Florida Gators 2022 Enrollee Profile: QB Max Brown
Max Brown, quarterback
School: Lincoln Christian (Tulsa, Okla.)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1.5, 200 pounds
On3 Sports consensus ranking: No. 1064 overall, No. 61
Recruitment History
At first, long-time Gators 2023 quarterback commit Nick Evers was expected to stick to his Florida pledge upon Billy Napier's arrival as UF's next head coach.
However, a week before the signing period, that plan was flipped on its head as Evers elected to decommit from the program instead. He would sign with Oklahoma eight days after backing off of his nine-month commitment to Florida.
As a result, the Gators were left without a signal-caller in Napier's transition class, something the new man in charge in Gainesville coveted.
But with recruiting classes being wrapped up across the country, UF had very limited options to choose from.
Napier and his coaching staff, as it was being put together, pivoted to a quarterback committed elsewhere who did not provide a signature during the early signing period: Max Brown, who had been locked in with Central Michigan dating back to July 2021.
A two-sport athlete in high school, Brown had made a name for himself as a baseball prospect with a strong arm before shifting his focus to football entering his junior year. Brown's late arrival on the football scene led to a quiet recruitment without much coverage, but a handful of schools noticed his potential following his senior season, in which he earned Oklahoma District 3-3A MVP honors.
Washington first put Brown's recruitment on the Power 5 map, sending an offer his way upon the early signing period's conclusion. But it was UF that got an official visit from Brown first — he made his way to Gainesville on Jan. 21, earned an offer from the Gators on the final day of his trip and flipped his commitment to Florida on Jan. 24.
Still a relative unknown at the time he announced he was joining the Gators, Napier offered some insight into what makes Brown an intriguing player on National Signing Day.
"When you turn the tape on, you can immediately see the baseball background. The off-platform throws. Really a natural thrower. A guy that is projected to be kind of a middle round draft pick in baseball.
He was 6'1" and a half, 200 pounds on his visit. Dad played receiver in the National Football League. Really a good-looking athlete. We think he has upside. He just started playing quarterback two years ago. And a good runner. The guy can make some plays with his feet.
We were able to go out to his school, observe him and was very impressed. So there's some pedigree there. The guy's a winner. I've been impressed with his leadership skills. And I think his best football is in front of him."
Brown enrolled at Florida on May 25.
Where Brown Fits
Considering his lack of playing experience, Brown is considered a long-term development prospect who won't be taking the field for the Gators anytime soon. But when you put on his high school tape, it becomes easy to understand why Napier and his staff are willing to commit to coaching up Brown's game.
Starting for Lincoln Christian since he first picked up the quarterback position, Brown completed an admirable 71.6 percent of his 356 passes for 4,416 yards, 68 touchdowns and ten interceptions over his final two seasons of high school. He added 2,335 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground.
Below is a snippet from AllGators' scouting report covering Brown's skill-set as displayed in high school.
A lot of Brown's passing is done from outside the pocket, whether it was a designed rollout or him using his athletic ability to extend plays and find open receivers down the field. You don't get to see him stand tall in the pocket and deliver a strike very often. While his ability to throw on the run is impressive, there may be some development required when it comes to pocket presence.
The biggest thing that jumps out to you when watching Brown's film is his athletic ability. He regularly extends plays and finds receivers down the field or take off for chunks of yards with his legs. Brown has shown the ability to put touch on passes to the sideline and put the ball exactly where his receiver can make a clean play on the ball.
The arm talent and accuracy are there for Brown to be successful, and his mobility is a welcomed plus. But he'll need mechanical improvement and a better feel for playing within a structured offense before he can begin taking snaps on Saturdays.
Fortunately, Florida should be able to offer Brown ample reps with the reserves before that time comes. There is a chance, though, that Brown's development could need to be accelerated.
Anthony Richardson is the clear No. 1 quarterback for Florida entering the 2022 season, but with pro teams and NFL Draft analysts eagerly awaiting his debut starting campaign, there is no guarantee he'll return for a fourth season at UF if he has a successful year.
Florida doesn't have an obvious replacement for Richardson should he end up declaring for the draft six months from now.
Currently, the options are redshirt sophomore and former Ohio State transfer Jack Miller III, redshirt freshman Jalen Kitna and Brown, none of which possesses meaningful college playing experience.
The Gators are focused on snagging an elite quarterback in the class of 2023, but once again, pickings are slim. Pittsburg's (Calif.) Jaden Rashada is priority No. 1 and Florida is in a good spot prior to his June 26 commitment date, but if he goes elsewhere, UF could be stuck with what it has at quarterback barring another portal addition entering next offseason.
That may not sound like the best news in the world for Florida, but it could be for Brown. It's unlikely that Brown would be able to step in and start for UF a year into his development plan, but he'd be presented with a clear path to ascend on the depth chart in this case and perhaps a chance to at least compete for the gig.
And if he's competing to start as a redshirt freshman, who's to say Brown couldn't do so again come 2024 and potentially be ready for the job by then?
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