When Carmello Brooks isn’t wreaking havoc for Katy Paetow’s defensive line, there’s a good chance he’s at the farm tending to his pig.

“I love animals,” Brooks said. “I just raised a pig a couple months ago.”

It’s a nice change of pace for the 6-foot-3, 250-pound three-star prospect, who is learning to deal with the pressures of being a highly rated recruit with offers from Texas, TCU, Houston, Texas State, UTSA, and UTEP.

On the farm, it’s all about the pig and learning to deal with its temperament.

“It actually taught me a lot, just being consistent with your pig, walking it all the time, being patient,” Brooks said. “Pigs aren’t going to listen to you every day. There are going to be some hard days; it won’t listen, it doesn’t want to walk. You just have to be consistent with your pig and don’t give up.”

Taking care of a pig is very different from taking care of a dog, a cat or any other type of common pet. Brooks realized that in his experience with his pig, sometimes in a hard way. But to him, it was all worth it, even the difficult times.

“It’s a really big difference. They’re dirty and sloppy,” Brooks said. “But once you get to hang with them, they actually start to move your way.”

However, the three-star recruit hopes to move into a new realm of animal studies when he gets to college. He hopes to major in Marine Biology, and pursue that career once football comes to an end.

Brooks is very goal-oriented, and his mentality has led him to be one of the most sought-after defensive linemen in Texas. His goals are just as high when it comes to his career hopes in Marine Biology.

“It sounds kind of silly, but I actually want to discover a new species, if I’m able to do that,” Brooks said. “Hopefully I can find something new and be a discoverer.”

When football comes to an end at some point for Brooks, he hopes to etch his name in the history books of sea animal discoveries. But for now, Brooks has a senior season to focus on and a recruitment to wrap up.

The 2025 recruit holds over 15 Division I offers, but he hopes to narrow his list down and focus on select schools.

“I’m honestly going to start to narrow it down a bit,” Brooks said. “I am waiting for a couple of offers, but if they don’t come, I obviously still have my mind made up. But I’m still trying to narrow my options down from where I’m at. 

Brooks communicates most with Cal, Duke, Missouri, Texas, Kansas and Boise State, and he has official visits set with Houston on June 13, and Cal on June 23.

Wherever he ends up, his love for animals will travel with him.