Nation’s No. 7 Edge Rusher Reveals Early Leader Ahead of Eight Key Visits

One of the most promising defensive players in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle has a busy schedule of visits in the near future, but one school appears to have his full attention at this stage of his process.

Four-star Greenwich (Conn.) edge rusher Mekai Brown will hit the road over the next few weeks, but a recent visit to one Big Ten powerhouse left him very impressed.

Brown reveals early favorite

Right now, it appears USC is out in front for the player after a recent unofficial visit.

“They are very high for me. They are at the top of the list,” Brown said of the Trojans, via Rivals.

He added: “The staff showed how much of a priority I am and the whole staff has a great vibe to them.”

The school has been on a recruiting run recently, as Lincoln Riley signed the consensus No. 1 ranked class in 2026, and is making headway in the 2027 cycle with a group currently considered the seventh best in the country, according to experts.

Key to that collective is No. 1 ranked athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, the near consensus top ranked player in California and the No. 18 national prospect.

Bill Belichick is involved, too

Brown was recently in Chapel Hill to meet with Belichick and see the North Carolina program up close over the weekend.

That was his second meeting with the Tar Heels after a visit in January.

UNC ranks 26th nationally in the 2027 recruiting rankings, according to an industry average of the best classes in the country.

SEC school in the picture

First-year head coach Jon Sumrall and Florida have shown considerable interest in Brown, hosting the Connecticut edge rusher to campus for an unofficial visit in early March.

Brown remarked that the Gators put themselves in a good position for him and that the coaching staff made him feel like a priority in their 2027 recruiting efforts.

Where else is he headed?

Brown will have a busy schedule of visits in the weeks to come.

Three SEC schools will get a closer look at the 6-foot-6, 235-pound edge rusher this month, with Missouri up next on March 17, followed by Ole Miss on March 19, and finally Texas A&M on March 27, according to Rivals.

April 3 will find Brown at Penn State, before a visit to South Carolina on April 8, then to Kentucky on April 17, to Notre Dame on April 24, and then UCLA on April 29.

How he rates as a prospect

Few at his position are thought to be better in 2027 than Brown.

Insiders have rated the Greenwich Day School product as the No. 7 edge rusher in the 2027 class, according to an industry weighted average of the national recruiting services.

That average marks Brown as the top overall player in the state of Connecticut and the No. 48 overall prospect in the nation regardless of position.

Brown is considered the sixth best edge rusher in the country and a four-star prospect, according to the industry generated 247Sports Composite.

(Rivals)