It’s not often you see three SEC giants circling the same 5-star prospect this early, this fiercely — but then again, Lamar Brown isn’t your everyday recruit. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound two-way force out of Baton Rouge is one of the most physically dominant players in the 2026 class. And as he narrows his decision, the tug-of-war among LSU, Texas A&M, and Texas has started to feel less like recruiting and more like a slow-burning chess match. Everyone knows Brown’s official visits are scheduled — what’s fascinating is how deliberately each school is trying to outmaneuver the others. The visits aren’t just checkmarks; they’re moves in a larger endgame.

Each program is playing to its perceived strengths. LSU, of course, has the hometown edge — they’re leaning hard into the emotional pull of staying home, the Tiger tradition, and the growing expectation that a Louisiana kid should anchor a Louisiana line. Texas A&M, fresh off its coaching reset, is making a play for disruption: new staff, fresh vision, a promise that Brown could be the face of a new defensive era. And then there’s Texas — the so-called outsider, but arguably the most calculated. Without the built-in emotional narrative, the Longhorns have had to be precise — and aggressive. That aggression is starting to show. 

Texas will host Brown for his first official visit on June 6, with A&M following a week later and LSU bringing up the rear on June 20 — just two days before his decision. That lineup already hints at a strategy: Texas wants the first impression, A&M wants to keep the buzz alive in the middle, and LSU is banking on the last word. But what’s raised eyebrows is the fact that Brown canceled a previously scheduled Florida State visit just to make room for Texas. That move felt intentional — and it’s made insiders pause. Because when a Louisiana kid pushes aside a blue-blood like FSU to prioritize a trip to Austin… something’s shifting.

And that shift hasn’t gone unnoticed. On the May 21 episode of After Further Review: LSU, recruiting insider Shea Dixon of On3 Sports spoke candidly about the momentum Texas is quietly gaining in Brown’s recruitment. “So LSU and A&M were two teams that have been on him a long time, that made sense for a number of reasons,” Dixon said. “And then Texas has not only been recruiting him, but to be able to get an official visit, I think, is notable. They, you know, are a team in East Texas. It’s not like it’s a super far drive, easy flight.”

It’s a subtle point, but one that recruiters and insiders don’t overlook — the proximity, the timing, the canceled FSU visit, and now, the buzz around Austin. It’s not coincidental; all of it suggests that Texas isn’t just in the race anymore— they might be closing in. Especially with what Steve Sarkisian has to offer.

Steve Sarkisian is hoping to land Lamar Brown with a hidden move.

In today’s college football, relationships matter almost as much as the NIL money. And guess what? Texas has both, since Sarkisian is spending an estimated $40 million this year. So with the deadly combination of that NIL money and the reported ‘relationship’ that Sarkisian might appeal. It looks like Brown will be donning that orange and white after all.

The player talked to On3 about his connection to defensive ends coach La Allan Clark and how it goes way back when he was just a kid. “When I look at schools, I wanna have that great relationship with my position and they [Texas] top it off,” he told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I will 100% say that I have the best relationship with Coach Clark than any other school I’m interested in right now. And this is not even a knock off to the other DL coaches because I have a great relationship with them also….When I was a little kid, we knew each other well. I used to go to his football camps, and his dad coached me at my middle school for basketball.” The verdict?

Texas is coming in full swing for Brown. However, LSU and the Aggies are also fighting toe-to-toe in the battle. The On3 probability predictor even puts LSU at 1st with 97% probability of the player joining. With just 15 miles between Brown’s hometown and LSU, will the Aggies stand a chance? Well, Brown has shortlisted Aggies in his top colleges, and with the upcoming visit and Mike Elko investing heavily in the future, the move seems more possible.