Northwestern Wildcats Take Big Swing, Offer 2027 Five-Star Offensive Lineman

The Houston native has garnered a lot of attention from top programs.

Aug 31, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats head coach David Braun on the field after a score against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks during the second half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Northwestern is entering the sweepstakes as a long-shot for 2027 offensive tackle Kennedy Brown. Brown is a five-star prospect, according to 247Sports' Composite rankings, and he announced his offer from Northwestern this morning on X.

#AGTG After a great conversation with @OB_Cats i’m blessed to receive another D1 offer from @NUFBFamily @DavidBraunFB @PetersNUFB @JeromeTgrey @Coach_Mulford @CoachBence @KWCoachMel@KHSMustangFBall @SWiltfong_
@gregbiggins @brandonhuffman @adamgorney @MikeRoach247@ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/wu3796R0ca

— Kennedy Brown 5⭐️ OL (@Kennedybrown75) July 5, 2025

It's interesting that the Wildcats would spend any time trying to woo the 6-foot-4, 280 lbs blocker. According to 247Sports, schools like Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and many other elite programs have all already offered him.

The website also lists Brown as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the class. Safe to say, it would be a herculean get for coach David Braun and his staff.

However, Northwestern is a unique institution. Maybe the coaching staff thinks Brown is prioritizing a highly ranked academic school. Maybe the program's recent history with successfully developing offensive tackles is intriguing. Maybe the SEC isn't as enticing to Brown as it might be for others in his shoes.

Who knows. It's also possible the Wildcats are just doing their due dilligence and wanted to take a shot at the hail mary. But they do have one tangible tie to Brown: an incoming freshman who played with him in high school.

Brown plays at Kingwood High School in Humble, Texas, and Northwestern recruit Hayden Wright played there as well. Wright was a three-star prospect who also plays offensive tackle.

Brown has plenty of offers on his plate already and likely many more on the way. He'll probably take a big NIL deal at a school capable of competing for a National Championship in the near future, but Northwestern has thrown its hat into the ring. For the 'Cats, kicking the tires can't hurt.