Countdown to 2019 IUFB Kickoff: Five Days (Da’shaun Brown)

Written by: Amanda Pavelka (@AmandaPavelka3)

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: FIVE DAYS (#80 Da’shaun Brown)

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 180 pounds

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

Year: Freshman

Position: Wide Receiver

The collegiate football season officially kicked off Saturday and the first look at the 2019 Indiana football squad’s grittiness is no longer than five days away. In a noon matchup on Saturday, the Hoosiers will face off the Ball State Cardinals at Lucas Oil Stadium.

It was talented players like Da’shaun Brown whose commitment to Indiana made the 2019 recruiting class the highest-ranked to date. Brown came down to Bloomington as the Rivals’ No. 1 prospect in the state of Wisconsin and 247Sports’ No. 30 athlete in the nation. His accolade list from his high school football career is more than a mile long— 2018 first-team Associated Press All-State, All-USA Wisconsin team member, and All-Racine Player of the Year awards, just to name a few.

Delving into numbers, as a three-year starting quarterback, Brown recorded 8,342 yards and 121 touchdowns total— 4,556 passing yards with 20 interceptions and 3,776 rushing yards averaging 11 yards per carry and 111 yards a game, in 34 games. Defensively, as a back, he had 63 tackles, four for loss, a sack, an interception, and a pair of forced fumbles in 26 games.

His senior year, he made history as he fearlessly led St. Catherine’s to their first state title. Brown made himself famous with his hustle to the end zone with only seconds remaining and quick follow through with a crucial two-point conversion that would save their perfect 14-0 record. It’s safe to say Brown works best under pressure, and there is no lack of that in Big Ten football.

Brown was recruited to Indiana an athlete and was placed on the roster as a wide receiver. With a talent-packed wide receiving corps led by Donovan Hale and Nick Westbrook, play time is ultra competitive. Brown could see some action early-on, and both sides could benefit from the four-game redshirt rule.