Prospect Fits: How Sammy Brown Helps Tennessee's Defense Go Vertical
Official visit season kicks off this weekend for the Tennessee Volunteers. While they only have one guest, it's an important one. Five-star linebacker Sammy Brown will make the 260-mile trip from Jefferson, Georgia, to the University of Tennessee, where he will surely be met with a litany of attention from the coaching staff.
Brown's finalists are Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Ohio State. Georgia and Clemson have separated themselves from the pack thus far, though there is time to make up ground. Brown indicated in an interview with Dawgs Daily's Brooks Austin that he plans to make a commitment in the first week of July. He wants to enjoy his senior season at Jefferson uninterrupted and focused on pursuing a state championship. That means Tennessee gets one big opportunity before he decides, and it's the official visit this weekend.
It's the coaching staff's job to ensure that he feels welcome; it's our job to analyze the potential fit between the prospect and the program. While Tennessee doesn't have the storied tradition of developing inside linebackers like the other four programs, it does offer a sound infrastructure with the chance to become an immediate difference-maker and leader. The Vols' defense wasn't good in 2022, and much of that had to do with poor eye discipline from the linebacker unit. If your inside linebackers can't play on time and read their keys on a down-to-down basis, you are setting your defense back before the ball is snapped.
Brown's best trait is his ability to read a play and attack. His track speed shows when flying downhill in between gaps to make a play on the football. His lateral agility is questionable and needs some work if he's going to reach his full potential, but in the beginning, all the Vols need him to do is play in a straight line. When he reaches the ball carrier, Brown is one of the best in America. He can unzip his feet, charge, wait patiently, and do everything in between. He repeats the same form, forcing the weight transfer through his plant foot and into his hands, leaving opposing players helpless.
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