Mack Brown: Florida commitment ‘came out of nowhere’
Good Monday morning to everybody. Hope you all had a great weekend. I certainly did, even if I did have to eat some crow early on.
You may have noticed that about 10 hours after MLK running back Mack Brown told me he had no plans to commit to Florida while attending their elite “Friday Night Lights” camp this past Friday, I had to write that he had indeed committed to the Gators. I found out about the time I was going to bed Friday when I decided to take one last gander at the Internet and see if there was any news. Sure enough, there it was on gatorsports.com. A couple of text messages later I had the news confirmed myself and got something online about midnight.
“Welcome to the world of recruiting, Chip,” you might say. “Having fun yet?”
Actually I am. I’ve been doing this gig one week as of today and so far I’ve seen Rivals.com accidently release a video of Garrison Smith committing to Georgia two days before his official announcement; talked to a coach that banned the state university from recruiting his players and now had a 17-year-old kid tell me he had no plans to commit only to commit a few hours later. And this is all in late JULY! I can’t imagine what late January is going to be like.
In any case, I felt a little better when I got to have a conversation with Brown Sunday night. He told me he had absolutely no intention of committing to Florida Friday night. It just happened.
“It came out of nowhere,” Brown insisted. “There were no plans or nothing like that.”
I don’t know if I believe him or not. I didn’t see it myself at the time but I was told Chad Simmons of Scout.com had a video up of Brown committing to Florida on the pay site georgia.scout.com literally minutes after Brown gave the news to Florida coaches Urban Meyer, Steve Addazio and Kenny Carter. Brown said he told them at about 10:25 p.m. Friday. But like Smith’s situation, Brown confirmed that Simmons also made a video of Brown committing to the Bulldogs. So there you go.
And Simmons might want to hang on to that UGA tape a little longer, too. A report on the pay site uga.rivals.com over the weekend has Brown quoted as saying, “nothing is final until you sign across the dotted line. Georgia is still up there on the top.”
Brown didn’t say anything like that to me, however. In fact, he sounded like a pretty solid commitment in my book. “I’m committed right now,” he said of Florida. “That’s my school.”
Here’s a few other tidbits I gleaned from Brown:
- He said the biggest thing that clinched Florida for him was sitting down for a film session with Meyer and Addazio. “They were breaking down the film and showing me how they were going to use me next year. They’re going to use more pro-style and I-formation style and find different ways to get me the ball. When you play for them they put the ball in their playmakers’ hands.”
- Another important factor Brown said was the Florida fans. “I talked to a lot of them while we were there and they were all telling me they wanted me to come,” he said. “They’ve got some of the best fans.”
- Brown and his father, Mack Brown Sr., and MLK coach Corey Jarvis didn’t hang around Gainesville long to celebrate. “We were back home [in Atlanta] about 5 a.m. Saturday,” he said. “We drove on back. Every time we’ve been down there we’ve never stayed.”
Well, that’s that. We’ll move on to some other prospects and see what they have in store for us. I’ve got some sources telling me there might be some more commitment news coming from some high-profile prospects in the coming days. Could be another crazy week!
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89 comments Add your comment
Wil Walton
July 27th, 2009
1:41 pm
TampaGator: Thanks for the grammar refresher.
Lou Vales
July 27th, 2009
1:48 pm
The more I see pretty good kids commit to schools that have absolutely NO chance of ever holding a crystal trophy, the more I understand that it is all about playing time. If it wasn’t why would anyone go to South Carolina?? Now that is not meant as a dig against the Gamecocks, but all South Carolina has to do to play in a BCS Title Game is beat out Florida and Georgia in their own division and then beat either Alabama or Lsu(maybe Ole Miss) in the SEC Championship Game. Even having accomplished that they must then be ranked in the top 2 at the end of the year. So are you trying to tell me a very good high school football player is going to Columbia to have the opportunity to play for championships?? I don’t think so.
Lou Vales
July 27th, 2009
1:56 pm
Bill E. Goat, I’m telling you the majority of kids don’t care about looking at National Championship rings. If they did a senile demented clown in the ACC would NEVER sign another good athlete again. Just think about making the conscious choice to attend a school where the head coach wanders the sideline while someone else coaches the team. For many it’s all about playing time, availability of women, ease of academics.
AND I’m not talking about Georgia–which according to every national publication is a fine school–but if you want to get an idea pick up a copy of U.S. News and World Report’s Rankings of Universities–or another publication–and see what they say about SEC schools. Obviously Vandy is excluded from this commentary. Don’t knock the messenger, read the publications.
Vandy and Proud
July 27th, 2009
1:59 pm
I’ve seen those books. Florida, Georgia and Vandy(at about 23) are only SEC schools close to the Top 50. Read about Mississippi State(LOL).
DaltonDAWG706
July 27th, 2009
2:11 pm
Mack urban lier fed you a load of bs…Mack if i were you i would decommit from them and sign with Georgia, your home school. If you choose to sign with the gaytors down in gaysville well then best of luck but there wont be too many ppl here in georgia routing for you. Thats the same crap they said to andre debose and jeff demps and chris rainey to get them to sign..They tell everyone they will be used like harvin.
TampaGator
July 27th, 2009
2:13 pm
To “Wil” and “Too Easy”…and especially to “Too Easy”…just having some fun, although my last line was a little harsh in reflection. My apologies, Wil. Funny though, Too Easy, you lecture me about rudeness while referring to me as, “Tampax Gator.” How rude is that?
Lou Vales
July 27th, 2009
2:19 pm
See what I mean. Even the FANatics like DaltonDAWG706 know it’s not about Championships. As far as he is concerned it’s about how Rainey and Demps were lied to. Of course if you look at those pictures from Miami they both appear pretty happy in the team picture. Now Demps and rainey were not around for the team picture from Glendale, Arizina where another Championship was won.
Dalton, Don’t worry. Urban will soon be gone. He’s too talented and desired to remain in Gainesville for perpetuity. He will be in the NFL, South Bend or maybe even Columbus, but when he leaves there will be 3 of those funky crystal trophies in the case and that is a lot of memories and feel good moments.
NOBODY is coming after Richt. Why?????
Lou Vales
July 27th, 2009
2:30 pm
Tampa Gator, Did you go to Florida?? What school has the most FANaticS who never even sniffed a classroom? I would say LSU or Miami. I graduated from Florida in 69. I knew Spurrier when he was humble.
Clint
July 27th, 2009
2:43 pm
I’m thinking that Mack Brown will be this year’s AJ Harmon. He’ll say all the right things, but the people around him will eventually talk him into coming to Athens. AJ was all Clemson untill the people around him convinced him to come to Athens.
Dawgs
July 27th, 2009
2:51 pm
who needs him, the state of Georgia pumps out RBs like candy. (see caleb king). UGA will be fine without him, and he’ll be a wash out at UF.
Lou Vales
July 27th, 2009
3:02 pm
Clint, Georgia is THE school in Georgia. If Florida, FSU or Miami was THE school in Florida you would have that scenario playing out frequently. Kids are just put under a lot of pressure to play for THE school in a state. That is why if I’m an NFL owner I look at the recruiting base and the level of talent coming into a program. If you are the head coach at LSU and you own the ENTIRE state you darn well better have real good teams. But what does that mean? Is Nick Saban really a good coach. Is Pete Carroll a really good goach or Mack Brown?? Or do they pick and choose the elite athletes from a talent rich state and then do they play a schedule where unless the whole team comes down with Swine Flu that they have at least 7 GIMME wins. Look at Florida’s schedule this year. They play 2 loseable regular season games–LSU and Georgia. The other 10, the talent difference is vast. So if Meyer goes 11-1 with only a loss to LSU as far as I’m concerner his coaching ability translated to 1-1.
Sorry!! Got sidetracked–My original point was it’s easier to keep kids in a state dominated by one program and in those instances kids REALLY buy into the bull or they actually come to believe if they leave the “home” state that they will never find a job as long as they live.
Lou Vales
July 27th, 2009
3:06 pm
Dawgs, Why would that be? Just out of curiousity–and I’ll trust your honesty–did you attend Georgia? I didn’t say graduated, I just meant attend one class. I’m saying NO!! I just have a feeling. I have so many Georgia friends–vet, dermatologist, lawyer–and they just would not say or write anything like that.
Saint Augustine
July 27th, 2009
3:15 pm
(((((49-10))))) hahahahahahahahahahaha
Saint Andrews
July 27th, 2009
4:59 pm
((((((-4 to +3)))))))) hahahahahahahahahahah
BJohnDawg
July 27th, 2009
5:01 pm
Talented young man. Good luck to you at Florida.
Do we wish he signed with DAWGS. Sure. But no way you get them all.
We get our share.
Florida will always get it’s share and more.
Best of luck to you Mack…except when you play UGA.
DawgsWin
July 27th, 2009
6:45 pm
If Richt really wanted Brown that bad, he could have easily signed him. uGa’s loaded at RB and this kid probably wouldn’t see much PT anyway. He’ll disappear in florida’s spread next year with brantley throwing the ball a lot.
DAWGPOUND
July 27th, 2009
6:57 pm
anyone know who the five star recruit visiting ga is?
Will in Weston
July 27th, 2009
7:00 pm
I always read everybody is “going to disappear at Florida”–Well, let me help you find them. Watch the BCS National Championship Game and you will have a REAL GOOD chance of seeing them. But you know what, that stuff works on kids who don’t have the guts to try to play for Championships. Go where you know you will start and be the big fish in the little pond. Gutless!!!
Joe
July 27th, 2009
7:24 pm
“Alot of Poodle fans don’t realize that you have to go back to the 1930’s before you find a time period where Georgia leads the overall series. Florida has the lead since 1936.”
LOL! What kind of stat is that? Leave it up to a gayturd to use a very selective state. We lead the overall series. Period. End of story. The fact that we still lead the series by a comfortable margin despite our woeful recent history, shows just how pathetic Florida was before Spurrier showed up.
“and a great location”
ROTF! Gainesville is a cesspool. An absolute dump. It wouldn’t even make a list of the Top 20 best college towns.
Alfred Neuman IV,Summa Cum Laude,UGA'90
July 27th, 2009
7:39 pm
Why don’t we have any decent RB’s? I mean, our stadium is huge! It’s so big!
UF94
July 27th, 2009
8:23 pm
“We be da bestest in the county inways so it dontin matter. We can get anutha one we wantin inways. Y all da fuss we got some backs inway. We gona win it all dis years. it Da beginin of da end for ya gators. Wait i be says dat last years!!! neva mind we gona win 2nd in east!! yea dat betta!!!!!”
Anyone have their ebonic decoder ring? ROTFLMAO
TommyGator
July 27th, 2009
9:49 pm
Come on Lou. Spurrier was NEVER humble!
GA BOY IN KUWAIT
July 28th, 2009
7:18 am
Good Job MACK. We now know UF is going away from the spread offense. Just remind yourself about Rennie Curran when you run through a hole you think is there.
Larry
July 28th, 2009
7:35 am
With his lack of integrity and morality, Brown will fit in fine with Urban Meyer. Good Riddance!
JaxDawg
July 28th, 2009
9:18 am
Wow, some people here need to get a grip, don`t let your day get hinged on what a 17 yr. old football player has decided. Of course, it would have been great if he had committed to UGA there`s still time for him to change his mind. I`m as big a dawg fan as you`ll find but, I`m not going to bash a high school kid I don`t even know about a decision he has made in regards to what school he wants to play for. We have a excellent recruiting class so far, all we can do is hope that those who have committed to UGA remain true to their word in Feb. on signing day, and live up to whatever star “potiential” Rivals, Scout and those other sites rate them. GO DAWGS!!!!
texigator
July 28th, 2009
10:01 am
Joe, I guess the truth hurts, doesn’t it? Yes, Florida has led the Georgia series overall since 1936. Look it up in one of them thar books, if you don’t believe me. In other words, Florida has led Georgia THROUGHOUT YOUR ENTIRE LIFETIME! Yes, Georgia was better back in the days of leather (or no) helmets, back when Princeton, Yale, Harvard and Army were winning National Championships, but in the MODERN era, Georgia has been Florida’s female dog.
Joe, if you think Gainesville is a “cesspool”, then you must think Athens is also a “cesspool” because the two towns are very similar-with Gainesville having the superior football team, of course.
Ryan
July 28th, 2009
10:24 am
Ya Richt is such a stand up guy… very classy that 2007 celebration in the end zone. UF > UGA seven days a week and twice on sunday (or 49 – 10 on saturday). Go Gators!
KD
July 28th, 2009
11:00 am
Quoting from Mack, How can anything feel so much like home when you are several hundred miles away from your real home, I’ll never understand that.My son plays football, he will be a junior this year and is getting some contacts from colleges and he has said he will not get caught up in all the hype such as ” FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHS ” @ FLA. He has said what ever college can give him the best education for what he wishes to do in life and feel the most comfortable with the coaches will be the college he will choose.It will be his decision.
Urban Liar? « Battle Hymn Notes
July 28th, 2009
2:04 pm
[...] back recruits like Georgian Mack Brown who surprisingly committed to the Gators last weekend. Brown said the turning point for him was a film session with Meyer and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio [...]
JaxDawg
July 28th, 2009
8:23 pm
Texigator you might want to check you facts even after Fl has the streak in the 90`s the gators are still 10 or so wins behind in the overall series. So it`s taken over an ENTIRE decade of winning and the gators still behind but yet you say the gators have the overall lead? I`m interested to see what you find. and by the way streaks do tend to go two ways just remember that
Bulldogkabobs
July 28th, 2009
10:54 pm
Dream on, firm UF commit. Get used to viewing the back of his jersey for the next 4 years
CoastalDawg
July 29th, 2009
8:46 am
Good heavens! No school gets nor needs every recruit they follow. So UF got a recruit that was also recruited by UGA and UGA has gained commitments from students who live and play high school football in Florida. There’s no denying that both schools have good football programs and there is more to college than playing football, believe it or not. The whole school atmosphere should be the overall decision maker and most high school young men have not reached a high enough level of maturity to even KNOW where he really would like to play but are swooned by all the glitz and glamour shown on visits to the schools. Just like players can change their minds before signing day, so can coaches as shown recently by the UGA decision to withdraw and offer to the player from Columbus-Carver. Georgia is stacked up with quarterbacks already waiting in line so I really don’t understand the offer in the first place – was it a real offer or just an misunderstanding by the recruit? I hope that he does well and can play quarterback for whatever school chooses him and vice versa, but his chances of playing quarterback for UGA unless he is almost NFL caliber are almost nil – ask Blake Barnes who left in his senior year just so that he could play at least one year of college football. Ask Joe Cox who came into UGA highly touted and probably the leading quarterback, yet Matthew Stafford led the team with Cox only getting a few snaps along the way and now there are two other known quality quarterbacks waiting for Cox’s year to be over. Quarterbacks are not UGA’s need at the moment. So “losing” a recruit that you never had is not a loss at all – it’s like losing a lover that had never really been your lover. Move on, get the team ready to play and see who signs on signing day – there’s your next team, not those who decide on a whim that any certain school is THE school for them during a “dazzle the recruit” weekend. Never moan the loss of ANYTHING that you never really had anyway.
CoastalDawg
July 29th, 2009
8:59 am
“I knew Spurrier when he was humble.” Were you there when he was born before the doctor spanked him on the rump?
CoastalDawg
July 29th, 2009
9:06 am
The overall win loss record between the two teams is 46-37-2 with Georgia ahead.
JDB
July 29th, 2009
9:09 am
Hey Tampa Gator,
Obviously your UF education didn’t teach you too much about subject verb agreement. IF the subject is singular, as Will mentions in his post referring to himself as “I”, then the correct past tense verb usage would be “was” and not “were”, which would be used if the subject “was” plural.
I hate to bring up English rules on a football blog but you may want to take a refresher course before insulting UGA fans and our school….j@ckass.
SuperB
July 29th, 2009
10:34 am
Mack Brown’s quick commit is like someone going to a tent revival and committing to seminary at the altar. He wakes up the next day and wonders what he did. NOT implying this is a bad thing– but– committing to anything should not be an impulse, but a well thought out process. Here’s hoping Mack gives his decision a lot more thought.
mayanja
August 1st, 2009
8:28 am
hey guys, please iam male ugandan i would like you guys to help me iam asports man.
JP
August 1st, 2009
2:50 pm
The florida vs georgia comparison is clearing up as we march through time. it basically boils down to this:
mark richt is a great guy, great recruiter, great role model. his program does not develop talent like florida does and the “plan to win” doesn’t produce championships.
urban meyer is great guy (according to players, great recruiter, good role model (according to players) and his staff is one of the best in country at developing talent both mentally and physically. the gators are a tough smash mouth team that has fun winning.
that alone is probably the “tie breaker” for georgia kid that understands and wants to play on a championship team.
Athletic Director Williams
August 2nd, 2009
8:39 am
Congratulations to Mack Brown. He is wonderful and very, very humble and spiritual kid. He deserves the best and will be very successful in the biggest arena—-LIFE. Once again, congratulations to one the finest young men I have been associated with.