Film Evaluation: Gateway WR/CB Corey Brown
The latest Class of 2009 prospect to be evaluated by Laschout.com is Gateway, Pennsylvania WR/CB Corey Brown. Brown will be evaluated by
Laschout contributors AIW-HS and Greeny.
Measurables: 6'1 180 lbs, 4.75 40 (Pittsburgh Scout Combine 2007) 6' 179lbs (Penn State Nike Camp 2007)
Offers: Over 20 offers and counting including Penn State, Pitt, Michigan, Notre Dame, WVU, Maryland, Tenn, Auburn, Alabama and Miami.
Current Rankings: Brown was 1st team All-Conference in the Big East division of the WPIAL. Brown was not named to either the 1st or 2nd PA AAAA All State Teams. Brown is a 4 star CB prospect on the scout network and the 37th ranked player in the country. Brown has not been ranked yet by the Rivals Network.
Competition Level: Pennsylvania AAAA, WPIAL
Greeny's Evaluation:
Upside: Brown has excellent body control as a WR, especially while the ball is in the air. He catches the ball with his hands and is always fully aware of the sidelines and/or the defender. Based on the limited film available, it does not appear as if Brown has elite speed for a WR. This is especially concerning since he does not appear all that big. In fact, the early numbers on Brown list him at about 6-1 and 180lbs. Still, even with limited speed, Brown is a capable WR in college, especially with his elite ball skills.
Brown also plays corner back and he appears to seem more natural there. Brown would be a great fit for a 2-deep zone, Tampa 2 style defense. He brings his WR abilities to the corner back position and appears to have great instincts, especially as he breaks on the ball. Brown also appears to be a capable tackler and more important a willing tackler.
Downside: As previously mentioned, Brown does not have elite speed, far from it. He never breaks any long runs and when he is breaking away from some defenders, usually another defender can run him down. This raises major red flags for me. If Brown is consistently getting run down by high school defenders, I don't think he stands much of a chance to get YAC in college. Additionally, while Brown looks like he is put together, I worry about his strength and ability to get open against physical corners in college.
Final Analysis: In my opinion, Brown is destined to be either a CB or a #2 or #3 WR in college at best. I think he could see the field a lot earlier on the defensive side of the ball and I think the only way he can play WR in college is in a spread type offense that can utilize his ball skills and hide his lack of speed. In other words, I fear that Brown could only be the dreaded 'possession WR' in college. As such, it is peculiar why a ton of elite schools have appeared to offer Brown this early. Perhaps it is his versatility that has enabled him to obtain these offers. In my opinion, I do not think Brown is worthy of an early offer, at least not until he improves on his speed. Still, if he was the type of kid that would commit on the spot, I would offer him and hope that he could at least play corner. As we all know, corners don't exactly grow on trees.
AIW-HS's Evaluation:
Upside: As a WR the first thing that stands out to me is Corey Browns hands. He catches the ball very smoothly with his hands. Brown absolutely looks the part of a natural wide receiver. The ball doesn't get to his body often which ideally would give him greater opportunities for extra yards after the catch. Brown also shows excellent body control and an ability to make adjustments in the air on poorly thrown balls. Based on his film it also looks like Brown is not afraid of contact and will go up in traffic to get balls. Brown clearly is well coached as a WR and his route running is very good for a high school kid.
I actually like Brown better as a CB. Based on his film I think Brown would fit in well with a zone coverage team like...Penn State. Brown kind of reminds me of Alan Zemaitis as a CB. He positions his body well and is physical enough to bump a WR off his route. Brown uses his own WR skills while playing CB and attacks the ball in the air and tries to make plays.
Downside: My issues regarding Corey Brown all boil down to his physical capabilities. His football skill level is pretty high in my estimation. But his physical abilities, namely his speed, raise major red flags for me. Brown runs a 4.75 forty yard dash as a 180 lb high school kid. That isn't going to improve as he gains weight. When you combine that with the fact that he is 6'1" tops it seems to me that a problem exists when it comes to being a major college player. Forty times certainly are not the end all, be all for football players but with skill position players speed is important. Brown simply does not have the speed to get separation as a WR. And when he does get behind the defense he is tracked down from behind. Odds are that he is not playing against 4.3 and 4.4 DBs in high school that are running him down from behind. I personally watched Brown in one on one drills at the Nike Camp at State College last year and while he physically looked the part, he was unable to gain any separation from CBs. He simply couldn't get open against D1 CBs. And in my opinion while he has the smarts and savvy to be a zone CB the fact that he is close to a 4.8 kid should preclude him from being a Big 10 CB. He simply wouldn't be able to handle elite WRs at that speed.
Final Analysis: Corey Brown is an interesting recruit in my estimation. He claims offers from many of the top college programs in the nation. Yet his athleticism, or lack thereof, does not seem to fit in with many of those elite programs. I don't want to say that he is fabricating his true written offer list, but I simply have a hard time believing that he has all of those offers. Penn State has a serious need for WRs, a serious need for CBs, and a serious overall need for speed. I do not feel that Brown can fit any of those bills for the Nittany Lions. PSU should be able to attract better prospects than Corey Brown. I just do not view Brown as an elite, impact type performer at the college level. I certainly recognize the need to establish and maintain relationships at top PA high schools, but those relationships should not entail offering players who just aren't good enough to make a significant contribution to the program. I do not understand why Penn State (supposedly) offered Brown so early. There are many better prospects out there who are more deserving of the offer. Regardless of Penn State's needs for this recruiting class I do not feel that Corey Brown is the type of player who would help Penn State win a Big 10 championship let alone a National Championship. In short, I'll pass.
Measurables: 6'1 180 lbs, 4.75 40 (Pittsburgh Scout Combine 2007) 6' 179lbs (Penn State Nike Camp 2007)
Offers: Over 20 offers and counting including Penn State, Pitt, Michigan, Notre Dame, WVU, Maryland, Tenn, Auburn, Alabama and Miami.
Current Rankings: Brown was 1st team All-Conference in the Big East division of the WPIAL. Brown was not named to either the 1st or 2nd PA AAAA All State Teams. Brown is a 4 star CB prospect on the scout network and the 37th ranked player in the country. Brown has not been ranked yet by the Rivals Network.
Competition Level: Pennsylvania AAAA, WPIAL
Greeny's Evaluation:
Upside: Brown has excellent body control as a WR, especially while the ball is in the air. He catches the ball with his hands and is always fully aware of the sidelines and/or the defender. Based on the limited film available, it does not appear as if Brown has elite speed for a WR. This is especially concerning since he does not appear all that big. In fact, the early numbers on Brown list him at about 6-1 and 180lbs. Still, even with limited speed, Brown is a capable WR in college, especially with his elite ball skills.
Brown also plays corner back and he appears to seem more natural there. Brown would be a great fit for a 2-deep zone, Tampa 2 style defense. He brings his WR abilities to the corner back position and appears to have great instincts, especially as he breaks on the ball. Brown also appears to be a capable tackler and more important a willing tackler.
Downside: As previously mentioned, Brown does not have elite speed, far from it. He never breaks any long runs and when he is breaking away from some defenders, usually another defender can run him down. This raises major red flags for me. If Brown is consistently getting run down by high school defenders, I don't think he stands much of a chance to get YAC in college. Additionally, while Brown looks like he is put together, I worry about his strength and ability to get open against physical corners in college.
Final Analysis: In my opinion, Brown is destined to be either a CB or a #2 or #3 WR in college at best. I think he could see the field a lot earlier on the defensive side of the ball and I think the only way he can play WR in college is in a spread type offense that can utilize his ball skills and hide his lack of speed. In other words, I fear that Brown could only be the dreaded 'possession WR' in college. As such, it is peculiar why a ton of elite schools have appeared to offer Brown this early. Perhaps it is his versatility that has enabled him to obtain these offers. In my opinion, I do not think Brown is worthy of an early offer, at least not until he improves on his speed. Still, if he was the type of kid that would commit on the spot, I would offer him and hope that he could at least play corner. As we all know, corners don't exactly grow on trees.
AIW-HS's Evaluation:
Upside: As a WR the first thing that stands out to me is Corey Browns hands. He catches the ball very smoothly with his hands. Brown absolutely looks the part of a natural wide receiver. The ball doesn't get to his body often which ideally would give him greater opportunities for extra yards after the catch. Brown also shows excellent body control and an ability to make adjustments in the air on poorly thrown balls. Based on his film it also looks like Brown is not afraid of contact and will go up in traffic to get balls. Brown clearly is well coached as a WR and his route running is very good for a high school kid.
I actually like Brown better as a CB. Based on his film I think Brown would fit in well with a zone coverage team like...Penn State. Brown kind of reminds me of Alan Zemaitis as a CB. He positions his body well and is physical enough to bump a WR off his route. Brown uses his own WR skills while playing CB and attacks the ball in the air and tries to make plays.
Downside: My issues regarding Corey Brown all boil down to his physical capabilities. His football skill level is pretty high in my estimation. But his physical abilities, namely his speed, raise major red flags for me. Brown runs a 4.75 forty yard dash as a 180 lb high school kid. That isn't going to improve as he gains weight. When you combine that with the fact that he is 6'1" tops it seems to me that a problem exists when it comes to being a major college player. Forty times certainly are not the end all, be all for football players but with skill position players speed is important. Brown simply does not have the speed to get separation as a WR. And when he does get behind the defense he is tracked down from behind. Odds are that he is not playing against 4.3 and 4.4 DBs in high school that are running him down from behind. I personally watched Brown in one on one drills at the Nike Camp at State College last year and while he physically looked the part, he was unable to gain any separation from CBs. He simply couldn't get open against D1 CBs. And in my opinion while he has the smarts and savvy to be a zone CB the fact that he is close to a 4.8 kid should preclude him from being a Big 10 CB. He simply wouldn't be able to handle elite WRs at that speed.
Final Analysis: Corey Brown is an interesting recruit in my estimation. He claims offers from many of the top college programs in the nation. Yet his athleticism, or lack thereof, does not seem to fit in with many of those elite programs. I don't want to say that he is fabricating his true written offer list, but I simply have a hard time believing that he has all of those offers. Penn State has a serious need for WRs, a serious need for CBs, and a serious overall need for speed. I do not feel that Brown can fit any of those bills for the Nittany Lions. PSU should be able to attract better prospects than Corey Brown. I just do not view Brown as an elite, impact type performer at the college level. I certainly recognize the need to establish and maintain relationships at top PA high schools, but those relationships should not entail offering players who just aren't good enough to make a significant contribution to the program. I do not understand why Penn State (supposedly) offered Brown so early. There are many better prospects out there who are more deserving of the offer. Regardless of Penn State's needs for this recruiting class I do not feel that Corey Brown is the type of player who would help Penn State win a Big 10 championship let alone a National Championship. In short, I'll pass.
We need some good recruits next year. This year we will lose some good players. And in the opening season of 2009 we go against Alabama...finally. I cant wait but i DO NOT want to lose. I dont care if we are the MNC before but i am waiting for this game....I hope to god that i will be there....we need both receivers and cornerbacks in the coming year(s)...So if this PA recruit is decent i hope he goes with Penn State.
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oh yea....glad you dont have cowher slumber party part deux at the top and a new topic now.
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I like him as a corner. Corner is a real position of need for PSU.
I hope PSU offers early and often.
Don't worry about the 40 times listed above. ND site has him at 4.58.
It's amazing how a posted 40 time changes people's perspective. Look at Justin King. After the season several experts were saying King early out was the world's biggest mistake!!!! They claimed he could not cover anybody last year. Then he runs a low 40 and the expects (including hairnet Kiper) say First Round. Did they forget he didn't cover anybody last year.
Brown can play. CB is his best position.
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Jayer.. I tend to agree with you. Brown needs to play CB in college and even there his speed worries me a bit. I want to see what he runs this summer at camps. Brown is a player and I fully believe he can play at PSU, but he needs to improve his speed if he wants to play CB at a high level D1 program.
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Does Gateway play Beaver Falls this year? If they do, and he gets matched up against Todd Thomas, you'll find out all you need to know about Brown's CB ability.
Having said that, I have little need for a CB who can run 4.6+. Offer him, but if he went elsewhere I wouldn't lose any sleep. PSU needs to recruit these types of CBS though (but faster) to play the soft zone scheme that Bradley's handcuffed to.
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I don't know the schedules, but I seriously doubt it. Gateway is AAAA, while Beaver Falls is AA. For the record I like Thomas more than Brown.
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I like Jaleel Clark, Todd Thomas and Je'Ron Stokes.
Also high on my radar is Justin Brown from DE.
You're right 17, I forgot Beaver Falls is AA, regardless, there should be some decent WR prospects in the WPIAL that Brown will be matched up against.
Having said all that, our natural recruiting area is loaded with WR's this year.
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I personally think Stokes is a more intriguing prospect on either side of the ball [WR/CB] than Brown is. I think he catches the ball just as well, runs routes just as well, and IMHO I think he has better body control. They have practically the same frame, the difference being speed, speed, speed. Stokes can separate and is a track guy.
4.45 40. 10.8 100m. 22.6 200m. We have a very good shot at him, his brother plays on the same team in PA and we lose 3 senior WRs - he wants to have an impact and can at Penn State. Of course the Joe Paterno situation looms and he has had some quotes out there regarding that, I just hope we can stay on him and make a push after having a more productive offensive season in '08 with Clark or Devlin.
More athleticism and potential at the collegiate level, room to grow while Brown may have already reached his ceiling.
If I am going by favorite to least favorite for PA WRs with "offers":
1. Je'Ron Stokes
2. Jaleel Clark [size, frame]
3. Corey Brown
4. Todd Thomas
In my estimation.
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Good stuff. Love this series. Keep it up!
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Not to jump the gun, but what are your thoughts on Newsome vs Savage vs Forcier? We have to get a QB this year. Who is the best prospect, who is the best fit for us, and who do we have the best chance of getting?
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I love Newsome and if I had my pick he would be it. Reason is simple, he is the type of QB that in my opinion is Jay Proof. He's a great athlete, the kind that can come to PSU and thrive despite the lack of a QB coach.
Forcier would be next on my list. I think he's a pretty good athlete, reminds me of a better version of Mills. Still I worry that Jay would probably ruin him with his golden touch.
Savage is last on the list. He has a great list of offers, but I've heard enough negative comments from people I trust that lead me to believe he would end up being Morelli Part II. I want no part of the sequel.
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Newsome would be a dream come true. If we land him, losing Pryor won't be nearly as bad. But isn't he pretty high on VT? Wouldn't be surprised if he went there with their history of mobile QBs.
Haven't seen much of Forcier, but he does have nice offers. Will we actually get him out of Cali?
Savage... if he's anything like Morelli, I want no part. If we have a real QB coach, then maybe. With JayPa, NO WAY.
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Newsome may be high on VT, but the question that VT has to answer is which QB do they want? They are extremely high on Philip Sims (Jr. this year), and they are expected to be his landing place, providing that VT doesn't get Newsome.
If VT gets Newsome, the odds that they land Sims (again, they really covet this kid, he's a stud already) gets reduced greatly.
Now if I'm PSU, I'm recruiting the heck out of Sims (Personally I think he'll go to UVA if he doesn't land at VT) just in case VT (or Michigan) hook Newsome.
I personally would rather have Newsome over Forcier, but I really like the moxy that Forcier has.
PSU missing Newsome and Forcier means Savage is the only QB in the class and IMO that would be a terrible mistake.
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