Junior College Ath. Ji'Ayir Brown Commits

Penn State added its second junior college prospect Friday when defensive back Ji’Ayir Brown announced his commitment.

Originally from Trenton, N.J., Brown spent the past year at Lackawanna College in Scranton where he played immediately at cornerback. He totaled 40 tackles and five interceptions as a freshman, but as assistant coach Josh Pardini explained, cornerback isn’t where he’ll play at Penn State.

“He’s probably a safety or maybe even a linebacker at the next level,” Pardini said. “Honestly, he’s similar to [Los Angeles Chargers linebacker] Kyzir White in a lot of ways. He played corner for us last year. He did a hell of a job, just because he’s so talented, but moving forward, I see him as a safety or even a box safety. We’ve been honest with him. We told him right from the start that he’s probably going to grow into that role."

Last weekend, Brown camped with James Franklin and his staff. By the end of one-on-ones, it was clear that he was the best defensive back in attendance. He also tested well, running a 4.6 second 40-yard dash. Kent State was the only other program that extended a scholarship offer, but multiple Power Five programs have been trying to Brown on campus to see him up-close. Penn State was the only school able to do that.

Brown continues a pipeline between Penn State and Lackawanna that dates back to 2015 when offensive lineman Paris Palmer chose the Nittany Lions over South Carolina. That relationship really took off last year, when offensive lineman Anthony Whigan and safety Jaquan Brisker both joined the Nittany Lions. Wide receiver Norval Black also committed earlier this month.

Both Brown and Black have four years of eligibility remaining, starting right away as freshman. They also have to do one more semester at Lackawanna in the fall, so when they arrive at Penn State, they’ll have three years of eligibility to play two.

“They were both starters from day one," said Pardini. "We knew we had to get them on the field. The only reason Ji’Ayir played corner was because we were solid everywhere else. We had to get him on the field. I think he’s just a difference-maker.

“Like Brisker, he can get you tackles for loss and rush off the edge, but he also has great ball skills, can play man coverage and zone coverage. This spring, we put him at free safety and played a [cover one], so we just let him roam the field. His range is incredible and his instincts are some of the best we’ve seen. We were calling him the human eraser on the offensive side because he was just all over the place.”

Join us inside The Lions den to discuss Brown and the rest of PSU's Class of 2020!