Malcolm Brown to Texas: Instant Analysis and Scouting Report
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Aug 19, 2010 2:28 AM CDT
in Texas Longhorns Recruiting
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Instant analysis: What if. What if. What if Major Applewhite can't coach running backs? What if the running of Alabama is an appeal to Cibolo Steele RB Malcolm Brown? What if Texas will never land another top tailback prospect in the history of ever? What if Brandon Williams is AD v. 2.0 and the love affair is again from afar? What if there are no native Texan roots to keep Brown in Texas?
Not if, now. Texas. Malcolm Brown to Texas. Gimme. Got.
Quiet the insecurities. Pacify the fanbase. Set aside the Chris Whaley fiasco, failed evaluation. If not five years of failure in recruiting at the running back position, something either closely approximating it or as yet unresolved, undecided.
A savior? No. An answer among many. Quarterback. Scheme. Westerman Flowers Greenlea Cochran Hutchins Doyle Espinosa Hopkins. Matthews and Bergeron. McFarland.
The ability to impose upon the opponent the will of the offensive line, the running back, the ticking clock and fatigue. Mack Brown football. Will Muschamp football, too.
So maybe not a savior, but what looks like the final piece of the puzzle in the narrative. An end to calls about Applewhite not being able to recruit the position. Of failures in scheme trickling down to the recruiting landscape. Of what happens in 2012 with Johnathan Gray supposing a failure with Brown.
There is no failure, no need for Plan B. Mack Brown and the staff were all in with Brown and it worked.
Instant scouting report: Let's get this out of the way at the start -- this scouting report does not read like the unrequited love affair so many voices in this Longhorn bandbox have sounded for Brandon Williams (Mr. Physical Upside). Me included.
Instead, the toughest question is Brown's physical upside. And here the cynicism of the Texas S&C program rears it's head. A physical dominance that will exist to a much lesser degree in college. No surprise, but still a concern.
Worst case: Is Brown Bulldozer the Second? Vondrell McGee again? In the broken arm tackles perhaps, not in the overall expectations or the talent level but most particularly a fit in the offense moving forward. A fit in the offense never described McGee.
Now to the hype. National top-10 rankings in all the services. Consensus top running back in the country. All the accolades. Production.The ideal back moving forward for Texas moving more downhill. Like I said, I'm not going to mention that other back.
If Brown's not ready to run over a member of the opponents' second level, there is stil enough explosiveness and good enough feet to solve the other problems in high school. I was about to mention that name again -- reminder, this is about Malcolm Brown. And all this discussion almost presupposes the worst case because otherwise Brown will be a star.
As Scipio Tex mentions, he's not a superstar at running behind his pads, but he's no Chris Whaley either. Sorry, Mack. It's mostly mass (210 pounds or more) times acceleration (top speed at the third step or so) and a strong core just behind the shoulders.
Balance -- related to that core strength. Like, elite balance.
Toughness, an aggressive mentality with the football.
Quick through the hole, no nonsense. No jukes, just downhill. Still, underrated feet.
A snug fit for the new scheme.
The question that Scipio Tex is posing is one of whether Brown has physically maximized his talent. The answer seems like no. It's hard to believe that there isn't a little bit more burst waiting for a college S&C program to realize itself. A stiff arm and more runs behind the pads.
In this case, the national rankings speak so strongly about Brown's value that the only criticisms are left for whether he will be able to outrun Iowa State's secondary verus being able to outrun Texas A&M's secondary. Not a big difference, but an important distinction.
Will it be the disinction between good and great? Good and average? Given the whole array of talent, that seems unlikely.
Welcome aboard, Macolm.
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Congrats
I knew it was a matter of time. Physically, he’s ready to step in tomorrow and contribute. He’s already at the ideal weight, and once he hits a college strength program, he’ll turn his few ounces of bad weight into good pretty quickly. Even though we landed Brandon Williams, I was always a bigger fan of Brown. This manchild has a long career ahead of him.
by KratosWasASooner on Aug 19, 2010 3:08 AM CDT reply actions
Yes
His talent is obvious and a terrific get for the Longhorns. But in the bigger picture, this is the first “win” of 2010. There has been a much board discussion about our “almost’s” this year only to be left with tip-of-the-tongue outcomes.
Needless to say, the natives have been restless and hungry for anything remotely resembling finishing on top. His announcement is only sweeter, and a bit ironic, that the losing end of the stick was the [school that shall remain nameless] where last we saw was blowing up our D…on the ground.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, his decision is all about family location. Right. The decision is about opportunit$. This 2011 class is now way out front and no one, I mean no one, worth their Rival’s salt want to be on the outside looking in.
Phew!
I’ve said elsewhere that as good as this class is, there would nevertheless be wailing and gnashing of teeth if Malcolm wasn’t the cherry on top. This is a great day to be a Longhorns fan. I’m unbelievably stoked to see all this talent develop and win football games over the next half-decade.
by BurntOrangeCanadian on Aug 19, 2010 5:16 AM CDT reply actions
you can’t fail continuously at a position as important as RB without their being gnashing of teeth….
by Displaced Longhorn on Aug 19, 2010 11:36 AM CDT up reply actions
Great Way to Start the Day - QQ Big Roy
Does AS-J revive the CB Jackson schollie talk? Or do we just take 1 less.
Note to Bill Byrne "Because you aren´t Texas and you´ll never be Texas"
Could take one less.
The coaches seem to feel positively about Adrian Phillips and Carrington Byndom, so perhaps that relieves some of the pressure to land another DB.
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Aug 19, 2010 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions
We will get Aaron Green.
"Football's so important in Texas. On the West Coast, it's a social. On the East Coast, it's a culture. Here, it's a religion."
-- Major Applewhite
It'll be awhile before it happens....
It’s just a feeling.
"Football's so important in Texas. On the West Coast, it's a social. On the East Coast, it's a culture. Here, it's a religion."
-- Major Applewhite
this is what I've been waiting for
so happy to have gotten who we wanted at RB…. what a great way to start the day… thanks for the write up GOBR!
One question
Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely excited to see an elite back join our beloved Horns but, I want to get an idea of just how good MB is from someone who can judge skill better than myself. So finally on to my question.
If MB were on campus today, would he be the starter at running back?
I think he would challenge for the starting job.
He doesn’t have a lot of experience catching the ball and he would need some time to work on pass protection I’m sure, but he has the ideal size for that so I don’t think it’s a stretch or a criticism of Newton and Whittaker to say that he might win the job.
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Aug 19, 2010 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions
I haven't seen him play, but ...
One of my best friends is a former college football player and a writer for one of the recruiting services. I asked him for an honest assessment of Brown, and this is what he said:
“Best RB in the nation, for sure. He’s better right now than any back y’all have on campus. The real deal. I’m not big on comparisons, but I see flashes of Peterson. Some say he’s more of an LT. Can’t really go wrong either way.”
You lost me here
whether he will be able to outrun Iowa State’s secondary verus being able to outrun Texas A&M’s secondary
I feel confident that Malcolm Brown’s faster than Colt McCoy
Okay maybe A&M wasn't a good comparison.
How about Oklahoma?
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Aug 19, 2010 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Getting caught from behind by the secondary
would be a big improvement for our running game. I’d still be pretty fired up that the runner wasn’t stoned at the line of scrimmage or running sideways.
Agree
Most people get caught from behind anyway, or from the side. You don’t see a lot of 70-yd TD’s but I’ll take a bucket of 20-yard runs with defenders falling sideways or backwards. Even 10-yarders, anything that gets the ball past the LOS.
The scene is set perfectly for the ‘other guy’ from SA now. One more elite back with all those OL coming in and we’ll be set in the running game. It’s been a dry spell in the running game but the pieces are starting to fall into place.
"You've got to think lucky. If you fall into a mudhole, check your back pocket - you might have caught a fish" -- Darrell Royal
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Aug 21, 2010 12:55 PM CDT up reply actions
> any 2008 OU safety's speed
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.
by burntorangehorn on Aug 19, 2010 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions
Eskimo,
You hit the nail on the head.
Now we’re bitching because we landed a 5 star RB and the best player in the state.
I’m more concerned whether he’s a 1st or 2nd round NFL pick and whether he stays 3 years or 4 but then I’ll defer to guys like Gerry H when it comes to talent evaluation.
I do love BW’s upside and I would have welcomed Sims with open arms. The only problem our staff has is a lack of RB talent coming out of the state since JC and a desire not to deal with “handlers” and “street agents”. Good lord, if we’re going to cry about ones that got away, at least let’s cry about Trent Richardson has actually done something.
Great news. Great day to be a Longhorn indeed
I think Malcolm Brown’s “burst” improves with Texas’ S & C program. Malcolm is plenty quick as it now. Not Brandon Williams fast, but I will take a slightly faster Cedric Benson. Ask NFL defenses last year if they thought Cedric was fast enough.
GOBR is there any chance Malcolm enrolls in the Spring? I would think Malcolm has his sights set on being The Man as soon as he suits up in September 2011.
I really wish the Brandon Williams camp would shut up. We got Malcolm Brown and the top recruiting class in the country behind him. Let’s have a day of celebration.
I will even resist asking about any news on Rasco, Carles Jackson or who the 25th commitment might be. No how does this effect Jonathan Gray’s recruitment questions will come from me today.
I really hope Mack, Greg, Bruce, Bobby and Major fired up fine cigars in Mack’s office at about 9:30 pm last night. They certainly deserve it.
Be happy Texas fan base, we got the best RB recruit in the country for the first time since Cedric.
A national title in 2011 looks increasingly better.
Hook ’em 2009.
by billfromlaketravis on Aug 19, 2010 9:03 AM CDT reply actions
a little more cynicism please
gees. from the tone of your article, i guess you wanted “the other guy.” like somehow malcolm brown is overrated. he’s the best RB in the nation. lay off the caffeine and forget about the past for one minute.
"you can destroy a man, but you cannot defeat him." - e.h.
I appreciate GoBR's unbiased evaluation
Brown has been my #1 pick since January, but these are all legitimate concerns IMO.
by Horncasting on Aug 19, 2010 10:11 AM CDT up reply actions
it's hard to see this as "unbiased evalutation"...
when we all know GOBR wanted Brandon Williams.
Whatevs. I’m excited to see him in burnt orange. I’m celebrating what we got not what we lost. Malcolm, you picked the right guys. Hook ’em!
by vy til i die on Aug 19, 2010 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Fair point
I guess I’m just glad to be able to read some analysis of strengths and weaknesses instead of just another celebration thread.
by Horncasting on Aug 19, 2010 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions
Can you really call it biased or unbiased?
He’s forming an opinion off of what he’s seen of the guys on tape. The bias would be if he were friends with one of them or something like that. Just thinking one is better isn’t biased at all, it’s just an opinion.
I apologize for not striking a more positive tone
I’ve probably been about as skeptical about Brown as anyone in the country and that’s probably not fair to him. It’s also not fair to say that I’m not extremely happy about this news and I believe there is a strong possibility that Brown will become an excellent back at Texas.
Like I said, he’s not the savior for the running game because no one player could be, but he’s the final piece of the puzzle and his running style perfectly fits the vision for the offense moving forward, an offense capable of picking up tough yardage late in games, the preference of both Muschamp and Brown. Greg Davis? That’s another question entirely, but this is truly a day to feel happy about the future of the position at Texas.
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Aug 19, 2010 11:11 AM CDT reply actions
GOBR
Obviously at this point it’s irrelevant, but if Brown had picked Bama do you think UT would have then offered Williams? Many OU fans believe that if that had happened he would have defected. Do you agree?
"We call him The Hammer." - Bob Stoops on Ronnell Lewis
There have been some rumblings about that so I think it could have happened, yeah.
Not sure I want to go as far as to say it would have.
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Aug 19, 2010 6:36 PM CDT up reply actions
excellente'
we just wanted you on the bandwagon. haha. Brown is a great pickup. it would be nice to get Green too. still a great day…
"you can destroy a man, but you cannot defeat him." - e.h.
by drankthewine on Aug 19, 2010 2:30 PM CDT up reply actions
Nice pick up
He looks like the real deal. Nice to see some quality backs in the Big 12 instead of going the e(S)s(E)p©n direction. It’s going to make for great CF for some time to come in the Big 12.
but I thought the Big 12 was dead :)
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
"You've got to think lucky. If you fall into a mudhole, check your back pocket - you might have caught a fish" -- Darrell Royal
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Aug 21, 2010 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions
I have a question GoBR
I want to say I respect everythnig you post on here and I look forward to everything you post.
How come all of the recruiting sites (Rivals, Scout, and ESPN, etc.) all have M. Brown way ahead of B. Williams and you are the only one who likes B. Williams better than Brown? Does B. Williams play in a low class (1A or 2A)? If M. Brown played in the same class against the same weak competiton as B. Williams I’m sure he’d look faster and run more people over.
i don't believe he's the only one...
..the guys at BC, and recruitocosm like B. Williams as well.
by vy til i die on Aug 19, 2010 12:57 PM CDT up reply actions
Not that the opinion of a swimmer matters
But I have made my complete crush on B. Williams known for a long time as well.
It is not that Brown is not incredible. That is obvious. And I had several ounces of Crown during the celebration thread. I am a happy horn right now.
But when their films came out, and he was kind of a surprise on the scene, there were some of us who just loved Williams’ film. And you know they are going to get compared in the coming years. I hope we got the right one.
"A lot of people look for the easy way to do anything, in swimming there is no easy way." - Eddie Reese
I just think MB is a better fit
Trying not to bash on a 17 year old, but 2 kids before the start of his senior year of highschool? Some of the other stuff is shocking.
Just seems to be a much higher risk.
Brandon Williams doesn't just look faster...
he is faster, a legit track speed guy. Who knows which back will pan out better, but from a pure measurable size + speed standpoint, Brandon Williams is the guy.
I ran this down briefly (and very roughly) over at cc machine
But both teams got the right guy. For the offense Mack wants ran, he couldn’t have found a better back.
by KratosWasASooner on Aug 19, 2010 2:39 PM CDT up reply actions
I did not read your article
But I don’t think you can say anything remotely like that with any degree of certainty or seriousness. Would you be saying that if Brown had committed to OU back in July? No way. All the headlines would be “The next Adrian Peterson – Malcolm Brown”.
And you would be right…. thats what we are hoping for.
"A lot of people look for the easy way to do anything, in swimming there is no easy way." - Eddie Reese
Williams plays in 3A
There are a few people who prefer Williams, including Scipio Tex over at BC. I think some of it has to do with the fact that Williams was injured as a sophomore and so was kind of late to get on the radar, making it harder for the services to move him ahead of someone who is a consensus top-10 player in the country. Williams is without question faster than Brown and is one of the fastest athletes in 3A in the state in the 100m. Brown gets some comparisons to AD, but Williams to me is the closest thing to Adrian Peterson since the real deal.
But, like I said, I’ve probably always been way too hard on Brown.
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Aug 19, 2010 6:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Williams seems to have some off the field issues
2 children before he’s a senior in high school is not a good sign. I’m not saying he won’t be able to stay on the field at OU, but 2 kids 400 plus miles away is tough for any man, much less a young man in college.
by billfromlaketravis on Aug 19, 2010 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions
Brown seems to be the safer bet for us
2 kids at 17 is probably a real concern for Coach Brown, especially when Williams is going to be getting a lot of attention on campus. Williams also being a 3A kid vs. Brown playing serious 4A competition makes me feel like Brown is the much better fit for Texas. Brown is probably in a better position to handle the academics at Texas. Kids from larger schools definitely handle the move to Austin better than kids from small schools. I’m thrilled about the Brown commitment, but I would still love to see Green join him.
I agree
M. Brown was running over 4A players with ease.
Rewatching those films
It makes me think he is the bomb all over again. He really is good, and can motor through a hole with some speed.
Steele is playing agianst some good competion.
He avg over 11 yds rushing per game. He went 35 for 299 against Lake Travis in a close 27-20 playoff loss. Last year had over a hundred yds per game.
Wha...? No Whaley? No Hills?
I saw one set of two-year stats where he averaged 185 per game over the period.
If he can do that in 5A I will be most impressed. If you want a game where he will be tested, try the Judson game, a big-time program school which runs…and will probably deploy eight in the box against Brown.
If y’all actually want to see Brown, he’ll play in the Austin area twice this September: On the 3rd Steele will be at Round Rock. On the 24th they play Austin High. Here’s their 2010 schedule.
I really liked this report on Brown’s signing.
Brown is solid
in every aspect. Great character fit, great numbers, great fit for our projected running style and big numbers in big games. And no recruiting games. He has to be licking his chops looking at the recent OL classes. Wouldn’t want to be in front of a trio of Flowers, Westerman and Brown in the open field.
"You've got to think lucky. If you fall into a mudhole, check your back pocket - you might have caught a fish" -- Darrell Royal
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Aug 21, 2010 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Brown vs.
Cayleb Jones? Are you serious? Damn there will be some talent evaluators at that game fo sho!
Noel Devine had 3 in that same period
This team will improve in '10... on its 16-16 conference record over the last 4 years.... after losing 20 games in the last 4 years... after having the 7th worst major-conference defense... after not even winning its own division in the ACC in the last 4.
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by Bud Elliott on Aug 19, 2010 11:41 PM CDT up reply actions
and there were massive concerns over his character and eligibility throughout his recruitment (and probably to this day), and the only school who really gave him a shot was being run by Rich “I’m above the NCAA’s rules” Rodriguez….
by Displaced Longhorn on Aug 26, 2010 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't know much about Williams . . .
but Malcom Brown has everything any school would want in terms of character.
by Arroyo Grande on Aug 20, 2010 6:52 AM CDT up reply actions
Great stuff
The next 4-5 years of Texas football are going to be exciting, man I am pumped!
Hook 'em
great family
It really sounds like Malcolm has a great family behind him and sounds like a genuinely good kid.
Malcom Brown
Another “Brown” for Texas………………………love it!!
I just scrolled all the way down for this? nt
Sports is man's joke on God, You see, God says to man, 'I've created a universe where it seems like everything matters, where you'll have to grapple with life and death and in the end you'll die anyway, and it won't really matter.' So man says to God, 'Oh, yeah? Within your universe we're going to create a sub-universe called sports, one that absolutely doesn't matter, and we'll follow everything that happens in it as if it were life and death.'" - Sam Kellerman
Ladies and Gentlemen Malcolm Brown
http://www.woai.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=862846@woai.web.entriq.net&navCatId=2325
The video is short but it says alot about this young man.
Wha...? No Whaley? No Hills?
Missing one more player- Kwame Clark
I’m telling you guys Kwame Clark is a powerhouse, #7 on the steele team, last year he was Malcolm’s back up runningback but was overshadowed. This year he has taken over the position of corner back and is doing some solid work. I think we will see big things from this kid this year!
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