He’s got a strong arm, something to prove. Get to know new Gamecocks QB Jason Brown
Jason Brown’s college path changed in a big way over the past month.
Brown played his first two seasons at St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, an FCS school. But after St. Francis didn’t play in the fall and wasn’t going to play in the spring, Brown put his name in the transfer portal.
A few weeks later, Brown and teammate E.J. Jenkins committed to play at South Carolina. The two arrived in Columbia on Sunday. They’ll enroll and be part of the Gamecocks’ spring practices that have a tentative start date of March 20.
At Saint Francis, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Brown led the Northeast Conference in passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2019 and set school records for passing touchdowns (28) and yards (3,084) en route to honorable mention All-American honors.
Brown spoke with The State’s Lou Bezjak about getting a new start and a chance to play at a Southeastern Conference school.
LB: Take me through the process of deciding to transfer and then ending up at South Carolina.
JB: It is crazy to think about now. I thought before I went to bed the other night, ‘I am really going to be an SEC quarterback.’ You dream of those moments. When I entered the portal, I didn’t think an SEC school would come calling. I am glad it happened. South Carolina offered both me and E.J., and it’s an opportunity we had to take. We have played together since seventh grade, so why not take the opportunity to play again some more against some of the best people in the nation.
LB: How big of a gamble was putting your name in the transfer portal?
JB: I know when I entered the portal, there was a risk I was taking because there were so many people in it. I think when I put my name in, there were 1,400 people in it. There are so many different options a coach could go with. It is definitely interesting to see who was going to reach out. It was a fun experience but stressful at the same time. I am happy I did it and where I ended up.
LB: After the initial talk, how often was there communication with Gamecock coaches?
JB: I talked to coach [Erik] Kimrey and we were in a group chat with E.J. Once they offered us, they reached out to us every day to check up on us and see how we were doing. It was the little things that kept us in the loop with them and we knew that they had their trust in us.
LB: Why do you think you and E.J. didn’t land at a bigger school right out of high school?
JB: The recruiting process is just weird. There are guys that are going to miss out and not get the same opportunities because of exposure. That happened to be us. I think we could have been FBS players off the jump out of high school. People have their opinions and guys that they want to go after. You can’t blame them. It is a business. We just stayed with our head down and stayed the course. Here we are now — we are SEC football players.
LB: What areas do you think will be the biggest challenge for you?
JB: I think moving up a level, especially in the best conference in college football, there are going to be some good guys out there all the time. The game speed will have to be adjusted to because they are going to fly around to the ball. There are going to be better players than I have played against. We are going to have to be on our P’s and Q’s with our coverages and going to be locked in at all times.
LB: Give me a scouting report on Jason Brown.
JB: I have a big arm and when I extend plays, I like to keep my eyes down field. Whenever you get into a scramble drill, the defense brings eyes to you because they think you are going to run. I keep my eyes down field at all times because I don’t like to run. I am more of a pocket passer but I can make plays with my feet if I have to.
LB: What was it like not having a season in the fall and how have the last few months been?
JB: It was hard. In the fall, you see other teams playing and you are like, ‘Wow why can’t we play if other teams are?’ Then you look forward to a spring season and then that gets canceled. So you are out of football for a year, a year and a half if you count the spring before that. But the work doesn’t change and you have to prepare that you are going to a game every Saturday.
LB: What did the USC coaches tell you about the QB room and competition?
JB: I know it is two young guys here. They have been there before and have been practicing against SEC guys longer than I have. They will have the edge up me and I know I will have to work hard to win the job when the time comes. I know there are good guys in there and have heard good things about them, so it will be fun to get to know them.
LB: What do you say to people that say FCS players can’t make the jump to the SEC?
JB: There always is going to be doubters. But football is football and at the end of the day, if you can play, you can play. Whenever we get to showcase what we’ve got, I think we can flip some more heads and make believers instead of doubters.
LB: What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of football?
JB: Me and the guys always play NBA 2K together or Madden. That is one of our hobbies. Whenever I am playing, I am with E.J.
LB: You played point guard in basketball during high school. Any similarities from point guard in basketball to football?
JB: I would say the football part translates to basketball. I see what (defenses) people are in and see it ahead of time. I can make the play happen on the court like I can on the field.
LB: What are your expectations for 2021 and beyond?
JB: Of course, the goal of mine is to play. I don’t want to go somewhere and sit on the bench. So, I am definitely going to have to do everything I can in order to earn the spot. It isn’t going to come easy, I know that. I am going to have to put in the work and I definitely am ready to do that. I want to go out and win the SEC with these guys and I definitely think we can do it. I don’t go into a game thinking we can lose no matter who we are playing.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 10:36 AM.
