By John Swofford, Recruiting Writer
In 2005, one of the strongest units for Texas was the secondary. They were physical, fast, strong ball hawks. With Cedric Griffin and Michael Huff departing for the pros, the door is wide open for this year's incoming freshman to compete for a position in the regular rotation. Normally, at such a skill position, freshmen have a hard time breaking into the rotation so early. Chykie Brown is not your "normal" freshman.
Already drawing comparisons to one of UT's greatest DB's, Quentin Jammer, Chykie is a rare breed of size and speed for his age. Although he may give a few inches to some of the taller receivers, he has the wingspan and the jumping ability to cover for any height disadvantage he may have. And running a 4.4 40 will help him keep pace with any receiver the Big XII can put out there.
As good as Chykie was in high school, he'll need to work on a few things for the college level. Much like most high schoolers, he needs to work on his upper body strength. Once in the "program" he should see an immediate impact after the strength coaches get hold of him. But the biggest concern is technique. He was able to get by at Houston North Shore on talent alone, but at Texas, he'll need to work on his base and his tackling ability. I don't think this is going to cause him to be behind, though, because of Chizik's physical style.
Although Chykie has an extraordinary amount of talent, he will need all of the reps he can get in training camps. In high school , he wasn't tested often. That is a direct reflect of the fear he put into the coaches. Against The Woodlands earlier this year, Chykie had 3 interceptions in one game. The only question I have is: why did they keep testing him?
Some things just can't be taught. Chykie has amazing leaping ability, great hands, and an uncanny knack for making plays on the ball mid air. But with all his physical talents, his greatest asset coming in is his closeness with his teammates. On his visits to Austin, Chykie was hosted by Aaron Ross and immediately bonded with his future teammates and fellow recruits. That should make the transition from high school to college that much easier for him.
--JS--