Travis Brown (6-2, 235) is man among boys on the football field. As sophomore, he totaled 147 tackles and added 163 more last season. He is already the career record holder in tackles (310) for a program that is considered one of premier in the state. With one more year to go, he should put the mark out of reach.
Brown is the No. 12 rated SLB in the nation according to Scout.com. He is also the Eagles starting tight end. Due to conflicts in schedule, he missed both UnderArmour/Scout.com Combines in California. However, he was one of the top performers at the Stanford Nike Camp.
He picked up offers from Fresno State and Arizona as a sophomore. His recruitment stayed quiet until this past spring when Boise State, Nevada, Washington State, and Colorado offered. He likes Colorado, but ideally, he would like to obtain offers from California, USC, and Oregon before he makes any decision.
Brown says he believes being the son of the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator has turned off coaches and potential schools in offering.
“Oregon, Coach [Chip] Kelly thought for sure they were offering,” said Brown. “Like Oregon, Oregon State said they were going to offer. [LB] Coach [Greg] Newhouse is recruiting me, and he is good friends with my dad.”
“Most coaches think that I am going to play for my dad [at Fresno State],” said Brown. “Fresno is my favorite, but I am open and schools don’t realize that.”
Brown attended USC’s spring game, The Huddle. However, they are the only ones thus far recruiting him to play offense.
“USC is talking about recruiting me as a fullback or ace-back,” said Brown. “They are still sending me emails.”
California Head Coach Jeff Tedford coached with Brown’s father in 1997 at Fresno State.
“[Special Team and TE] Coach [Pete] Alamar is the [Bear] coach I talked to mostly.”
Brown says former teammate and Cal signee Beau Sweeney invited him to the Bears’ spring game, but he could not attend.
“Beau helps me out and talks to the [Cal] coaches,” said Brown. “Beau said he told the coaches I was the best player he’s ever played with including the All-American game. That was huge for him to say.”
Valley high school pundits have compared Brown’s style of play to current Bear LB Zack Follett. Follett played at rival Clovis (Calif.). Both are big, physical backers that can play sideline to sideline. The only difference is Brown is further along in the mental aspect. He is truly a student of the game with an uncanny ability to get to the ball. He spends countless hours watching film.
Brown says UCLA is another school he is interested in but has not heard anything from them since spring. He expects his recruitment to pick up in September.
“Nebraska said they are coming down to see me and Nate [Fellner],” said Brown.
He says he may make his commitment in September if he gets the right offers. Ultimately, he is really considering waiting until January. “I’ve been thinking about it,” said Brown. “I might wait until signing day.”
Academically, he reports a 2.7 GPA. He is currently in summer school retaking some classes to improve his GPA. He took the SAT in June, and he is waiting for the results.
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