Rivals100 CB interested in PSU

Penn State earned a verbal commitment Monday night from D.J. Brown of Creekside High in Fairborn, Ga., following a visit for the Blue-White Game. With that, Brown became the first defensive back to join Penn State’s Class of 2017.

Another 2017 cornerback who was on campus April 16, however, also has interest in the Nittany Lions. That is four-star prospect Jermani Brown, who now lives in Midlothian, Va.

Originally from Calabasas, Calif., Brown first was in contact with PSU as an underclassman, but following a November commitment to Arizona State it trailed off only to pick up again this spring. That’s around the time Jermani Brown moved across the country to Virginia. After the coaches reinitiated talks a couple weeks before the Blue-White Game, Brown went on to make his first unofficial visit to University Park for the spring scrimmage. Brown said the experience “was better than I thought” it’d be.

“I just saw the player lounge, the locker room, the field, but everything seemed really nice,” Brown added. “They had nice facilities. The campus was nice. On the way walking to the field, that area was a really good time.”

While he enjoyed his visit, Brown remains unclear about his status with the Nittany Lions. As of Monday evening, he said he doesn’t hold an offer. He was encouraged to return to Penn State’s campus later this spring or summer for another visit, adding how "most likely" the coaches want him to camp first.

A four-star prospect, according to Rivals.com, who is considered the No. 50 overall prospect in the country, Brown opened up his recruitment one week after his visit to State College.

That trip, he said, had nothing to do with his de-commitment. Rather, it was a process already in the works after moving from the West Coast.

“I was planning on re-opening things up before I went to Penn State,” he said. “To Penn State and any other visits after, they have nothing to do with my decision. My decision is based on what I thought would be best for me for the future.”

Adding to that, location of his prospective university has little to do with his decision-making process. He hopes to take his next visits to Michigan State and Nebraska, while Virginia and Virginia Tech have been recruiting him heavily since the move.

For the upcoming spring evaluation period Brown expects Nebraska and VT to send coaching representatives to check on him and possibly PSU as well but he was uncertain of timing. With his recruitment back open Brown is willing to listen to any and all suitors.

“I just want to do what’s best for me,” he said, adding how he’s looking for “a place that feels like home, a place that I can feel comfortable, get a good education, play football and live life.”

Although some colleges are recruiting Brown as an athlete, Rivals considers him to be the No. 5-ranked cornerback in the Class of 2017. He’s also now the third-best prospect in the state of Virginia.