Cliffs Notes: The Longhorns picked up commitment No.15 for the Class of 2022 on Saturday afternoon when Texarkana (Texas) High linebacker/edge rusher Derrick Brown gave a long-awaited commitment to Steve Sarkisian and the rest of the coaching staff.
Rankings: Brown is currently ranked as the No.24 overall prospect in the state of Texas on the current LSR Top 100 list. Rivals currently has him ranked as a high three-star prospect, the No.30 outside linebacker in the country and the No.61 overall prospect in the state of Texas. 247 currently has him rated as a high three-star prospect and the No.65 overall prospect in Texas, while ESPN has him ranked as a low four-star and the No.37 overall prospect in the state of Texas..
Key Offers: Stanford (official visit), Baylor (official visit), Oklahoma (official visit), Texas Tech (official visit), Arkansas, Florida State, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas A&M
Evaluation: Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room, which is that I have Brown rated significantly higher than any of the national services. On one hand, I get it... the kid is a bit of a classic tweener and is going to need some time to develop his body in a college strength and conditioning program. Yet, on the other hand, we're talking about a tall, uber-athletic kid from East Texas that is a legitimate playmaker up and down the line of scrimmage. This just in... those dudes don't grow on trees as low-hanging fruit in the world of recruiting. Also, Brown isn't just a straight line athlete that only makes plays when he can get downhill, as one of the things I love about him is that he's so agile on his feet. At times, he'll cheat his technique and cut in and around blocks because he's naturally athletic enough. He won't be able to get away with this as much at the next level and he's going to require some attention from the coaching department, but the fact that he has the kind of feet, quickness and bend as an athlete is the stuff you can't teach. I'll admit that I often fall in love with these types of rangy defensive players and his skill set doesn't come without risks, but there aren't more than a half-dozen or so front six/seven prospects in the state with higher upside. The key with him is going to be whether he can be patient enough to develop his body and overall game for a couple of seasons. If he gets the right coaching and development, we're talking about a kid that could be a future high-level starter for this program.
Here's what Alex Dunlap wrote about him in May: "He's just so long and lanky. Big hands, big feet and an insanely appealing eventual possible frame to grow into. You watch the highlights and he looms so large on the edge and it doesn't take much to imagine the possibilities. He's listed at 6'5" and 210 pounds and it makes me wonder what a realistic end-point might be for him weight-wise. Looking at the EDGE players among a lankier-than-usual class in the 2021 NFL draft (and make no mistake, I think you just stick Brown at EDGE and let him learn how to bend and dip and really dig in on the intricacies from Day 1 in college) you get:
Kwity Paye, Michigan (6'5")
225 pounds as a recruit, 274 pounds at his pro day
Jaelen Phillips, Miami (6'5")
250 pounds as a recruit, 266 pounds at his pro day
Zaven Collins, Tulsa (6'5")
220 pounds as a recruit, 259 pounds at his pro day
Jason Oweh, Penn State (6'5")
240 pounds as a recruit, 252 pounds at his pro day
Joe Tryon, Washington (6'5")
230 pounds as a recruit, 259 pounds at his pro day
It makes all the sense in the world to think that Brown could end up in the 240-pound range which would basically follow in the exact progression of the first player I thought of when I turned on his highlights and saw Brown looming over the edge like an albatross: Barkevious Mingo -- who Rivals had listed at 6'5", 209 pounds as a recruit and who measured in at the 2013 NFL combine at 6'5", 238 pounds."
Former Texas player he reminds me of: Former Texas High star Chris Brown (played as a rotation player as a true freshman on the 2005 national championship team).
Why it matters: East Texas, holla! Along with the Metroplex and Houston, East Texas is the most important recruiting region in the state and Brown is one of the most dynamic talents from that part of the state in the entire 2022 class. In my own set of rankings, he's the third-highest ranked recruit from the state of Texas in this class. Also, this is a program that needs pass-rush talents that can emerge as potential difference-makers on the defensive side of the ball and he's got double-digit sacks per year type of upside as a prospect.
