Elite 2024 Running back Jason Brown Jr. Impressed with Alabama After Recent Offer
Preparing to enter his junior year of high school next season, class of 2024 running back Jason Brown Jr. hasn’t really started considering where he is going to play his college ball just yet. Monday, Alabama definitely gave the Seattle native something to think about moving forward.
Alabama wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins traveled to O'Dea High School in Seattle earlier this week where he met with Brown to extend an offer. The Crimson Tide joined more than a dozen other top programs from across the nation who have already come calling for the star back.
“When it happened, it was kind of like in the flow of conversation, so I heard it but I was still trying to take it in at the same time,” Brown said of receiving his offer from Wiggins on Monday. “It was a pretty surreal feeling. That’s something that kids dream about, getting that Alabama offer and having the opportunity to play there is the peak for a high school football player. I’m happy I’m one of those kids they feel can compete at that level and continue on a legacy of great backs.”
Brown, who comes from the same high school as Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin, shares a similar running style to the NFL player. Brown is currently ranked as the No. 23 player overall and No. 4 athlete in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports. During his sophomore season last year, the 5-foot-10, 186-pound back rushed for 2,000 yards and 26 touchdowns. Those numbers along with his tough, compact running style have caught the attention of Wiggins and Alabama’s coaching staff.
“He said my vision was beyond my years and that I’m fast and explosive,” Brown said. “He said I have good instincts when it comes to making moves in the hole, kind of like reading the field. I have good pull-away speed, and my ability to slip through tight holes is second to none.”
Before Monday’s meeting with Wiggins, Brown didn’t realize he was on Alabama’s radar. He even laughed off the idea of receiving interest from the Crimson Tide when it was brought up by his trainers in the past.
“I didn’t even think Alabama was a possibility, to be honest,” Brown said. “I’m just kind of surprised that it happened. I was explaining to my dad like, I don’t think they’ve ever recruited a back from Washington.”
As far as first impressions go, Wiggins knocked it out of the park for Alabama.
“He seemed super genuine about the things he was saying,” Brown said. “He gave off a super homey vibe. He made me feel as if that was actually a place where I was valued and where I could be a prominent figure on the team eventually if I keep working.”
While Brown hasn’t considered Alabama as a possibility until recently, he’s been an admirer of the Crimson Tide’s backfield for quite some time. He’s particularly impressed with how Alabama has developed elite talent, producing 11 NFL draft picks at the running back position since Nick Saban took over the program in 2007.
“Seeing that every single one of their backs that has started or played has made it to the NFL, it’s a big upside,” Brown said. “It shows that they are getting the full potential out of their players. Any school can recruit a five-star and get him to commit, but it takes a special place to bring the best out of your top-recruited players and turn them into superstars.”
Along with Gaskins, Brown also compares himself to New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara as well as former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush due to his athleticism and ability to make plays in open space. He can see himself doing just that in Alabama’s spread-out attack if he were to join the Crimson Tide in the future.
“I like the ball in space, I can tell you that much,” Brown said. “However they get it to me is a plus. Of course, I’m interested in playing in a more open concept. That’s what the game of football is turning into, so you have to be able to evolve with it.”
Alabama hasn’t recruited the Pacific Northwest much in recent years but did host a few elite players from the Seattle area last year, including five-star 2023 defensive end Jayden Wayne and four-star 2023 cornerback Caleb Presley. Brown was originally supposed to be part of that recruiting trip but wasn’t able to attend. After hearing rave reviews from his friends, he’s eager to experience Alabama’s campus for himself.
“I would love to check out the city of Tuscaloosa and check out the facilities and all that stuff,” Brown said. “Everyone speaks so highly of it, but you never know until you get your experience with it and just really check it out for yourself. I’m super excited to go down there. I actually want to set up a day to go down there, talk to the coaches. I feel like that would be a great trip for me and my family, just to see something different, see if that would be a possibility for me.”
