Freshman wide receiver Anthony Brown has been one of the primary points of discussion around the UK football program this spring and summer, and for good reason. With a Kentucky offense that is looking for depth at wide receiver, the Springfield, Ohio native has been a pleasant surprise for Liam Coen’s offense.
Similar to Dane Key and Barion Brown, expectations are riding high for Anthony Brown during his freshman campaign.
Even Dane Key and Barion Brown themselves said, “You all are going to hear that name a lot. I promise.”
Kentucky Associate Head Coach Vince Marrow also had some positive things to say about Anthony Brown. “Anthony Brown reminded me of Wan’Dale Robinson 110 percent,” Marrow said.
He even went as far as to say that Brown was a “clone” of Robinson. With lightning speed and a 5’10, 170 pound frame, you can see why Marrow would believe such a thing.
The size difference between Brown and Robinson is rather minimal. Robinson measures at 5’8, 185 lbs.
Getting a Head Start at the College Level
One of the biggest reasons for why Brown is receiving so much praise is that he enrolled in January, which is much earlier than normal. He was already getting reps during practice at Kentucky when he should’ve been a high school senior.
Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen thinks Brown’s early enrollment is playing a massive role in his accelerated development.
“When you come in as a freshman, that’s really supposed to be going to prom. That’s awesome. It is,” Coen said, “Because he’s able to come in (and really in the spring), he’ll tell you he had some drop issues.”
Coen added, “And when you go from catching the ball at Springfield High School to catching the ball from Devin Leary in a span of a couple months, that’s different now. The ball gets on you faster, and it’s a little bit of a different deal.”
Evidently, it was crucial for Brown to adapt and get up to speed with college football if he wanted to make an impact on this year’s team. Just going by all of the praise from his coaches and peers, Brown is putting in the work necessary to contribute big time.
If you want to know exactly what you’re getting in Anthony Brown, Liam Coen has summed it up for you:
“I thought he’s handled this go-around extremely well in terms of being someone we can count on to go play, somebody that we can be able to push the ball down the field to, and he’s a diligent worker, smart kid, bright future ahead of him.”
That description is exactly what Anthony Brown can be for UK, and it’s exactly what Wan’Dale Robinson was in 2021. Perhaps the duo of Dane Key and Barion Brown will become a three-headed monster with the likes of Anthony Brown.
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