Leddie Brown's Overall Growth and 2021 Expectations

WVU head coach Neal Brown discusses Leddie Brown's growth as a player, and we look at his role for the 2021 season.

Author:
Justin Bales
Publish date:
Aug 22, 2021 10:29 AM EDT

Leddie Brown broke out in a big way during the 2020 season. He was West Virginia's most consistent offensive option, scoring double-digit touchdowns over 10 games.

Head coach Neal Brown recently heaped praises on his star running back's growth as a player during his time for the Mountaineers. He also raved about new skills the senior added to his repertoire during the offseason.

"It's not been overnight. It's really been over two-plus years. He's really grown into an established receiving threat. He had 30 something catches a year ago, I hope we can increase that. I'd love to see him in that 45-60. I think he's capable of it. In spring ball, we used him a lot split out just because we weren't going to get him tackled and that helped him," Brown stated. "He took the summer really seriously as far as running routes and catching balls. He's got as good of hands as anybody. He understands leverage now. I'm really excited about his ability to go out and do that. The other thing too is he's much improved in protection. He's been on point and hasn't missed assignments."

Overall Growth

Brown was only a three-star recruit coming out of high school. With that being said, he received offers from West Virginia, Alabama, UConn, Florida, and Louisville before deciding on the Mountaineers.

Enrolling as an athlete, Brown shifted to running back full-time as a freshman for West Virginia. He saw limited snaps throughout his first two years on campus, recording 998 yards and 7 touchdowns on 217 touches over 21 games.

The biggest difference between his freshman and sophomore seasons was his receiving. He posted only 2 receptions in 2018 before increasing that total to 17 as a sophomore.

It wasn't until last season when Brown took over as the workhorse back. He recorded 1,010 yards and 9 touchdowns on 199 carries. Although Brown took a large step forward as a runner, the biggest improvement of his season came in the form of 31 receptions for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns.

2021 Expectations

Brown's role in the running game isn't likely to change this season. He'll see carries in all areas of the field, and he could record more than 200 rushing attempts in 2021. Ultimately, he'll see another season as the bell cow for West Virginia.

Brown's biggest role change could come from his head coach's recent comments. He's going to see a bigger role in the receiving game after working on his routes throughout the offseason. If Brown can spend time at receiver, he'll add another dimension to his draft stock and the Mountaineers offense this season.

It's unknown how often Brown could potentially line up out wide. Any amount would make him that much more dangerous of a weapon, though, and he's going to be the focal point of the offense as he tries to increase his draft stock throughout his senior season.

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the page's top righthand corner. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:

Facebook - @WVUonSI

Twitter - @SI_WVU and Justin Bales at @BalesSJustin