Transfer Spotlight – South Carolina WR Ahmarean Brown

At CFB Saturdays we recognize that the landscape is always changing in College Football and the undeniable impact transfers have had on our beloved sport in recent history.  Transfers have gone on to make College Football Playoff runs, win the Heisman, the National Championship, and become top NFL Draft Picks (Joe Burrow recently accomplished all of the above).  In the Transfer Spotlight we take a look at the potential impact of top Transfers in 2021.  Today we take a look at South Carolina WR Ahmarean Brown who was a big play threat for Georgia Tech.

A Fast Start But A Sophomore Slump

Brown hit the ground running as a freshman in 2019. He was an explosive weapon for the Yellow Jackets catching 21 passes for 376 yards and 7 touchdowns. Brown was a touchdown machine as a true freshman and a difficult cover for defenders in the ACC. Unfortunately he was unable to build on that fast start in 2020.

Ahmarean Brown played in just seven games in 2020 and never seemed to get in sync with new quarterback Jeff Sims. His best game came against Boston College on October 24th catching 4 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. He would not catch a pass for the Yellow Jackets again after that game. In those seven games he played, Brown caught 11 passes for 183 yards and one touchdown.

Brown did not play the last three games of the season and announced his intent to transfer in December. Just before the new year, Brown announced he would be continuing his career at South Carolina. Shane Beamer just took over as the new head coach at South Carolina and is looking to add as many weapons as he can to the roster. With a new team and a new offense Brown will have the opportunity to get his career back on track in Columbia.

Ahmarean Brown’s Ability

At 5’10” 170 lbs, Ahmarean Brown is not a big receiver, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed and explosiveness. Brown is a fluid athlete who uses his quickness and change of direction skills to get open. He also has the speed to get behind the defense and make big plays. Brown is an excellent athlete in space and can make defenders miss to pick up yardage after the catch.

Brown has good hands and tracks the football well. He has the body control to adjust to the throw and make the catch. He does need to continue to get stronger which will help him with more physical defenders and in contested situations. Brown has all of the tools to be a big play receiver, he just needs to polish his game some to unlock his potential.

Outlook at South Carolina

South Carolina had another tough season in 2020 leading to the firing of Will Muschamp. The Gamecocks went 2 – 8 and struggled in the passing game. The team averaged less than 190 passing yards per game and failed to reach the 20 point mark in 4 of their last five games. To make matters worse, the one consistent receiver the team had, Shi Smith, is off to the NFL. South Carolina has little production returning at receiver for the 2021 season.

The Gamecocks know they need to add firepower on offense and hope to have found a big play threat in Brown. The offense should also get a boost in 2021 from running back Marshawn Lloyd, the stud freshman was injured during fall camp and missed the 2020 season. The key will be the development of quarterback Luke Doty. The heralded freshman played in eight games and completed 60 percent of his passes, but also threw more interceptions (3) than touchdowns (2). If Doty can become a quality quarterback, a player like Brown can make big plays for him in the passing game.

With Lloyd back from injury and leading rusher Kevin Harris coming off a big year, the running game should provide a good foundation to build on. Doty will need to get comfortable in the offense and develop a rapport with his receivers, including Brown. With Doty and Brown making big plays in the passing game to keep defenses honest, South Carolina’s offense can have a successful 2021 season.

There is an opportunity to crack the rotation at receiver quickly for a player with Brown’s ability. He had a down year in 2020, but the talent he showed in 2019 is still there and with a full off-season he should be able to recapture that big play ability. Shane Beamer has made the transfer portal a priority in his first year on the job and landed a high potential player in Ahmarean Brown.

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