iStockphoto / Texas Tech Athletics, LSU Athletics
Jalen Brewster will either play college football at LSU or Texas Tech depending on the NIL deal.
Jalen Brewster is the top high school football player in the 2027 cycle. On Wednesday, he officially shut down his recruitment.
The defensive lineman will remain firm with Texas Tech. He’s accepted a supposed pay cut to stick with the Red Raiders.
Brewster’s decision comes days after a transfer to play his senior season in Georgia. Texas Tech coaches and fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that his pledge is firm.
Jalen Brewster is headed to Texas Tech.
Brewster is a five-star prospect widely regarded as the top defender in his class. The Texas native made a name for himself at Cedar Hill High School but recently announced a move to Buford High in Georgia.
That transfer created speculation related to his pending college commitment. He was moving 1,000 miles away from Texas Tech. Many viewed it as a bad sign for the Red Raiders with LSU pursuing a flip.
That move was calculated, though the reasoning is somewhat unclear. Some believed it was motivated by future enrollment. They claimed that Buford offered an easier path to an early graduation where he could join his next school in January.
Others said the move was fueled by NIL money.
Georgia allows players to cash in on NIL endorsements while in high school. Texas does not. Brewster is an extremely marketable prospect given his five-star rating. He likely already has deals lined up.
Regardless of reasoning, the top high school football player will now join arguably the top high school football program in the nation.
What we can now confirm is that the transfer was not driven by his recruitment. He rejected the narrative of an SEC flip by announcing his decision to shut down the process.
The moment 5-star DL Jalen Brewster shut down his recruitment with Texas Tech @j8ylen__ 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/zInioAqCCb
— Ben Golan (@BenjaminGolan) August 26, 2026
Jalen Brewster is Texas Tech bound. His transfer to Buford had no impact on his commitment status.
Will Jalen Brewster take a pay cut?
The defensive lineman made his initial pledge to the Red Raiders in October of 2025. That did not stop the LSU Tigers’ pursuits.
The general understanding is that Texas Tech offered Brewster $1 million for his freshman season of college football. LSU supposedly offered him $1.5 million.
That extra $500,000 was not enough to lure him to Baton Rouge. Of course, potential incentives to stay on board with the Red Raiders possibly played a role.
Brewster (through his parents as trustees) bought a piece of land in Lubbock, Texas earlier this year. Either Brewster bought the property with money that was already paid to him by the Red Raiders, bought the property with family money knowing that it would soon be paid off with the money secured upon arrival to campus, or received the property as part of an NIL package with the school to which he had already committed.
The exact circumstances of the purchase are not public. With that said, the property was a positive sign for Texas Tech. It suggested a desire to be in Lubbock.
Now, he’s confirmed that notion. He will suit up for the Red Raiders as a freshman in 2027. He will receive $1 million to do so.
LSU may have had a more lucrative offer. He’ll instead take a pay cut. His ability to cash NIL checks now probably helped make that decision easier.