Daquawn Brown is a quintessential candidate for what recruiting might look like under Mike Leach at Washington State, and it looks really good. The 6’0″ 170 lbs kid from Dorsey High in Los Angeles decided to pledge Crimson and Gray on Monday, leaving the Huskies behind after most thought he would be in UW colors, including himself. But after his official visit to Seattle over the weekend, he just couldn’t see himself there. “It was okay” he said.
Brown is a 3 star corner with “good natural instincts and a high ceiling” according to ESPN. He just felt WSU fit him better.
"With Washington State, I loved my visit. They treated me like a Coug as soon as I got there. I really felt like a priority.They recruited me harder than anyone and I could really tell they wanted me there. I really think the coaches at Washington State are going to look out for me and push me on and off the field. I really connected well there and at the end of the day, that made the difference. I’m so happy and relieved right now. This was stressful for me but it’s over and I’m a Cougar and I’m excited about that."
Brown is quite frankly, a huge get for Leach and Co. and the Cougs were eager to land him, offering him a scholarship before anyone. He also received offers from ASU, UCLA, Washington, Cal and Boise St, along with others vying for his services. He presents a cover corner with better skill (at least as a freshman level athlete) than any the Cougs boast right now.
In other words coming into the program Brown has better upside according to scouting services than any of the current Cougs had coming in. Attacks the ball but breaks down nicely and can make a tackle in space, along with sitting on underneath routes very well. He also has a knack for finding the football while maintaining contact down the field with receivers on deep balls.
It can only help that he has a season or two as a safety in high school under his belt. This is where the upside comes in, as he is an athlete with terrific feet and one that plays the corner position well, even while still learning it. See for yourself looking at his junior highlights.
That isn’t to say that he’ll be playing right away, but as Brown puts it “They’re not recruiting me to sit. If I put my mind to it, if I work hard like I’m going to, I can earn it.” The confidence exuded here is something the Cougars are sorely missing in their defensive backfield and it’s nice to see.
If you’ll remember another highly touted Cougar, Jeremiah Allison played at Dorsey High, where he played ball with Brown until this past season. In fact the two have been playing football together since it was an option and Brown included knowing several players as an important play in why he chose Washington State. He also said that WSU is where he felt the love and commitment to him as an individual:
"It’s not a popularity contest for me. I could have gone to schools people think of as a ‘bigger name’, but Washington State is where I really felt ‘it’. This is where I’m going to play. This is the school that I love."
Go Cougs!