Image Credit: RantSports
Final 2012 Statistics: 90 carries, 382 yards, 4.2 YPC, 2 TDs; 5 catches, 14 yards, 2.8 YPC, 0 TDs
Wes Brown was the most highly-touted recruit of Maryland’s 2012 class until Stefon Diggs made his decision to come to College Park. He is a downhill runner with great strength, and showed that last season when he was healthy. Brown played in 7 of the Terps’ 12 games in 2012, and had some very good performances in that time. He has been unable to participate in practice this spring due to his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery. He is hoping to have another good year in Mike Locksley’s offense, but could be overshadowed by the healthy Brandon Ross and Albert Reid.
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Rivals called Brown a 4-star recruit in 2012, and ranked him as the 14th best running back in the class. He was teammates with Stefon Diggs at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD. Brown chose Maryland over a plethora of other schools including Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
Without a doubt, Wes Brown’s best game of 2012 came on October 20th against North Carolina State. He rushed 25 times for 121 yards in that game, and teamed up with QB Devin Burns to spark a rushing attack that had been lacking for the first few weeks of the season. He showed his power and agility between the tackles in that game, and showcased his ability to be effective running the ball over 20 times in a game. It was the only time that he rushed for over 100 yards in 2012, but if not for injuries, he may have had a few more games like that.
While Brandon Ross and Albert Reid have been impressing coaches and fans alike with their performance in spring camp, Wes Brown has been watching from the sidelines. He will definitely see the field this season, but the biggest question is whether or not he will be overshadowed by Ross and Reid. If those two backs can carry the majority of the load in the running game, and do it effectively, there doesn’t seem to be much room for Wes Brown. But the coaching staff will assuredly find ways to get the football in Wes Brown’s hands, because he is one of the more talented players on the Maryland offense.
I would expect Mike Locksley to give Wes Brown ample opportunities with the ball in 2012, especially near the goal line. He is definitely the most powerful running back on the Terps’ roster in 2013, and having a weapon like that in the red zone is very valuable. As long as he can stay healthy, he should be able to find his role in this offense and succeed in it.
This is the final article in the Terps Running Back Competition Series. As you can see, the Terps have a ton of talent at the running back competition in 2013, and recently gained some more talent when 4-star running back Johnathan Thomas committed to Maryland for 2014. Out of this group of 4 backs, the Terps have a ton of talent to run the ball a lot, which is exactly what they want to do.
Terps Analyst
Zack is a financial analyst for a defense contractor in Washington, DC. The Owings Mills native focuses most of his efforts on Maryland Football recruiting and individual coach and player pieces; but also covers Terps Basketball. He has established relationships with Big Ten beat reporters across the conference, which he utilizes in his game previews. Now a Sr. Terps Analyst for BSL, Zack can be reached at: zack.kiesel@baltimoresportsandlife.com.