Texas football lands underrated 2025 4-Star DL Brandon Brown

The commitments just keep rolling in for head coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas football in the 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes early this week. Texas landed its fourth commitment in the last two days and the second in the 2025 class on Dec. 19, with the highly touted four-star Melbourne (FL) four-star Eau Gallie defensive lineman Brandon Brown giving his pledge.

Texas also landed a commitment in the 2025 class early this week from four-star Calhoun (GA) tight end Emaree Winston (on Dec. 18). Winston and Brown committing brings the Longhorns up to three pledges in the 2025 class, also including four-star Saraland (AL) quarterback KJ Lacey.

Texas football lands powerful interior force in 2025 4-Star DL Brandon Brown

Brown announced his commitment to Texas via a post on his Twitter/X account on the afternoon of Dec. 19.

He committed to Texas over offers from essentially every major program in the nation. Brown also held offers from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, USC Trojans, Oklahoma Sooners, and Ohio State Buckeyes, among many others.

This commitment comes after Texas defensive line coach Bo Davis visited Brown at Eau Gallie High School earlier this month. He reportedly (per On3's Gerry Hamilton) visited Brown's high school twice since Texas offered him in early March 2023.

Davis and the Longhorns continue to reach into SEC territory to add talent and depth at key positions on the recruiting trail. Texas's 2025 class now has commitments from Alabama (Lacey), Florida (Brown), and Georgia (Winston).

Texas has also added blue-chip defensive linemen from Florida in two consecutive classes. Davis nabbed a big-time defensive lineman in the 2024 class over the big-time Florida schools, Orlando (FL) Jones four-star D'antre Robinson.

Brown is a wrecking ball along the interior defensive line

It doesn't take long watching Brown's film and highlight tape to see why he is such an underrated recruit in the 2025 class. The 6-foot-2 and 285-pound defensive tackle from Florida has the size, production, and athleticism more comparable to a top 100 rated linemen nationally.

But none of the major recruiting services list Brown as even a top-200 rated recruit in the nation in the 2025 class.

What Brown brings to the table is a wrecking ball of a presence along the interior defensive line. He's a big-bodied disruptor anchoring the defensive line with his overwhelming power and surprising quickness and agility off the line of scrimmage.

Brown shows good pad level technique and drive. He's able to get the leverage necessary to overpower opposing interior offensive linemen to blow up plays in the backfield as an interior pass rusher and/or interior run defender.

His athleticism really flashes on tape with his special combination of size, speed, and power. Brown is fast and durable enough to play at least three-quarters of all defensive snaps for his team game in and game out.

Don't sleep on his ability to generate turnovers either. Brown registered a pick-six this season for Eau Gallie and has four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his high school football career.

Brown's production in high school is off the charts

Considering he plays defensive tackle, Brown's production jumps off the page. He's emerged as a real productive playmaker for Eau Gallie's defensive front, registering two dozen tackles for loss, four sacks, one batted ball, one interception, and two fumbles during his junior season (per MaxPreps).

Brown has also made plays on special teams for Eau Gallie, blocking one extra-point attempt and one field goal in his high school career.

Areas of improvement

Brown is a powerful, but not a fully developed athlete at defensive tackle. He's still developing the technical part of his game along the defensive line.

Hand usage and pass rush moves can be improved heading into Brown's senior season in high school next fall. He will continue to become a more productive and disruptive stud along the defensive line as he refines his technique and approach in the next 12-18 months at Eau Gallie.

Projection and fit at Texas

Texas's staff clearly knows what they're doing on the recruiting trail, adding these talented and ultra-athletic prospects from SEC country in multiple classes. Sark and staff are getting the right pieces and the right positions to be competitive at the highest level in the SEC in 2024 and beyond.

Brown is a great example of an early-impact defensive tackle prospect who can compete for a spot in the defensive line rotation in his first two years in college if he continues to develop as fast as he has the last couple of years in high school. He's got SEC tools and fits the "big human" mould Davis and the Longhorns want in the trenches upon leaving the Big 12 in 2024.

Brown can play that three-tech role at defensive tackle in the three-down front in Pete Kwiatkowski's defense. He has the size and lateral agility necessary to be effective making plays around the line of scrimmage in run defense. And he effectively takes on double teams to let the linebackers and edge rushers clean up plays in the pass rush and run defense.