Two SEC programs in recruiting battle for elite Top-10 edge rusher prospect

One of the most highly-regarded defensive prospects in the 2027 college football recruiting class has aroused considerable interest from multiple elite programs.

But it appears two notable SEC schools have emerged as the focus of interest for four-star Stone Mountain (Ga.) edge rusher KJ Green, according to Rivals.

Who is in play?

Alabama and South Carolina have moved out in front in Green’s attention and appear to be the “teams to beat right now,” according to recruiting analyst Greg Biggins.

“Alabama is a winning program and gets guys to the NFL,” Green said of the Crimson Tide, which earned the pledge of four-star Mobile (Ala.) edge rusher JaBarrius Garror in 2027.

Green has also stated that he has “a strong connection with South Carolina, and they have been prioritizing me for a long time.”

South Carolina fielded one of college football’s best defenses two seasons ago, anchored by some of the most physical edge rushing talent in the country.

“They had a down year this past year, but in the ‘24 season, everyone saw how good they can be,” Green said of the Gamecocks.

Other schools in the mix

Green isn’t limiting his interest to just two SEC programs right now, and has stated that five other schools have also expressed interest.

Two of those, LSU and Texas A&M, are the other SEC schools among that cohort.

Also involved is USC, which just brought on veteran coach Gary Patterson as its next defensive coordinator, and is reportedly making Green a priority in its 2027 defensive recruiting strategy.

Notre Dame is also in the picture, signing a defensive-centric class thus far in 2027, but is still looking for a foundational edge rusher.

Also among those interested remains a resurgent Miami program that just played for the national championship, making that deep College Football Playoff run on the back of a strong front-seven defensive alignment.

What the early predictions say

South Carolina could be the favorite to eventually land Green in the early going.

It currently ranks first with a 30.2 percent chance to earn the defensive end’s commitment, according to the On3 Sports Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Alabama sits in second-place by that metric, at 10.1 percent.

But to hear Green talk about it himself, the Crimson Tide appears to be out in front, after he called it the current No. 1 program in his mind in comments to Touchdown Alabama.

How he rates as a recruit

Green has been heralded as one of the single-most impactful overall prospects in the 2027 college football recruiting class, and one of the best at his position.

The native of Georgia is currently listed as the No. 6 ranked defensive end/edge rusher prospect in the cycle, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

A consensus four-star prospect, Green is considered the third-best player in the state and rates as the No. 37 overall high school football player in the country regardless of position.

What he’s done on the field

Green has been a solidly productive defensive fixture for Stephenson HS in Stone Mountain, Ga., racking up triple-digit tackles over the last three seasons.

His best outing came as a junior this past season, recording a career-high 129 combined tackles with 40 tackles for loss, according to MaxPreps.

Over 13 games this past fall, Green also notched a personal-best 18 sacks.

In the last three seasons, the edge rusher has 204 total stops with 63 negative plays forced while adding 4 quarterback hurries and 31 recorded sacks.

What the scouts think

Green is regarded as a “potential impact rusher for a College Football Playoff contender,” according to 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins.

The player is considered a “physical edge defender with the potential to create havoc on all three downs with his burst, power, and effort.”

Green is also “quick out of his stance and frequently the one to initiate contact,” while being “fluid enough to cross obstacles or dart around them if he’s not trying to play through them.”