Countdown to 2020 IUFB Kickoff: 80 Days (Da'Shaun Brown)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

The 2020 version of the Hoosier Huddle Countdown is now 20% done as we have cruised to number 80. The focus of today’s profile is a redshirt freshman receiver that will be looking to start making his mark at a crowded position in 2020: Da’Shaun Brown.

Name – Da’Shaun Brown

Position – Wide Receiver

Hometown – Racine, Wisconsin (St. Catherine’s)

Height – 6’2”

Weight – 189 pounds

IU has not had very many players from the state of Wisconsin. In fact, Da’Shaun Brown is the only scholarship player on the current roster from the Badger State. As a high school star at St. Catherine’s, Brown was a quarterback that earned first-team all-state honors. He accounted for 8,342 yards of total offense and 121 touchdowns over three years as a starter. He did it all for his high school squad and led them to their first state championship as a senior in 2018. His play earned him the top spot in the state’s prospect rankings and he was largely expected to go to Wisconsin or Michigan State to play collegiately. However, Brown fell in love with the Indiana program and decided to become a Hoosier.

Brown redshirted the 2019 season as IU relied heavily on a veteran wide receiver corps. He was a two-time scout team player of the week and worked to get himself ready to step up and fill the places vacated by Donavan Hale and Nick Westbrook. Whop Philyor and Ty Fryfogle are both seniors and both of them have their starting spots marked in ink. There are a few players right below those two that will be projected to see a whole lot of work: David Ellis (both at WR and RB), Miles Marshall and Jacolby Hewitt. The fight for playing time extends to fellow redshirt freshman Jordan Jakes and incoming freshmen Rashawn Williams, David Baker and Javon Swinton. Even if everyone stays healthy, IU is probably going to play six to seven wide receivers during the course of a normal game. I think five of those spots are likely accounted for (Philyor, Fryfogle, Ellis, Marshall and Hewitt). The question for Brown will be whether or not he can beat out Jakes, Williams, Baker and Swinton for significant snaps. His size profile is very similar to that of Rashawn Williams but he is not 6’5” like Jordan Jakes. The competition for playing time at this position is going to be fascinating to watch. Another interesting thing to note, Philyor and Fryfogle are both entering their final year of eligibility so the development of guys like Brown, regardless of how much playing time he sees in 2020, are going to be important for the future of the IU offense.