Andrew Brown
Position: Defensive Tackle
Hometown (School): Chesapeake, VA (Oscar Smith)
Height/Weight: 6'4" 295 lbs
Committed to Virginia: 6/29/13
Lead Recruiter: Chip West
By now, we know all about Andrew Brown. He's probably the best recruit to come to Cville in a decade. He's the #4 player in the class according to ESPN, #8 by Rivals and (for some reason probably related to the fact that Scout hates Virginia) #19 by Scout. He was also named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. Brown has already enrolled at Virginia and will participate in spring practice. Technically, this means he isn't actually a part of this year's class, but that's just confusing.
Brown has the size and skills for a DT and should continue to add weight and upper-body strength, which will make him even better. Early in his career, Brown could see some time at DE, which may better utilize his quickness and explosiveness. As a DT, he is a beast of a pass rusher, but is also strong enough at the point of attack to stop the run.
Despite being as complete a DT prospect as the Hoos have had in a long time, there are still things Brown can work on. Like most young defensive players, he has a tendency to play too high. This is a problem when a 330 pound OG is pushing back. Brown also needs to work on using his hands to keep blockers from getting in on him. These are the only reason "weaknesses" in Brown's game right now. He'll begin working on those during spring practice.
If Chris Brathwaite is able to return from his suspension as expected, the Hoos will have a lot of DT depth. Brown begin the season as the 3rd DT, with Brathwaite and David Dean ahead of him. I can't imagine Brown not beating Dean out by the midpoint of the season, though.
Here is a video of Brown's announcement:
And here is some highlights from his junior season. Brown wears #65 in this video. He will wear #9 for the Hoos.
I'm not going to comment very much on this. He's as good a prospect as the Hoos have had in quite some time. Let's just enjoy watching him for the next 4 years.