Georgia WR Marlon Brown Still Has His Share of Doubters

Twitter is a fun place to be late at night—when most people have likely decided to engage in other more interesting activities—and this past Friday evening was no exception.

Noted Atlanta Journal-Constitution recruitnik, Michael Carvell, had this to tweet about Marlon Brown, the former five-star standout for Harding Academy in Memphis, TN:

While I don't share Mr. Carvell's insomnia over Brown's former recruiting rank—personally the stars don't mean a whole lot in most cases, because the pudding is proved on the field—I do admit to having a slight obsession with how insignificant a role he has played since he's been at Georgia. As a matter of fact, he's graced the thoughts and pages of this blog on several occasions (see link below) for that very reason and he's been a subject of fierce debate as to whether or not he will ever live up to the hype or promise he displayed in high school.

Brown isn't lacking in self-confidence where his skills are concerned, but putting his money where his mouth is will be the ultimate goal this season. As a junior, he's already being lauded as a potential No. 2 option playing opposite Tavarres King (who is set to step into the role left vacant by A.J. Green), but redshirt freshman, Michael Bennett, has received every bit the praise and accolades for his 'Kris Durham like' hands and 'A.J. Green like' flexibility so who's to say how things will turn out?

If anything, I find that I am more intrigued about Bennett's potential than Brown's—but that's just me.

Related articles

• Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Marlon Brown? (theladysportswriter.blogspot.com)
• Georgia Bulldogs: Tight End Is The New Wide Receiver (theladysportswriter.blogspot.com)

Georgia Bulldogs: Wherefore Art Thou, Marlon Brown?

Photo Credit: Brant Sanderlin/AJC

It feels like we've been asking this question for longer than necessary as Marlon Brown was supposed to be the gem of Georgia's 2009 signing class. On that signing day, if you had told anyone that Brown would be entering his junior season with a stat line of 13 receptions, 148 yards, and one touchdown, they might have asked if you needed professional help.

He was a star at Harding Academy in Memphis and was considered a lock to become the same at the next level—how could he possibly fail playing alongside the likes of A.J. Green? Brown was coming into a good situation, possibly being able to make a mark early with Mohammed Massaquoi exiting in 2008, and he had every opportunity to break down the freshman wall and become the next big thing at Georgia.

However, as it turns out, the mediocre competition at Harding Academy proved to be a bigger obstacle to his development than some thought it might. He wasn't prepared for the physical play of the SEC and was never able to find his groove on the football field.

Truthfully, he should have redshirted his first year as his two catches for 15-yards weren't worth the paper they were printed on. Even more, it was clear that he needed more time to learn the routes, learn the league, and add more weight to his lanky frame—the height was there, the strength was not.

By 2010, the question was no longer 'is he ready?', but rather 'where's he at?'  and if ever there were a time for him to shine, it was last season—A.J. was suspended, the running game was mediocre, and Aaron Murray was looking to make new connections, in the passing game, with anyone willing to step their game up—so what happened?

Well, Brown saw much of that season cut down by a shoulder injury.  He was never able to get healthy enough to make a real contribution.

2011 is already seeing some positive reports on Brown out of spring practice, but the same was said in 2010—and look how that turned out. At this point, it would just be nice to see Brown doing something other than traversing the sidelines as he's not become nearly the player Georgia expected him to be when he arrived in 2009.

It's time for Marlon Brown to make something happen at Georgia and hopefully this is the year that finally happens.

Georgia Bulldogs: Waiting on Marlon Brown To Become "Marlon Brown"

Photo Credit:UGA Sports Communications

When Marlon Brown announced he was heading to the University of Georgia, there was a lot of excitement about the talented receiver from Harding Academy in Memphis, TN.

Many expected him to immediately step onto the field and become an impact player—catching footballs alongside A.J. Green. However the opposite has proven true as Brown has not only not been an impact player, but has hardly made much of a contribution at all.

So, what's the problem?

Popular opinion seems to be that the young man simply wasn't ready for the SEC. He certainly had the size and speed, but his domination came easier when he was playing in Memphis—against the lesser competition in his league. He simply wasn't challenged enough at the high school level and, to some extent, coach Richt's staff understood that when they signed him, said Richt, at that time,  "...the league he played in certainly made you question just a little bit, is this just a big man in a league where he's dominant, or can he really play with the big boys."

That said, the potential for Brown still seemed limitless in terms of what he could do once he became better acclimated to SEC play. However, he has been plagued with a series of unfortunate setbacks, mostly injury-based, that have translated into Georgia Bulldog fans seeing a player who doesn't look like he will ever become what they imagined.

To be fair to Brown, it seems only right to mention that the wasted redshirt season of 2009 is as much a factor in Brown's overall lack of development than anything. The young man was targeted less than a dozen times during his true freshman season (2009) and, essentially, wasted a year of possible tutelage.

The mentality behind that decision not to redshirt him is a source of ongoing debate, but is neither here nor there as he enters his third season at Georgia—you know what they say about hindsight.

With A.J. Green gone and Kris Durham graduated, Brown has a better than average opportunity to begin to showcase what he can do at Georgia. He is no longer playing in the shadows of a superstar wide receiver, nor is he likely to be short-changed on the football field if he can play consistent football throughout the spring and summer.

The sky can still be the limit for Brown—if he can remember how to fly.

What say you, is Marlon Brown finally ready or are his best days behind him?