Jalen Brewster is reportedly nearing his final decision on where to play college football. The top-ranked recruit will get paid no less than $1 million in revenue share and NIL money at either Texas Tech or LSU.
There is a unique wrinkle to the financial packages that could prove to be the difference.
Brewster will soon announce where he is going to play college football next season. He is in line to make a lot of money either way.
Jalen Brewster is deciding between two college football programs.
At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Brewster is rated as a five-star prospect. Although it depends on where you look, the monstrous defensive lineman ranks no lower than No. 5 in the Class of 2027. Many major recruiting services consider him to be the No. 1 prospect.
Jalen Brewster received 29 scholarship offers in total from schools like Miami, Georgia, Ole Miss, Ohio State, USC, Texas A&M, Indiana and Michigan, among others. He is down to Texas Tech and LSU. Florida is out. Texas is out.
Technically speaking, Brewster does not have to make an official decision until National Signing Day in February. However, it is expected that he will sign in December to allow him to enroll early for the spring semester.
As of right now, the Red Raiders have the upper hand. Brewster committed to Texas Tech in October and has yet to back off of his commitment even though he took visits to Florida (three times), Indiana, LSU and Miami.
That does not mean it is a done deal. Lane Kiffin and the Bayou Bengals are pushing hard to flip him.
Will NIL money be the difference between LSU and Texas Tech?
According to Steve Wiltfong of On3, Jalen Brewster is nearing a final decision. The top-ranked recruit may soon inform LSU and Texas Tech where he is going to play college football. It could come down to financial compensation.
There are a few unique wrinkles to this part of the equation.
First and foremost, if Brewster already reached an agreement with the Red Raiders, there might be a buyout attached to his release. The Tigers may have to pay him (or the program to which he is committed) an additional sum of money to get him out of his deal. Those kinds of contracts are not public so we don’t know for sure. Those discussions will take place behind the scenes.
It also remains unclear as to whether money is the deciding factor for Brewster. The general understanding is that Texas Tech offered him $1 million for his freshman season. LSU supposedly offered $1.5 million. Is $500,000 enough to make the difference?
The third piece of the puzzle stems from a purchase of property. It appeared as though Brewster (through his parents as trustees) bought a piece of land in Lubbock, Texas at some point in 2026. That could mean one of a few different things.
Either Brewster bought the property with money that was already paid to him by Texas Tech, bought the property knowing that it would be paid off with money that will be paid to him upon arrival to campus, or received the property as part of his compensatory package with the school to which he is currently committed. The exact details of the purchase are not public.
If Brewster flips to LSU, what happens to the property? There are numerous questions that remain unanswered. All we know for certain is that the Tigers and Red Raiders are the only two schools still involved with his recruitment. A decision could be near.