Signed: Journey Brown
WHAT HE DID Only something no other Pennsylvania high school football player has ever done: During a September 2015 game against DuBois, Brown carried the ball 30 times for a record-setting 722 yards and 10 touchdowns. The performance helped lift Meadville to a 107-90 victory, and the outlandish feat made national headlines. Brown parlayed that junior-year momentum into a stellar senior season in which he rushed for 2,791 yards and 45 touchdowns. For his career, he totaled 7,027 yards and 103 TDs.
WHAT HE WON Brown claimed first-team All-State honors at running back. He is also a state champion sprinter. With a time of 10.73 seconds in the 100-meter dash, Brown captured PIAA Class AAA gold last spring. He earned three stars from Rivals.com, but those weren’t awarded until after his commitment to Penn State in January.
WHERE HE VISITED Brown was under-recruited for a large portion of his high school career. Until late in the recruiting cycle, his most notable scholarship offer was from Temple. He was nearing a commitment to the Owls when PSU jumped on board in January. After announcing his decision, he earned a scholarship offer from Baylor, and Pitt showed strong interest.
QUOTABLE Brown: “I’m going to give it my all because they did take a chance on me. I’m not going to let anybody down and [worry about] proving anybody wrong. I’m going to do what I do. I’m going to play football, which I love to do, and I’m not going to let anybody down.”
PHIL’S TAKE Brown may be the Northeast’s top sleeper in the Class of 2017. He could play cornerback or free safety but was recruited by Penn State exclusively as a running back. He was the PIAA Class AAA 100-meter champ in 2016 with a time of 10.62 seconds. He also reportedly has a 38-inch vertical leap, and that combination of size and speed (4.44 seconds in the 40) makes him a very intriguing prospect. In addition to his potential on offense, he could also be an excellent return man on kickoffs. He will probably be redshirted as a freshman but could end up being one of the bigger surprises in this class.