the season with a 7-5 overall record and a trip to the second round for the first time since 2022.

Rouse and the Longhorns will be back in action in one of the first high school football games in the entire country in 2025 as Kell will face off at home against South Paulding at 8 p.m. on August 13 in the annual Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic.