Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 14 Days (Andre Brown Jr.)

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

#14

We are less than 14 days away! That’s right, the Hoosier Huddle Countdown is more than 85% complete and we are in the homestretch of the long offseason. A mere two weeks from today, the Indiana Hoosiers will take the field at Memorial Stadium and begin the 2017 season against the mighty Ohio State Buckeyes. Today’s countdown article focuses on another defensive back, this one from the Peach State: Andre Brown Jr.

Andre Brown Jr.

-Height: 6’0”

-Weight: 195 lbs.

-Hometown: Decatur, GA (Columbia High School)

-Position: DB

I’m going to reprint a few lines from my countdown piece just four days ago because it still applies: “You are a loyal and passionate fan and you have read each of the countdown articles in the run-up to the 2017 season. As a result, you know how deep and talented IU’s secondary appears to be. Just in case you missed a few of our articles, here’s a quick recap, IU’s secondary could be as good of a group as the Hoosiers have had there in at least the last 25 years. All four starters return, plus IU adds talented newcomers and brings back a number of veteran depth pieces. All in all, the secondary is in as strong of a position as you can hope for.” Andre Brown re-enters this group after missing all of 2016 with a season-ending injury. He received a medical redshirt so 2017 is his redshirt sophomore season. He didn’t just rest on his laurels during his recovery time though, he earned Academic All-Big Ten status and he improved his game enough to have the IU coaches strongly considering starting him opposite of Rashard Fant.

Brown came to Bloomington after playing both defensive back and quarterback for Columbia High School in Decatur, Georgia. During a remarkable senior season, he posted 70 tackles (three for loss), three interceptions, two returned touchdowns, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups. He also threw for nearly 2,000 yards with 19 touchdowns and ran for 504 yards with nine scores. That’s remarkable production across the board. In addition to his prowess on the gridiron, he was a two-year letterwinner in baseball and track and field and a member of the National Honor Society.

During his true freshman season, Brown started eight times and appeared in nine games before suffering a season-ending injury. He had 35 tackles, 27 of them solo, with a fumble and four pass breakups. In short, his debut season was fairly successful. The biggest concern surrounding his ability is definitely the fact that he’s missed nearly a season and a half due to injury. Many, myself included, were wowed by the play of A’Shon Riggins during the 2016 season and it was assumed that Riggins would be starting in 2017 next to Fant. However, a depth chart released at Big Ten Media Day showed Andre Brown as the starter with Riggins serving as the primary back-up. The two players are identical in size and build and their battle for playing time has been one of the storylines throughout the latter stages of the offseason. Regardless of who ends up starting, the Indiana Hoosiers have depth at defensive back and much of it will be around for the next couple of seasons. If Andre Brown can stay healthy, he’ll be one more piece of a very good looking puzzle.

Please share any comments or thoughts in the comments section or in our message board. The countdown continues each and every day so make sure to check Hoosier Huddle daily as we churn towards the 2017 season!