Elite 5-Star EDGE's Announcement Stuns Two Major SEC Programs

These two SEC football programs will have to pivot in another direction following the commitment of a 2027 five-star defensive end.

Jack Pyrun 44, LSU Tigers take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. October 11, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The intensity of the 2027 college football recruiting cycle has increased three months into the 2026 offseason.

The top prospects in the cycle continue to winnow down their lists of schools to choose from and schedule official visits to the schools they find most appealing. Some prospects have elected to make their college decisions before the summer arrives.

The latest domino to fall in the cycle was five-star defensive end Anthony Sweeney, who announced his commitment to Texas Tech on Monday.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder from Baltimore, Maryland, ranks as the No. 3 edge rusher, No. 1 prospect in Maryland and No. 20 overall prospect in the class of 2027, per Rivals.

In two seasons at St. Frances Academy, Sweeney recorded 83 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and a forced fumble. He participated in the 2026 Under Armour All-America Game back in January.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins described Sweeney as a "long-levered edge defender with some natural twitch that can dip and build speed as he turns the corner" and said he "tends to win with effort and energy as he crosses tackles and cycles his way into rush paths" in a scouting report from January. Duke defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr. is Ivins' player comparison for Sweeney.

Sweeney marks the second five-star commitment of the class for the Red Raiders, joining defensive lineman Jalen Brewster. Texas Tech now holds seven total commitments in the class, four of which are from defensive linemen.

The Red Raiders had to fight off a number of major college football powers to come away with Sweeney's commitment. Hayes Fawcett of Rivals reported that Sweeney chose Texas Tech over a pair of SEC programs.

LSU

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin, left, stands next to athletic director Verge Ausberry, right, prior to the game against the Houston Cougars | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Tigers made a late push in Sweeney's recruitment, offering him a scholarship in the middle of March. He visited LSU near the end of March in the midst of a stretch of visits to different SEC programs.

Four-star Trenton Henderson is the only incoming freshman defensive end for the Tigers in 2026, although they managed to pull in a trio of SEC edge rushers out of the NCAA transfer portal. LSU already holds the commitment of four-star edge rusher Jaiden Bryant, who ranks fourth in the position group in the 2027 cycle.

South Carolina

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The Gamecocks offered Sweeney his scholarship in January of 2025, and he proceeded to visit them a handful of times. Sweeney's last visit to South Carolina came 10 days before his last visit to LSU.

Four-star Julian Walker and three-star Keenan Britt were the Gamecocks' two edge rusher pickups from the 2026 recruiting cycle. Of South Carolina's two 2027 commitments, three-star safety Jernard Albright is the only defender.