Brayden Rouse could have a breakout year with the Kell Longhorns. He’s been waiting for his chance and seems ready to take it. After playing receiver for much of his career, Rouse will switch to linebacker this season. He will continue to play wide receiver and tight end this year, but primarily on defense. The junior LB already has seven offers from Arkansas State, Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Liberty, Marshall, UMASS and Temple. His first offer came from Eastern Kentucky.

“In December, it was EKU. We were on this bus tour that we had this summer. We took a few players. We went to a few schools. We did a few visits and camps. We went down to EKU and I met Coach Caleb Cox and we chatted a little bit,” Rouse said. “We toured the facility and it was extremely beautiful. I feel like EKU changed my whole recruiting. It really opened everything up. I love it there.”

Rouse performed at the Corky Kell X Georgia Tech 7 on 7 in June and garnered some interest. He was at the barbecue held on the Flats a few weeks ago. He talked about his recent offer from the Yellow Jackets and what it meant to him.
“I really enjoyed the Georgia Tech 7-on-7, it was a lot of fun. It also got me a lot of attention. That was probably my favorite game of ours.

“It honestly means a lot to me. I really like how they handle things there. It’s very similar to how we run our practices and how we operate at Kell. When I went there and saw how they conduct themselves in meetings, how practice runs, and when I met some of the players at the barbecue, I felt like it would be a really good fit for me,” Rouse said. “Talking to all the coaches was definitely an eye opener. My former teammate Cedric Franklin told me how interested they were. Then she invited me to the barbecue and offered me an offer, so that was definitely a surprise. I think the start of the season and the offer from Georgia Tech will definitely push my recruitment a little bit further. I definitely loved it and it was definitely fun.”

Georgia Tech is no stranger to recruiting players for the Kell Longhorns program. You may recall that dynamic running back and Tech star Jonathan Dwyer began his career at Kell High School and played for the Yellow Jackets from 2007-2009. The Yellow Jackets recently signed Franklin from the class of 2024, who also attended Kell High School. Franklin made quite a splash with his plays in the spring game and earned high praise from teammate Leo Blackburn.
“One person I want to highlight is Ced, the freshman. He really developed well towards the end. He learned to play to his strengths. He’s going to be a good player,” Blackburn said.

He is being recruited as a linebacker by the Yellow Jackets, with defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci extending the offer a few weeks ago.

“It’s definitely defense because coach Santucci offered that to me. I think it’s definitely going to be outside linebacker. I was with the linebackers all day. I knew him, but we didn’t really talk at Georgia Tech 7-on-7. I just followed him and got his information,” Rouse said. “We talked and he said I should come to this barbecue. I went there and Jaden George (Kell WR) and I were playing cornhole and he came up and I met his whole family. He’s a really good coach and a really good guy. I can definitely see myself playing for someone like him. It was a good experience.”

Rouse also loves the campus and all of the Yellow Jackets’ training facilities and amenities.
“The campus is very nice. I think the buildings and the whole structure are super high-tech. There are a lot of new things there. The training room is amazing. They have these bikes and scooters that you can take anywhere, so you don’t have to worry about mobility. The cafeteria is nice. You can see the skyline from the stadium. The whole campus is really beautiful,” Rouse said.

This season, Rouse looks to show his physicality and make opponents pay attention to him on defense. Expect a lot of tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks. On offense, Rouse is an underrated receiver who can throw the ball high and use his speed to make a cut and completely outsmart the defense. This was evident in his practice game against New Manchester when he scored a long touchdown. He also talked about his goals for 2024.

“On defense, I definitely want to show my physicality. Charge down the hill at full speed and just knock somebody down. I feel like when people see me, they see me more as a DB type linebacker. I want to show them I can hit and go down the field too,” Rouse said. “Make some fumbles and get some sacks off the side. On offense, I’m showing my versatility by scoring touchdowns and getting yards after the catch by blocking at the line of scrimmage and outside. On offense, I’m aiming for 8-9 touchdowns and on defense, my goal is about 130 tackles. I’m going to try to do whatever I can to help the team win.”

It appears Rouse is just getting started and, depending on how his junior season goes, could become a household name in the state. Kell is once again loaded with talent and will be the center of attention to open the season on Peachtree Sports Network against North Atlanta in the Corky Kell Dave Hunter Classic. What better way to open your junior season?

Full interview: