Impressive 4-star Linebacker Hears The Truth During UGA Football Visit

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ATHENS - If you missed our reporting over the weekend, Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs had some top 2026 targets on campus for a big Jr. Day visit.

One impressive in-state target in town was Kell (GA) linebacker,‍ Brayden Rouse‍, one of the fastest-rising prospects across the state.

Rouse is coming off a dominant junior season last fall where he tackled everything in sight for a Kell program on the rise. His recruitment took off in January, earning offers from Georgia and many other top programs in the country.

The 6-foot-3 210-pound defender has heard of the “Georgia doesn’t play freshman” narrative used by other programs, but the Bulldog staff set the record straight with him this weekend.

“I learned that they will play freshman if they’re ready”, Rouse said. “I always had a feeling that you never play as a freshman at Georgia, but sitting down and really getting to talk to Coach Smart and them showing me film of freshmen playing, and the snap counts that they have, it’s definitely motivating to know that if I can work and move up in the depth chart that I have a chance to play.”

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“I didn’t know they take academics really serious and they have a really good team GPA so that’s good to know”, Rouse added. “They will be able to work with my class schedule and football schedule. It was a great time being around all the coaches and having that one on one time. We were able to talk a lot of football so I’m excited to be up there again for the spring. After that I will probably narrow down the schools and look for the official visits to be set up!”

Rouse was a playmaking machine on both sides of the ball last season as he made 105 tackles, 14 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, and five pass-breakups from his linebacker spot. He also added 25 receptions for 378 yards and 8 touchdowns on offense. He’s a natural athlete who should climb the 2026 rankings more and more over time.

Rouse is ranked as the No. 19 LB prospect and the No. 240 overall prospect in the country for the 2026 class.