LSU 2021 Target James Brockermeyer Comes From Long Family Lineage of Football Players

James and Tommy Brockermeyer have been linked together forever. The twin offensive linemen out of Fort Worth, Texas have each drawn interest from some of the top programs in the country and are now approaching the home stretch of their recruitment process.

Their football lineage goes back three generations with grandfather Kay suiting up for the Texas Longhorns followed by Blake Brockermeyer, James and Tommy's father, who suited up for the Longhorns in the mid-90s. Blake would eventually become an All-American offensive lineman in 1994 and first round draft choice of the Carolina Panthers.

He spent eight years in the NFL before going into coaching, where he’s currently a defensive analyst at SMU.

The third generation of the Brockermeyer family football tree has already started. James and Tommy's older brother, Luke walked on to Texas in 2018 and has since earned a scholarship with the program.

"It's really cool because you kind of grow up hearing about it [the family history] but you don't really understand the deeper meaning of it until you go through it," James said. "It's then that you realize how much work went into it and it makes you appreciate it more."

Now the two younger brothers are hoping to forge their own paths in the college football ranks and are off to a pretty great start. James is currently ranked as the No. 1 center in the 2021 class according to 247Sports while Tommy is the No. 1 overall tackle and top-10 player in the class.

It's been widely believed that the two brothers would want to go play together at the collegiate level and why wouldn't they? It'd not only be a unique story but an experience that would be equally unique.

The twins are also in a unique spot as their father, who’s been through the recruiting process before, is never too far away for advice.

"I wouldn't say anything's set in stone but I would say it's more likely than not that we do go to the same school," James said. "He [Blake] is in the business so he knows what coaches are looking to see, looking to hear because he also went through it all."

LSU, Auburn, Alabama and of course, Texas are the four schools that James is currently most interested in, mainly because of the rich histories behind each program. In a perfect world, James and Tommy would love to take all of their official visits in the spring and the summer and make a decision afterwards.

Because that is not possible due to the recruiting world shutting down as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, their commitment decision could be coming sooner than initially thought.

"I guess it all depends on different scenarios, what's going on with each school but I'd rather have it done before the season starts just to get it out of the way," James said. "LSU was my first SEC offer so that was pretty sweet because that was one of the teams that I grew up watching on prime time. That was a special moment for sure."

Offensive line coach James Cregg and coach Ed Orgeron remain in constant communication with both the Brockermeyer brothers and James says he has a great relationship with the LSU staff.

"Those conversations are mostly just revolved around football and around life," James said. "Coach O really puts an emphasis on how badly they want me and how much they'd love for me to a Tiger. They like how I play with a chip on my shoulder and the aggression I play the game with. They say they need more players like me on that o-line group so that's great to hear."

The brothers were in town for the Auburn game in 2019, which wound up being the closest game the Tigers played in all season. LSU escaped with a narrow 23-20 win and Brockermeyer called it an unforgettable experience.

"That atmosphere of the game is unlike any other, it was a 2:30 kickoff and it was unreal," Brockermeyer said. "I can't imagine what a night kickoff is like, I've heard a lot of crazy things about it. The fans are unreal and the atmosphere is just awesome.

"We both really liked LSU when we visited, the atmosphere in Baton Rouge is unlike anything I've ever seen before."

With Blake now a Defensive Quality Control Analyst at SMU, Tommy and James have the requisite access to make sure they're keeping their bodies in shape with most gyms and facilities shut down.

"Our dad has all this spare time on his hands right now so we're working out harder than ever before," James said. "We lift and then after that we'll either do o-line drills or push a truck. He got this handle that he welded and we just push the truck down the street."

Right now James is continuing to work on his technique while also trying to get bigger, faster and stronger with his brother and father.

"I was pretty undersized so I've been working on getting bigger," James said. "My freshman year I was 160 pounds and now I'm 270 so I've gained a lot of weight. I do feel like I play with pretty good technique but I'm always looking to get better, especially in times like this. It's a good opportunity to separate yourself from the pack."

It’s the atmosphere and the experience that continues to bring James back to the Tigers. Because as LSU fans know, a Saturday night in Death Valley is one of a kind.

"That'd be a real awesome experience, something to say you did down the road," James said. "You can just tell by watching the games that it's an experience unlike any other. A lot of schools can say they have the best atmosphere in college football but with LSU, it really is. It's not just a bunch of talk."