4-star LB Brayden Rouse names top 4 schools

Marietta (Ga.) four-star linebacker Brayden Rouse is down to four schools in his recruitment, he tells On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

After sorting through more than two dozen offers, Rouse is now down to Texas, Michigan, Alabama and Tennessee. He will also take official visits to each of the programs this summer before a decision. The Crimson Tide will get his first visit the weekend of May 30, followed by the Wolverines (June 6), Longhorns (June 13) and Volunteers (June 20).

Rouse had previously locked in a visit with the in-state Georgia Bulldogs for the weekend of June 13, but they now look to be out of the picture entirely.

I’ve narrowed my recruitment down to four schools. I’m grateful to all the coaches who have recruited me on this journey and i’m thankful for their interest, but i will be doing my official visits with these four schools.

GOD’s PLAN pic.twitter.com/ObrLWURyVt

— Brayden Rouse ✰ (@BraydenRouse8) April 23, 2025

Rouse visited each of his four finalists this spring unofficially and caught up with On3’s Chad Simmons and Ethan McDowell to talk about what stood out on his trips to Michigan, Alabama and Tennessee.

Each program making a strong case to Rouse

Michigan: “Football wise, the way they ran practice and their meetings. But what surprised me the most was the way they treated my family. It was very impressive, and Avery Bean and the whole staff were great hosts, and it was one of those visits they made you feel at home.”

Alabama: “They are high on my board. They’ve been doing a good job of recruiting me and I could see myself playing there. “Coach Morrell and I are very tight. He has a big vision for me and compared me to Jihaad Campbell.”

Tennessee: “Hanging out with the team, seeing how the guys competed even with a shift in their quarterback room, and how happy everyone seems to be at Tennessee were the biggest highlights of this visit. I talked to about every coach on staff too. The ones I talked to the most were coach Inge, coach Heupel, coach Banks and coach Chop. They continue to show me how much they want me.”

The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder is the No. 96 overall prospect in the 2026 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the nation’s No. 6 linebacker and No. 10 recruit in Georgia.