Coach Speak: Travis Brown-Miller
In This Story:
Syracuse football added a surprise commitment from 2024 Teaneck (NJ) High offensive lineman Travis Brown-Miller on Thursday. We caught up with Teaneck head coach Cekaun James to find out how the 6-6, 315 pounder ended up with the Orange and get some insight into what SU is getting.
Q: How did this all go down with Travis ending up signing with Syracuse?
Coach James: "He started football really late. We got to Teaneck High School two years ago. We coached over at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. Pretty good school in the area. We were there for the last three to four years. When we came over, we saw Travis walking in the hallway. We said, 'who's that grown man walking.' The boys were like, 'that's just big Trav.' We're like, 'wait, he's not playing football?' They said, 'not really.' We were like, 'yeah he plays football now.' We got Trav as a sophomore and he played for us his junior and senior year. The maturation of his game I would say more than tripled. Quadrupled. He grew to what he is now in the matter of a season. Physically, mentally, the way he works, the way he approaches the game, the way he understands the game. He started to get some attention. Coach Dwayne Scott, he's on the staff now, but he was at Pitt. He took a really good liking to Travis. He had him out there at Pitt and when he made the move to Syracuse, he still kept the interest. Travis is a big, loyal kid. He's a protector. When coach Scott showed him the love he did at Pitt and came over to Syracuse, Travis was like, 'wherever coach Scott goes, I'm going.' That's how that happened. He's a diamond in the rough for sure. He's a great story. He got his grades right. He's all set and signed."
Q: What other schools were showing interest besides Syracuse and Pittsburgh?
Coach James: "Rutgers showed a lot of interest as well. Other schools were talked about that liked him and liked his film. But the schools that came to see him were Pitt, Rutgers and Syracuse."
Q: Can you provide a scouting report of Travis Brown-Miller?
Coach James: "He has great feet for a kid that size. He has great bend and he's super flexible. Travis kick-stepped in a game one time and it was real muddy outside. Kid did a split and hopped right back up. He's very nimble for his size and I think that's what they love about him. He's very quick, nimble, long. If he stands up, his arms will hang and his fingertips will touch his knee caps. That's how long his arms are. So he has great reach. I think his biggest upside is his upside. The stuff he doesn't know yet. All of the knowledge that the coaching staff is going to pour into him. That's where Syracuse is going to really strive at is pouring all the knowledge into him and seeing where it goes because he's a late bloomer."
Q: What type of player can he become if he maximizes his potential?
Coach James: "I kid you not, and I'm not just saying this because I'm his coach, if I were to see him and play against him, just to be honest with you, he's a pro. His ceiling is the pros. He has a frame to add on. He is legit when you say his size. All he has to do is buy into a program that's going to buy into him, which is Syracuse, he's going to flourish. He's super smart. He's going to school for computer science or finance. Those are his options for his major."