Tag: Brandon Brown

Brandon Brown to participate in NFL’s front office & GM accelerator program

New York Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown will participate in the NFL’s front office and general manager accelerator program.

Should the New York Giants decide to clean house after this historically down season, they may not have to look far for their next general manager.

They have a very talented, young executive-in-waiting right under their roof in Long Island native Brandon Brown, their 35-year-old assistant general manager.

Brown, 35, has been general manager Joe Schoen’s assistant since 2022. He was hired away from the Philadelphia Eagles after five years in their front office under GM Howie Roseman.

Brown is considered one of the top up-and-coming names in the NFL front office carousel and the Giants have a choice to make with him soon or risk losing him.

They could lose Brown as early as next month. This week, he will be front and center at the Front Office and General Manager Accelerator Program at the league meeting in Irving, Texas.

Teams looking for 21st-century football minds will be paying close attention. Brown checks a heckuva lot of boxes. He’s learned both the right way and, unfortunately, the wrong way to run a pro football operation.

Brown had multiple rounds of interviews with the Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers last winter and was a serious candidate.

This winter, Brown will likely receive more interest among teams seeking to rebuild and modernize. If the Giants aren’t one of those teams, they will likely lose him.

If they do, they would be eligible to receive multiple compensatory third-round draft picks as compensation under NFL 2020 Resolution JC-2A which states:

The employer-club of a minority employee who has been hired by another club as its Head Coach or Primary Football Executive (General Manager) shall receive Draft choice compensation in the form of a compensatory Draft pick in the third round in each of the next two Drafts for an employee hired as either a Head Coach or Primary Football Executive, or for the next three Drafts if it has two employees hired for both positions.

Brown would naturally be hired as a GM and not as a coach, so the Giants would be in line to receive two third-round compensatory picks if he is hired away by another organization.

The next few weeks may be the determinant for Schoen, who has already made massive changes to the Giants’ personnel to no avail. With no quarterback of the future on the roster and much more work to be done, the Giants could seek to start over.

Could they push the reboot button with Brown as their head man?

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Brandon Brown on Tyrone Tracy: ‘We knew there would be good return on investment’

New York Giants assistant GM Brandon Brown said the team had a feeling rookie RB Tyron Tracy Jr. would be a good return on their investment.

The New York Giants knew they might have found a gem in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft with Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Tracy had an interesting college career beginning as a wide receiver at Iowa before transferring to Purdue and switching to running back.

As a result Tracy, who will turn 25 later this month, has had a lot of experience at the college level and is more mature than most rookies. He has hit the ground running (so to speak) and leads all NFL rookies in rushing with 545 yards.

Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown spoke about Tracy on The Athletic’s podcast, The Playcallers, recently and how the team vetted him from every possible angle.

“We knew there would be good return on investment at the point where we could get him because the marketplace would devalue him as an older player with a limited resume,” Brown said.

That limited resume, combined with the Giants’ intensive scouting of Tracy, allowed him to fall into the fifth round, where Big Blue selected him with the 166th overall pick.

The record for most yards by a Giants rookie is 1,307 by Saquon Barkley (2018). Tracy is not likely to get there with seven games remaining, but anything is possible.

Tracy’s recent fumble that cost the Giants a possible victory in Munich against the Carolina Panthers won’t preclude them from featuring him going forward. They know what they have.

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Giants will scour the waiver wire for cornerbacks, other positions

New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown says the team will be very active on the waiver wire after final cuts.

Even after the New York Giants make final cuts and trim their roster to 53 men next Tuesday, the work won’t be done.

In the 24 hours after final cuts, players subjected to waivers will be claimed and the Giants, who are sixth in waiver priority, are among the teams who will be making claims.

During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, assistant general manager Brandon Brown made it clear the Giants will be active in the aftermath of the annual chaos as they seek upgrades at cornerback and other positions.

“We’re always going to be aggressive,” Brown told reporters. “We want to make sure that if there is an opportunity to bolster, especially the backend of the roster, depth, and special team contributors, we’re not going to apologize for trying to do that. I think it’s going to be meticulous.

“Between these first two weeks that have been gone from the film plus the Hall of Fame game and this last week coming up. It’s just figuring out those, ‘Where is surplus in the market? Where are teams that may have guys that are on the bubble or the trade block? How thick does it look? Where would we be versus our competitors that may be ahead of us in the claim order or those that may be behind us?'”

Brown noted that the Giants have added players like Nick McCloud and Jason Pinnock in the past in addition to Fabian Moreau, who started 11 games for the Giants in 2022.

“We’re going to do the same thing again,” Brown said. “It may be, obviously, at different positions.”

Expect a wave of transactions next Tuesday and then again on Wednesday.

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Where LSU’s 2025 recruiting class ranks after latest commit

Where does LSU’s recruiting class rank after the latest addition?

LSU added to its stellar 2025 class over the weekend, flipping four-star cornerback [autotag]Kade Phillips[/autotag] from Texas. According to On3, Phillips is the No. 7 ranked corner in the country and No. 65 overall recruit.

The Industry Rankings slate Phillips 164th overall, making him the 13th top 200 recruit to join LSU’s class.

With the addition, LSU’s class remained at No. 3 in the nation, but the Tigers closed the gap with Alabama and Ohio State. Just .079 points separate LSU and Ohio State’s classes now.

247Sports agrees with On3, ranking LSU at No. 3 too.

Phillips is LSU’s 16th blue-chip recruit of the class, which ties Ohio State for most in the country.

As far as average recruit rating goes, LSU ranks third, too. Oregon leads the country with an average rating of 92.79, followed by Ohio State at 92.28 and LSU at 91.76.

Flipping Phillips was the second Texas flip of the cycle for LSU. Earlier this summer, the Tigers managed to swing four-star defensive tackle [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag].

LSU recruiting is on a roll right now and the Phillips addition keeps LSU in the race for the top overall class. The Tigers are still chasing some of the nation’s top prospects with safety [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Jaime Ffrench[/autotag] still on the board.

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LSU lands 3-star defensive tackle in 2025 recruiting class

On Monday, Brian Kelly and his recruiting staff landed another commitment in the 2025 recruiting class.

On Monday, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff landed another commitment in the 2025 recruiting class when the Tigers picked up a three-star defensive tackle from Arlington, Texas.

[autotag]Dilan Battle[/autotag] is a 6-foot-3, 300-pound, three-star defensive tackle from Arlington, where he plays for Mansfield Timberview High School. The Tigers were not projected to land him. SMU was a 24% favorite to land him per On3’s recruiting prediction machine.

Battle becomes the third defensive lineman to commit to the Tigers in the 2025 class, joining fellow three-stars [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag]. The Tigers 2025 class is ranked No. 3 in the country according to 247Sports.

The class is headlined by five-stars [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag], [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag], [autotag]Derek Meadows[/autotag] and [autotag]Harlem Berry[/autotag]. Brian Kelly has signed a top-10 class every year since he arrived in Baton Rouge. This class looks like it could be his greatest work yet. There is still a long time before the early signing period, and the Tigers are not done yet.

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How LSU can keep adding to its 2025 defensive tackle class

Here’s how LSU can beef up its defensive line depth in the 2025 recruiting class.

Few positions are as important to LSU recruiting in 2025 than the defensive tackle spot. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] hired defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] to rebuild that room after LSU wore thin this offseason.

The 2025 class is off to a good start. Davis landed two four-stars in July, picking up commitments from [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag]. But LSU won’t call it quits there, remaining involved with several uncommitted defensive tackles.

One to watch is [autotag]Walter Mathis[/autotag], a three-star out of Savannah, Georgia. The 247Sports Crystal Ball has Mathis headed to Miami, but the On3 Prediction Machine considers LSU a heavy favorite.

The 247Sports Composite rankings slate Mathis as the No. 434 ranked player in the country, placing him 49th among defensive tackles. Rivals is the highest on Mathis’ talent, giving the prospect four stars.

Another name worth remembering is [autotag]Xavier Ukponu[/autotag]. Like LSU’s two current DT commits, Ukponu is from Texas.

Schools like Arkansas, Florida, Texas and Texas A&M remain in the mix, but the On3 Prediction Machine likes LSU’s chances.

As far as longshots go, [autotag]Kevin Oatis[/autotag] is worth monitoring. He’s one of the top-ranked uncommitted defensive tackles. Out of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, LSU could have a tough time prying him away from Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

LSU’s class is secure at the top, but now, the Tigers need to establish some depth. LSU wants to avoid another situation like the one this offseason, where the staff turned to the portal just to fill out numbers on the defensive line.

Signing deep classes is a way to do that.

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Recent LSU DL commit Zion Williams sees big boost in On3’s recruiting rankings

Zion Williams previously ranked outside the top 300, but he surged all the way up to No. 86 nationally in On3’s recent update.

It was a busy holiday week on the recruiting trail for LSU, which added a trio of commitments in [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] (who flipped from Texas) and [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

Williams was previously the lowest-rated player in that group, but he’s seen a big boost in On3’s latest rankings update. Previously considered a three-star prospect who sat outside the top 300 nationally, Williams is now a four-star who ranks No. 86 in America.

With that rapid rise, he has now climbed to No. 237 in the On3 industry rankings. On3’s own rankings, however, are the highest on the 2025 Lufkin, Texas, prospect of any service.

LSU’s class previously ranked as high as No. 1 but has taken some recent hits. It’s rising back up with these latest additions, however, and now ranks No. 6 in the cycle per 247Sports and No. 5 per On3.

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LSU continues rebuild of defensive tackle room with 2 commits

LSU’s two newest additions on the defensive line are two more steps in the right direction.

When LSU hired [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] in January, I wrote about just how massive the addition was. It’s rare that a position coach can completely move the needle for a program, but that’s what Davis did at Texas.

Davis provided the Longhorns with the best interior defensive line in the country, headlined by T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II. According to PFF, the duo were the top two graded defensive tackles in the country. After working with Davis, both went on to be NFL draft picks.

Sweat and Murphy were both highly touted recruits, but neither was the slam-dunk prospect that some five stars are. Per 247Sports, Sweat was a three-star and the No. 27 ranked DT in his class. Murphy was a four-star but sat outside the top 250.

On July 4, Davis and LSU landed two DT prospects that fit similar criteria. Two composite four-stars in [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag]. Brown ranks as the No. 324 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Williams isn’t that far behind, sitting at No. 298.

They are the first two defensive tackle commits in LSU’s 2025 recruiting class which is sorely in need of interior defensive linemen. That’s why Davis was brought to LSU, to address that need at defensive tackle. Brown and Williams are the first steps to getting this room where it needs to be.

LSU hit the transfer portal to add depth for the upcoming year. The Tigers missed on top targets like [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Simeon Barrow[/autotag] but added [autotag]Jay’Viar Suggs[/autotag] and [autotag]Gio Paez[/autotag]. The top piece is rising fifth-year senior [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag], but he’ll be off to the league after this year.

The Tigers have some prospects in the pipeline with [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], [autotag]De’Myrion Johnson[/autotag], and Ahmad Breaux, but you need to stack classes to get the needed depth.

A dominant interior defensive line can change the outlook for a defense. LSU thought they had that heading into 2023 with [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and Mekhi Wingo, but poor defensive coaching mitigated that.

LSU got here because the defensive line coaching position has been a volatile spot for the Tigers. Just when LSU thought it had stability with [autotag]Jamar Cain[/autotag], he took an NFL job with the Broncos. It’s hard to find consistency and build relationships in recruiting when there’s a new face coaching the room every year.

LSU paid a heavy price for Davis, a former LSU defensive lineman in his own right. They’re hoping this is more than just a one-year thing. Davis has coached at LSU before, he was a part of national titles at Alabama and helped lead Texas to the playoff in 2023. The goal is for Davis to stick around and build something.

We’ve seen the job [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] has done with the offensive line. He took a mediocre unit and built it into one of the best offensive lines in the country. If Bo Davis can have a similar impact on the defensive line, LSU will be competing for SEC titles year after year.

The skill positions will never be much of a question. Louisiana has a way of producing elite receivers and running backs. Quarterback isn’t an issue that plagues the program anymore either.

Defensive tackle is, by far, LSU’s biggest question mark entering the year. It’s the one thing holding LSU back. With additions like Brown and Williams, that’s on its way to being fixed.

There’s a strong defensive tackle group within the state in 2026. That gives Davis and company the chance to keep up the momentum.

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LSU rising in recruiting rankings after landing several commitments this week

LSU’s class took a tumble after some recent decommits, but it’s now on its way back up after a big week on the trail.

LSU’s 2025 class took a hit in the ratings with a couple of key recent decommitments, namely five-star receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] and four-star cornerback [autotag]Jaboree Antoine[/autotag].

It will take some time before the Tigers are pushing for the top class in the country as they were previously, but after landing a trio of commitments this week, they’re back on track.

On Thursday, they landed four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag], and on Friday, they flipped four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] from Texas while also securing a commitment from four-star, top-100 EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag].

With those recent additions, LSU’s 15-man 2025 class is climbing back up in the rankings. It now sits at No. 4 in On3’s industry rankings and ranks No. 6 in 247Sports rankings.

The Tigers are still in the mix for a few big-time players that could boost their spot in the rankings. Five-star receiver [autotag]Jaime Ffrench[/autotag] is yet to make a decision, while five-star safety [autotag]DJ Pickett[/autotag] will make his decision later this month.

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Top 100 EDGE Damien Shanklin commits to LSU

The Tigers capped off a big recruiting weekend by landing Damien Shanklin, the No. 86 player in the nation.

LSU has seen its standing in the 2025 recruiting rankings fall a bit in recent weeks, but it’s picked up quite a bit of momentum to start the July 4 weekend.

The Tigers landed a trio of commitments capped off by the addition of four-star EDGE [autotag]Damien Shanklin[/autotag], who committed to the Tigers on Friday. Shanklin, an Indianapolis prospect, is the No. 86 player in the nation according to On3.

Notre Dame was trending for Shanklin for a while, but LSU was the favorite down the stretch aided by a successful June official visit. He joins recently committed defensive linemen [autotag]Zion Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag], the latter of which also committed on Friday after flipping from new SEC foe Texas.

Shanklin gives LSU its 15th commit in the 2025 recruiting class, which ranked as high as No. 2 earlier this month but has fallen down with some recent decommitments, notably from five-star receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] and four-star cornerback [autotag]Jaboree Antoine[/autotag].

But with Shanklin and the other recent commitments now on board, that class ranks sixth nationally according to 247Sports and fourth per On3.

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