Tag: Zabien Brown

Predicting 5 early signees that will contribute as true freshmen

There is plenty of talent in Alabama’s 2024 recruiting class. Roll Tide Wire predicts five of Alabama’s early signees that will contribute as true freshmen next season.

Alabama seems always to have several players who  step up and make immediate impacts as true freshmen. In some cases, there are several that earn starting roles. In 2023, former five-stars Kadyn Proctor and Caleb Downs both started as true freshmen.

Alabama has one of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in the country for the 2024 recruiting class. There is talent to go around at every position. The Alabama coaching staff has done an excellent job of filling in holes at positions that will see turnover in the offseason.

Roll Tide Wire predicts five Alabama early signees that will contribute as true freshmen during the 2024-2025 season.

Mater Dei redeems regular-season loss to St. John Bosco with championship win

Mater Dei won the CIF-SS championship by taking down St. John Bosco by 28 points — the same differential as the regular-season shutout.

It hasn’t been since 2017 that the winner of the regular-season game between Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) also won the championship game between those two teams. Over the last five years, the teams have rematched in the title game three times; the result was flipped all three times.

This year, the sixth season since 2017, it looked like there could be a flip in the script. No. 5 Mater Dei was shut out in the regular-season contest, and if No. 3 Bosco had truly figured out the Monarchs, the regular-season winner would wrap up the title game.

It was not to be. Mater Dei rolled over St. John Bosco 35-7 on Friday night, defeating them by the exact same margin in which the Monarchs lost to the Braves a month and a half ago. The Monarchs are back at the top of the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section (CIF-SS) as champions for the second time in the last three years.

Mater Dei’s defense set the tone early with a first-quarter pick-six when three-star linebacker Abduall Sanders returned an interception 52 yards for the first points of the game.

St. John Bosco was unable to move the ball efficiently in that first half, recording negative-one rushing yards, according to the Los Angeles Times. Mater Dei held the Braves to just one touchdown, a reception by four-star linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa while tacking on a pair of scores from four-star RB Jordon Davison and WR Kayden Dixon-Wyatt to take a 21-7 lead into the break.

Defense and special teams carried the Monarchs through the second half, as a muffed punt in the fourth quarter gave Mater Dei the opportunity for four-star defensive lineman Tomu Topui, lined up at tight end, to score a 14-yard touchdown. On the first play of the next drive, four-star cornerback Zabien Brown had a pick-six of his own to put the game away.

The LA Times reported that first-year Mater Dei head coach Frank McManus took a more active role in managing the defense during games after the defeat against Bosco in October. He succeeded in helping the unit prepare for this game, and the players put away the Braves. McManus has gotten through the beast that is Bosco, and Mater Dei is set to place its claim as the top team in California once again.

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Zabien Brown commitment helps put Alabama in top 15 nationally

This cycle is far from over, though and Nick Saban’s squad is beginning to catch up with the usual contenders.

Alabama won last year’s recruiting cycle, putting together the highest-ranked group of prospects in the nation. However, this year the Tide has been lagging behind a little bit compared to how high they usually finish. Heading into this past week, they weren’t even in the top 20 of the 247Sports composite 2024 recruiting team rankings.

This cycle is far from over, though and Nick Saban’s squad is beginning to catch up with the usual contenders. They got an especially big boost on Sunday night when Alabama got a commitment from Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star cornerback Zabien Brown.

Brown (6-foot-0, 180 pounds) reportedly had offers from 18 other schools. Among the other programs that were considered contenders for his commitment were Ohio State and USC.

According to 247Sports, Brown is the fifth-best cornerback in his class, ranks No. 4 overall in the state of California and No. 45 nationally.

Asked why he picked Alabama, Brown credited his relationship with the coaches, per Hayes Fawcett at On3.

“I just felt like there was a unique opportunity being presented and I really felt at home out there… I grew a great relationship with coach T-Rob, coach Wiggins, and coach Sam Petitio… Also had great talks with coach Saban and my family and reminded me a lot of coach Rollo.”

The Crimson Tide also got a commitment from three-star German linebacker Justin Okoronkwo.

Alabama is now No. 14 in the nation in our updated national recruiting rankings for the 2024 cycle.

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Ohio State misses out on 2024 California cornerback, commits to SEC power

The Buckeyes miss on one of their DB targets #GoBucks

[autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] was in 2024 California cornerback[autotag]Zabien Brown[/autotag] ’s final three, along with USC and Alabama.

On Sunday afternoon, Brown made his choice, selecting the Crimson Tide over the two Big Ten programs. The 6-foot, 180-pound corner took official visits to his final three programs, but in the end, his last visit to Tuscaloosa sealed the deal.

It would have been nice to add Brown to the 2024 Ohio State recruiting class, but they have done a great job recruiting multiple secondary prospects. Currently, the Buckeyes have commitments from Bryce West and Miles Lockhart for the position. They are still actively recruiting Aaron Scott, Kobe Black, and [autotag]Corian Gipson[/autotag].

The targets are all high-level prospects but the staff would have taken a commitment from Brown had he chosen the Buckeyes.

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2024 CB Zabien Brown commits to Alabama over USC

2024 cornerback Zabien Brown announced his commitment to Alabama on Sunday. The California native chose the Crimson Tide over USC.

Cornerback Zabien Brown of the 2024 class announced his commitment to Alabama on Sunday. Brown chose the Crimson Tide over USC.

Brown plays for Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. That is the same high school that former Alabama quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Bryce Young once played for. As a junior, Brown tallied 32 tackles and three interceptions for the Monarchs.

Brown is the third cornerback to have committed to the Crimson Tide in the 2024 recruiting class. He joins five-star Jaylen Mbakwe and four-star Jameer Grimsley.

Much like Grimsley and Mbakwe, Brown also competes for his school’s track and field team. As a junior, Brown ran an 11.12 in the 100-meter dash. His raw speed and athleticism will allow Brown to contribute on either defense or special teams as a true freshman.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Zabien Brown’s recruiting profile.

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2024 four-star cornerback Zabien Brown picks Alabama over USC, Ohio State

#USC has scored a number of 2024 recruiting wins in the secondary, but this wasn’t one of them.

The USC Trojans have had a very strong five-week run on the recruiting trail, building their class into one of the top five in the country for the 2024 cycle. On Sunday afternoon, they lost a battle. It always stings to lose a high-profile competition with two other blue-blood college football programs, but after USC’s run of success, it’s hard to be overwhelmed by this specific recruiting loss.

Zabien Brown, a four-star cornerback from Santa Ana, Calif., chose to leave his home region and play for Nick Saban at the University of Alabama.

Brown chose Bama over USC and the Ohio State Buckeyes. He represents an instance in which USC was not able to keep a prime prospect home, but USC’s 17-player class for 2024 has nine California-based prospects.

What will soften the blow of this specific recruiting loss for USC is that Donte Williams has scored multiple wins in his attempt to recruit the Trojans’ future secondary. From Dakoda Fields to Jarvis Boatwright, from Marcelles Williams to Braylon Conley to Marquis Gallegos, the Trojans have gotten a lot of reinforcements for their secondary.

If there is a prime target for USC in July, a recruitment the Trojans really need, it’s linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. That commitment is in two weeks on Sunday, July 23.

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USC target profile: Zabien Brown

Zabien Brown’s key strength: his instincts. Read more from @DonJamesSports before Sunday’s announcement.

Mater Dei defensive back Zabien Brown, from Santa Ana, Calif., has locked in his commitment date. Brown, who cut his list to Alabama, Ohio State and USC last month, is set to make his decision this Sunday, July 9.

“I’m ready,” Brown said. “I feel good about it and this weekend works well for me and my family. We’re having a get together with friends and family so we thought this was the perfect time to announce my decision.”

Brown’s listed measurements are 6-feet, 180 pounds. He is rated at four stars. He is the No. 6 California recruit, No. 7 cornerback, and the No. 61 prospect nationally for the Class of 2024 on the 247Sports composite.

The things that stand out the most about Brown at Mater Dei are his awareness and instincts. He does an excellent job of reading the offense and getting himself in position to make plays.

Brown is instinctive in his route diagnosis, aware of what the offense is trying to do, and he reacts quickly. With his instincts getting him in position, the Monarch shows good ball skills to break up passes or pick them off. He is very calm and comfortable with the ball in the air. He displays a knack for timing his contact well to avoid penalties while breaking up passes.

During his college career I expect Brown to produce some good interception totals. He has good hands to snatch the ball out of the air, and he plays the ball extremely well.

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Friday Night Notes: Georgia’s new 4-star Athlete, Colorado’s spring recruiting blitz and more

A look at the latest high school football recruiting news around the U.S.

USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2024 to ’25 and beyond.

The king stays the king. And right now, the kings of college football are the Georgia Bulldogs, who are dominating the competition both on the field and in the recruiting game. Georgia is coming off their second consecutive national championship as well as putting together the No. 2 ranked recruiting class of 2023. Neither is an accident, especially since they spent about 50% more on recruiting than any other Power 5 program in 2022.

While it’s no guarantee of success, outspending your opponents by a wide margin is a strategy that tends to work more often than it fails. This morning Georgia added another significant asset to their future plans – a piece that can fit in various ways.

Here’s how Swainsboro (Ga.) four-star athlete Demello Jones announced his commitment to the Bulldogs.

Jones (6-foot-1, 176 pounds) was a popular recruit, getting offers from 27 different programs. According to On3, his top 10 schools were Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

Kirby Smart is getting an extremely versatile two-way playmaker in Jones. Last season he ran for 1,279 yards and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground. As a receiver, he totaled 384 yards and seven more scores. He also threw one touchdown pass. Meanwhile, on defense, he posted a sack, two tackles for a loss, a fumble recovery and six pass breakups.

Going by the composite rankings, Jones is the 18th-best athlete in his class and is No. 28 overall in the state. He makes for 10 hard commits in Georgia’s class of 2024, which ranks No. 1 in the nation.

Four-star cornerback includes Ohio State in top four

Ohio State has a good relationship with four-star cornerback, Zabien Brown. #GoBucks

One of the top-rated cornerbacks in the country has trimmed his list to four schools and Ohio State has made the cut. Mater Dei product, Zabien Brown, shared the whittled-down list with the Buckeyes firmly in the mix.

Brown is the No. 8 corner in the 2024 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. Although the Southern California native has yet to visit Columbus, he plans to do so in April. The other three schools joining OSU on the shortlist are Alabama, Oregon, and USC.

Even though Brown has visited the other schools, he’s still very high on the Buckeyes. He shared his positive views with 247Sports saying:

“… I haven’t visited Ohio State yet but I’m going twice in April. I’m going to visit the first weekend of April with my 7v7 team and then I’m going back the next week with my parents. I’ve always liked Ohio State a lot and they do a great job developing defensive backs. It’s a big time program with great tradition and I like coach Walton, the DB coach a lot.” – Zabien Brown on Ohio State

Brown plans to take all of his official visits in June. He has already said he will be graduating early from high school and plans to enroll in his school of choice come January. It seems he’ll be looking to make a decision soon after so he can enjoy his final year at Mater Dei before entering the world of college athletics.

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Top 10 CB Zabien Brown lists Oregon among top schools

The Ducks are squarely in the mix for one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 class.

The Oregon Ducks appear to be moving quickly when it comes to one of the top cornerbacks in the 2024 class, who recently put the Ducks among his top four schools.

4-star CB Zabien Brown, who is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 73 player in the 2024 class, and No. 8 CB, recently listed the Ducks along with USC, Ohio State, and Alabama as his top schools. Oregon extended an offer to Brown in early February of this year, and has yet to take a visit to Eugene, though that will likely change soon.

Brown is also an accomplished track star and fits the mold of extremely quick and talented defensive backs that the team has been cultivating since Dan Lanning came to town.

We will see if the Ducks can get an official visit from him this summer.

Zabien Brown’s Recruiting Profile