Over the next 33 days, Gator Country will preview the players that make up the 2013 Florida Gators football team as we inch closer and closer to the season.
Each day we will count down using the player whose jersey number corresponds with how many days there are left until Florida kicks off against Toledo in the Swamp on August 31.
Today we take a look at redshirt junior Mack Brown.
History
Mack Brown was a member of the 2010 recruiting class from King High School in Lithonia, Georgia. Brown chose Florida over Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Brown played in two games as a freshman (USF and Kentucky) and dressed for every game except the Florida State game. He earned a redshirt that season. His second season saw a slight increase in production at running back. He set a career high for yards (36) and carries (10) against UAB. As a redshirt sophomore last season, Brown carried the ball 25 times for 102 yards but eventually lost the battle for the role of Mike Gillislee’s backup to freshman Matt Jones.
Strengths
Brown is a very talented runner. He has very good vision and good speed for a running back. Brown is a fearless runner who hits the hole quickly and runs hard. He is a north/south runner who doesn’t waste time dancing in the backfield.
Brown has good hands as a receiver from the backfield. He has been underutilized as a receiving option but with Florida placing an emphasis on including the running backs in the passing game, this could be an area where Brown excels.
Weaknesses
Brown was one of the most complete backs in the 2010 recruiting class but he hasn’t lived up to the hype, or the expectations, that the former staff had when he committed.
Brown’s biggest weakness has been getting in the playbook and understanding protections, which has kept him off of the field for most of his career. In his defense, Brown has had a different offensive coordinator and a different playbook each season he has been in orange and blue with the exception of this year.
Career Statistics
| Mack Brown Career Rushing Statistics | |||||||||
| Year | NO | YDS | AVG | TD | LG | ||||
| 2012 | 25 | 102 | 4.1 | 0 | 11 | ||||
| 2011 | 12 | 42 | 3.5 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| 2010 | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 0 | 13 | ||||
| Totals: | 40 | 167 | 4.2 | 0 | 13 | ||||
What to Expect
Matt Jones took a firm grasp of the starting role this past spring and he will be the feature back for the Gators this season.Brown is currently listed as the No. 2 back behind Jones but he will have to fight off Kelvin Taylor, Mark Herndon and Adam Lane this fall to hold down that spot. Brown should benefit from finally being able to have the same offensive coordinator for two consecutive seasons.Taylor has emerged as the most serious threat to Brown’s backup role but Taylor is struggling with some of the same issues Brown has had in pass protection throughout his career.There are plenty of carries to go around in Florida’s offense, so if Brown can hold on to the backup role he could set a career high in carries and yards in 2013.