Just two days after a blockbuster 10th straight win over the Washington Huskies, the Ducks achieved a big victory in recruiting as 4-star wide receiver Jalen Brown of Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Arizona announced his verbal commitment to Oregon via Twitter.
Brown is the best receiver prospect on the West Coast. He’s smooth and fluid, a playmaker with the grades to earn scholarship offers from Yale and Vanderbilt, the talent to be high on the list for schools like Wisconsin and Ohio State.
His brother got a job in Nashville this summer. Many experts had him as a certainty to become a Commodore.
He started on the varsity as a freshman and made 1st team All-Region. He starred as a sophomore, catching 37 passes for 621 yards and 10 tds, named to the All-Section team. As a junior he caught 68 passes for 1,235 yards and 18 tds, winning Arizona State Gatorade Player of the Year.
He has a 3.42 grade average and a scholarship offer from Yale. Last year he participated in a community fund-raising effort to fight cancer.
Landing him to play alongside Royce Freeman, Tony James and Morgan Mahalak suggests that the Ducks of the future will be as explosive and exciting as the Ducks of the last five years. He’s a game-changing talent, joining a group of game-changing talents with great attitudes and a shared commitment to being champions in work ethic and purpose.
So far in his senior season Brown has 21 catches for 483 yards and 6 tds for Mountain Pointe. His high school squad is undefeated at 6-0, top-ranked in the state after a recent victory over powerhouse Hamilton. The 6-2 wideout is averaging 23 yards a catch, and last week he also returned an interception for a td.
Brick house: The Vanderbilt Commodores had the inside track for receiver Jalen Brown, but he visited Oregon for the Tennessee game, announcing a verbal commitment to Oregon Monday night after his high school practice. Fluid and dangerous, he’s one of the top wide receiver talents in the nation (Michelle Conway, East Valley Tribune photo).
Brown is on track to graduate from high school early and plans to enroll at Oregon in time for spring practice. With Daryle Hawkins and Josh Huff graduating, he’ll compete with Chance Allen, B.J. Kelley, Dwayne Stanford, Devon Allen and Darron Carrington for a key role in the Quack Attack next season. 2013 has shown fans how dynamic the Oregon passing can be under the direction of offensive coordinator Scott Frost and receivers coach Matt Lubick.
Below is the recruiting profile DSH created for Brown in September. Of all the receivers on the board, Alex Van Dyke, Braxton Berrios, Nick Kurtz, Brown was the best fit for Oregon, the one with the hands, size, body control and ball skills to become a standout receiver at the PAC-12 level. His addition, following the commitment of Tony James on September 29th, gives the Ducks some incredible recruiting momentum going into the October and November visits. If they can add a couple of athletic hitters for Nick Aliotti’s defense, the Ducks are going to be competitive at the highest level for a good long while. The Oregon story continues, and it’s going to be an entertaining show.
Jalen Brown of Mountain Pointe High in Phoenix is the best wide receiver prospect in the West, and he visited Autzen Stadium the weekend of the Tennessee game.
On film he’s a smooth, polished, acrobatic, athletic wide receiver that will remind even skeptical observers of Marqise Lee. He’s a gamebreaker. He’s tough and tenacious after the catch. He makes plays. Brown is a load at the goal line with great moves and body control. He’s a fearsome blocker that will lay defenders flat on the ground.
The 6-2, 185 wideout rates as a consensus 4-star prospect, the #7 receiver in the country according to scout.com. Mountain Pointe is an Arizona power that finished runnerup to Hamilton last year in the Division One state playoffs. Last Friday they crushed North 69-0, and on the first play of the game Brown took a slant pass 47 yards down to the 1-yard-line. He followed that up with two long touchdowns, one for 41 yards, the other a simple hook route where he broke past three defenders, cut and was gone. After the game his high school quarterback, Antonio Hinoso, told Edmund Hubbard of the East Valley Tribune, “You just throw the ball up and you know he is going to get it. Not to put them down, he’s kind of a mismatch on teams like this. It makes it really easy on the quarterback.”
The Ducks had better hurry. Brown has over three dozen offers, and he’s mapped out visits to Ohio State, Oregon State, Oregon next week, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin. In an interview with rivals.com, Jalen indicated his brother has a new job and lives just 10 minutes from the Vanderbilt campus. The video, coming after a game in which he was double-covered all night and limited to two catches for 26 yards in a 28-21 victory over Bishop Gorman, reveals his intelligence and maturity.
Oregon hasn’t had a thousand-yard receiver since Jeff Maehl left. This one has that capability. An all-around athlete who also led his team with five interceptions last season, he plays with determination and purpose, very well-coached, as former NFL player and Utah Ute Brian Hernandez has taken over the receivers. Notably, he’s determined to get even better. He told the website pros2preps.com, “I can work on everything and there is always room for improvement. Of course I have to work on my game. My routes, my catching, getting stronger and faster. But also becoming a leader. Pumping people up and making sure everyone is focused.”
Corona Del Sol head coach Tom Joseph told Maxpreps.com, “Jalen Brown is a stud. “He is tough to cover and a great young man. He is the best receiver we saw this year.” As a junior the tough, elusive wide receiver scorched Corona for six receptions for 252 yards, including four touchdowns. He also picked off a pass.
With his size, smoothness and ability to go up and get the football, this young man is a different kind of weapon than the Ducks have ever had at wide receiver. He is the get of the class at the position among Oregon’s targets, particularly because Speedy Noil seems destined for the SEC.
Sophomore highlights:
Scouting notes:
Ranges up high to get the football. Very dangerous after the catch.
A good route runner who adjusts well to an underthrown ball. Quick off the line and can easily defeat press coverage. Wiry strong with great body control.
Smooth, physical receiver with a game breaker/playmaker mentality.
Tosses the ball to an official after a touchdown. 3.4 grade average. Polite and modest in a postgame interview.
Catches the ball over the middle between three defenders. Well schooled. Tucks and protects his body after the catch in traffic on a possession route.
Nose for the end zone receiver who practices good ball security diving in for a score. At the line, he starts in the same position every play, upright with his hands at his chest. Very disciplined, and doesn’t tip off a defender about his intentions. Quick first step, good stutter step.
High points the ball and uses his body to shield off the defender. Gets separation and has a good burst. Has mastered a variety of techniques and moves, a very finished receiver who could play right away. The pressure step, the double move, hesitation, change of pace.
Stretch play to his side, screens off the corner completely on a block, with hands inside and his feet spread. Carries out the assignment perfectly, 12-yard gain.
In route surrounded by 4 defenders. Takes the ball in smoothly, transitions quickly, gives a little ground and outruns all four for an extra 8 yards.
Goal line, drives off the ball, sells the slant and breaks to the corner. Quarterback scrambling rolling right to buy time, and Brown settles into an open area and gives him a target, Hugs the ball securely for another touchdown. Looks for an official.
Beats defenders deep readily but his quarterback doesn’t have the arm strength to lay it out in front of him. Tremendous instincts going back to the ball and going up to get it. A reliable target with a fierce sense of competition. A high-volume receiver that will change a defense.
Stretch play right in the red zone, and he knocks his defender down, a wide receiver pancake. Intimidating competitor, Randy Moss nasty without the weirdness.
Post route, four yards clear of the safeties. Takes the ball in smoothly in stride over his right shoulder, 44-yard touchdown.
Great balance. Halfback option pass and the ball is a little underthrown. There’s contact at the catch. The defender falls down but with good natural strength Brown stays on his feet and trots into the end zone.
That’s the first 3:30 of his sophomore film. He’s the best tall receiver I’ve seen on the West Coast, a true game-changing talent.
Yards after catch. Tough to bring down. Breaks tackles. Not afraid of contact. Very physical for a slender guy.
Takes the ball over his left shoulder having to look over his pads, and has to adjust to the flight of the ball under the lights. All of that is important. Some receivers are severely dominanted-sided and have some trouble making those little corrections, or have difficulty finding the ball in the night air under pressure. He plays with a lot of confidence and athletic ability.
Very tough at the goal line with his size, moves and body control. Snatches the ball out of the air and puts it away. Finds an official. Really well-coached.
(End of offensive highlights. Any program who puts this kid on defense is crazy.)
Junior highlights:
Additional notes:
More of the same, except he’s bigger, stronger and more physical. Note the play at :51 where he knocks a cornerback flat on the ground.
He likes attacking the defense, and it shows throughout the highlight.
1:16 Pressure step, corner route, high points the ball. An unfair weapon at the high school level in the red zone.
1:30 Absolutely love the way he goes up and gets the ball.
Very finished receiver with great effort and work habits.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
