Purdue Football Recruiting: Tyshawn Brown Commits

Don't you enjoy a pleasant surprise? I know I do. Tyshawn Brown, a 6'0-180 pound 3* receiver from Atlanta, Georgia, shocked Ole Miss and UCF by verbally committing to Purdue. The dynamic Brown was highly sought after with offers including: Ole Miss, UCF, U.V.A., and Wisconsin. Brown also holds an offer from Indiana. I'm assuming he used it to light his charcoal chimney last week.

Who is Mr. Brown?

Playing for Mays High School in Atlanta, MaxPreps (not always the most accurate source) has Brown pulling in 39 passes for 647 yards. He also accumulated 482 return yards, with an impressive 34-yard average on punt returns (this is probably skewed by a few big returns, but still impressive). Brown also led 8-4 Mays Raiders with 7 touchdowns. Mays plays big time football in Georgia, and two of Brown's teammates, Dallas Warmack (Alabama) and Natrez Patick (UGA) are S.E.C. bound.

Bob Marley Break (Who is Mr. Brown):

Strengths (Disclaimer: I have access to the same highlight films as everyone else.)

Speed: The majority Brown's highlight film shows him running two routes: the deep post and the deep corner. I'm not sure what his official 40 time is, but it looks like Brown is adept at finding himself open behind the defense. When he gets behind the defense, no one is catches him. Wouldn't it be nice to see a Purdue receiver get behind a secondary? It seems like it has been a while.

Kick Returns: Brown shows great instincts in his kick return highlights. He does a good job of beating defenders while continuing to move forwards. He picks his way through returns showing great vision using his speed to get the corner, and his eyes to move up the field. I think that this will translate well to the next level.

Hands/Concentration: Brown catches the ball cleanly, not breaking stride to juggle the ball, allowing him to seamlessly continue on his path to the end zone. He also shows excellent concentration by catching the ball in traffic, with a closing safety flashing in front of him at the last moment on one play. Hands are important part of the position and are often difficult to develop. Brown appears to be solid in this area, and should be able to focus his efforts in other areas.

Weakness:

Route Running: I'm not saying Brown is a poor route runner. It's impossible to say that based on the limited film available. However, I will say the Brown tends to run deep and catch the ball. This is a useful skill, no doubt, but he will have to figure out the rest of the route tree at Purdue. He is going to need to become a technician in order to flourish in the Big10. This is usually the last step in a receiver's progression.

Junior Highlights: