Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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40 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN After not signing during the early period Dec. 20-22, Washington (D.C.) St. John's cornerback DJ Brown was a coveted prospect down the stretch despite being committed to Virginia at the time. Notre Dame made a late push for Brown during the weeks leading up to the traditional National Signing Day Feb. 7, along with Northwest- ern and California. Brown backed off his longtime pledge to the Cavaliers Jan. 30 after originally committing July 6. In the end, the Irish beat out the Wildcats and Golden Bears to land a versatile defensive back. "The best thing about DJ is his football IQ," Rivals Mid-Atlantic an- alyst Adam Friedman said. "He sees the field so well. His anticipation is excellent. … He has great size and good length. "He's really good with straight- line speed, but I worry about his change of direction. That will surely get worked out. I feel they got a high- ceiling defensive back who can be used in a variety of ways." The 6-1, 180-pounder could wind up contributing for the Irish at cor- nerback or safety with his skill set. Friedman sees Brown's highest po- tential being at safety. "He can make the most impact from that position," Friedman ex- plained. "He's able to diagnose plays quickly and effect the ball when it's in the air. He's also a big-time hitter. That's a little bit underrated when you're watching his film. He's physi- cal and has really good size. … He's really got a chance to be a very good player as a safety and contribute for multiple years at that position." Brown will be one of several de- fensive backs in the freshman class vying for early playing time in South Bend. Friedman wouldn't be shocked to see the St. John's product find the field in 2018. "He might need a redshirt year be- fore he sees significant time on de- fense, but there's no reason he can't be a special teams guy right away," Freidman said."It's hard to imagine that there is a combination of stron- ger, faster and more willing on the roster that will contribute on special teams like DJ." Notre Dame initially backed off pursuing Brown in early December before he was scheduled to make a visit, believing they had filled up at defensive back. There were no hard feelings when the Irish circled back to try and add Brown to the class. "It's a solid 'B' addition," Fried- man stated of Brown's signing. "There were a couple of other guys out there that Notre Dame was trying to lure that were higher rated. … But DJ is a very good defensive back." ✦ DJ BROWN CORNERBACK 6-1 · 180 ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE H.S. CROWNSVILLE, MD. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 67 8 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 225 28 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 71 5 STATISTICS • Compiled 26 solo tackles, 13 passes broken up, one interception and two forced fumbles while helping St. John's College to a 9-2 record and its first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference foot- ball championship since 1989. HONORS • Named to the 2017 All-USA District of Colum- bia first team by USA Today. • Tabbed as an All-WCAC first-team performer as a senior, and also received All-Met honorable men- tion accolades from The Washington Post. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Played in the Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 4, 2018. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on Feb. 7, 2018, over Northwestern and California. • Also held offers from Clemson, Ohio State, Ari- zona, Duke, Nebraska, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Virginia. • Primarily recruited by cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght. • Originally committed to Virginia on July 6, 2016, but backed off on Jan. 30, 2018, after official visits to Northwestern and Notre Dame. • Brown landed his Irish offer on Nov. 29, 2017 and planned to visit for the Echoes Banquet on Dec. 8, 2017, but canceled the trip when it looked like Notre Dame would be full at the position. • Took his official visit to Notre Dame on Jan. 28, 2017. NOTABLE • Was a high school teammate of current Irish freshman defensive end Kofi Wardlow. • Considering majoring in business. 2018 PROJECTION • Brown is a long, instinctive and physical player that could earn an early special teams role. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "We really think that we've got somebody here that is a true corner. He's long at 6-foot-1 and a very smart player. I think what stood out for us is his football intel- ligence, the way he played the game. He comes to us with a great background at St. John's." Cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght: "DJ is a big strong, strong athlete who uses his size to punish ball carriers at the high school level. He is funda- mentally sound in terms of tacking and coverage." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "The first thing that stands out about Brown is his length. He checked in at 6-1 and 183 pounds this summer, and he has long arms. He'll need to keep getting stron- ger, but he has strong hands. Athletically, he isn't explosive and lacks ideal long speed, but his short- area athletic tools are strong. He has quality agility and is at his best when he keeps the receiver in front of him. His short-area burst is really impressive, and it helps him make a lot of plays on the football. "Brown has impressive football instincts. His ability to read and anticipate routes is good, and he makes fast decisions in coverage. At times he'll get a bit too aggressive and will bite on first moves, but overall he's sound." Irish Land A 'High-Ceiling' Defensive Back In DJ Brown Brown — the top player in Washington, D.C., and the No. 28 cornerback in the country accord- ing to ESPN — signed with Notre Dame over Northwestern and California. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM