Steve Sarkisian has been battling to keep hold of WR Easton Royal, with Lane Kiffin aggressively trying to flip the in-state athlete. LSU has been on Texas’s back for a long time, and they don’t seem to be slowing down. A high-profile prospect has now added another layer to this recruiting battle.

Texas had its eyes set on five-star edge rusher KJ Green, who planned to visit Austin this summer. The Stone Mountain High Schooler stands as the No. 8 overall recruit and the No. 2 edge rusher in the 2027 class. Although Sarkisian was ready to welcome him to the Longhorns, Green made a rather disappointing announcement.

As per CJ, an LSU alum, five-star EDGE KJ Green will no longer be traveling to Austin at the start of the next month. He has replaced his Texas official visit with an OV to Baton Rouge. Green will be at the LSU facility the weekend of June 5-7.

The man who made this switch possible for the LSU Tigers is the newest member on board, DL coach Sterling Lucas. His persuasion enabled him to change Green’s mind about visiting the Longhorns. Green visited Baton Rouge on an unofficial visit in April, and since then, the two have stayed in touch.

Although Sarkisian has already landed four-star EDGE Derwin Fields and Cameron Hall in the class of 2027, Green is still a key prospect. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he already has the perfect size for a Division I edge rusher. What really makes him different from the crowd is his mobility and his quickness on his feet. Which is why many see him as one of the best defensive prospects in the 2027 class.

In 2025, as per MaxPreps, he managed to record 129 tackles, 40.0 TFL, and 18.0 sacks. In three years at the high school level, Green posted 63.0 total TFL, 31.0 sacks, and 204 tackles.

“Physical edge defender with the potential to create havoc on all three downs with his burst, power, and effort. Turned heads at Under Armour’s Future 50 event summer after sophomore year and followed it up with a monster junior campaign: 40 TFL, 18 sacks. Looks almost like an action figure with his muscle and should only continue to add good mass in the coming years,” 247Sports‘ scouting report about Green reads.

“Has attacked from a variety of different alignments over the years and is likely to offer that same inside-outside versatility on Saturdays. Projects at this stage as a potential impact rusher for a College Football Playoff contender,” the report added.

Other teams on KJ Green’s recruitment trial

Green, the No. 2 edge in the class of 2027, is receiving offers from all around the nation and has taken over 40 visits, eight of which were to Columbia for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

He has already taken an OV to the Georgia Bulldogs, his state team, and will visit the Oregon Ducks next. After his trip to Baton Rouge, he will visit the South Carolina Gamecocks for the ninth time.

Green will also take an official visit to Alabama on June 18-20. The five-star edge rusher has already locked in a commitment date and is set to announce his decision on August 8. Sark needs to put his foot on the accelerator before Texas loses another elite player.