5-Star 2024 LB Sammy Brown could be game-changer for Texas football

The 2024 Texas football recruiting class got off to a hot start with second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian racking up multiple blue-chip commits since last fall. But the focus has now mainly shifted to Texas’ 2023 recruiting class as we enter the summer months of the 2022 offseason, and rightly so.

Sark and the Longhorns staff are preparing to host a few dozen key targets, which will mainly prioritize the top targets of the 2023 class, next month. Texas will be looking to catch a lot of steam on the recruiting trail during the month of June, which will bring about the crucial summer visit season.

Yet, there are still some offers going out to targets of the Longhorns 2024 class that are worth looking more into heading into the summer months. A good example of that lies with the elite five-star Jefferson (GA) linebacker Sammy Brown.

Back on May 27, Brown announced on his Twitter timeline that he received an offer from Texas. He is now one of the highest-rated offers for the Longhorns 2024 class. And given the fact that Brown is the top-ranked 2024 linebacker recruit in the nation, this is obviously a notable move for co-defensive coordinators/linebackers coaches Pete Kwiatkowski and Jeff Choate.

But Texas is one of roughly two-dozen schools now that have offered Brown. Choate (Brown’s primary recruiter) and the Longhorns staff will need to make some big moves with this uber-talented Georgia linebacker this summer in order to put themselves among his top schools.

Texas football offers a big-time difference-maker in 5-Star 2024 LB Sammy Brown

At the moment, it looks like some of the top schools in the race to land a commitment from Brown early on are the Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson Tigers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, among a few others.

Since last offseason, he’s already taken multiple visits with the likes of Georgia, Clemson, and Georgia Tech.

But it’s still very early in the recruitment of Brown, which will give the Longhorns some time to make up ground here.

If Texas is able to work its way into the mix of top schools for Brown, that could be a game-changer at the linebacker position for the 2024 class. Texas hasn’t recruited particularly well at the linebacker position for the last two cycles, which could be costly for the defensive front for years to come.

Choate and Kwiatkowski will need to start getting some of the top talent at the linebacker position in the 2023 and 2024 classes to campus if they want to start getting this spot along the defensive front up to par in the near future. And Brown could be an important part of making this position group one of the more talented in the Power Five.

What the 6-foot-2 and 215-pound Brown brings to the table entering his junior season at Jefferson High School in Jefferson, GA, is a linebacker with elite physical traits and a rare nose for the football. Brown is one of the faster and more physical linebackers you’ll ever find. He runs a sub-11 second 100-meter dash time, which is very rare for players at this position.

Brown also runs around a 22.5-second 200-meter dash time and competes in the 400-meter dash. He won a state title already running in the 400-meter dash. That’s pretty insane for a 215-pound linebacker to win state in the 400-meter dash.

Yet, the flat-out speed and quickness that Brown brings to the table don’t limit his strength and physicality and many think it might. As Brown also competes in wrestling and track and field, he’s got multiple ways in which he can show off his strength and overall physicality.

Brown is a do-it-all linebacker that could be very valuable for Kwiatkowski, Choate, and the Longhorns playing in the middle of the field. He could likely compete for starting reps at the will or mike linebacker positions before developing into a defensive stud that could really make plays all over the field.

He’s an extremely effective pass rusher given his quick jump off the line of scrimmage and ability to work through most blockers in the blink of an eye. Brown’s closing speed also allows him to chase down opposing quarterbacks even when they escape from the pocket.

That insane closing speed and physicality also allow Brown to make big-time plays defending the run. He can live in opposing team’s backfields whether he’s bursting through the middle of the line of scrimmage or coming off the edge.

And we shouldn’t overlook Brown’s ability in pass coverage. He’s still got a little bit of work to do in this regard, but he’s shown ample improvement defending the pass in the last two seasons in high school.

All in all, Brown is the type of linebacker that could be an immediate difference-maker for the Longhorns, and a player that could give this program a jolt along the defensive front for multiple years. Brown’s recruitment is definitely going to be one to watch for the next few months to see the type of impression Texas is able to make with him.

Texas currently has two commits in the 2024 class, with the latest coming from the five-star Daingerfield (TX) athlete and former Baylor Bears pledge Aeryn Hampton. The summer visit season this offseason will also be an important time for the Longhorns 2024 class, where Texas can hopefully pin down a visit with Brown.