Looking at how Florida will be looking to attack the transfer portal the number one priority is a star guard that can take over from Walter Clayton and lead the way offensively. For that reason you have seen the Gators tied in with a number of the top available scorers and ball handlers, and there is a good chance they land a commitment from one soon.
However, when it comes to building rosters you can’t simply go after all the star players and expect to land them. In an NIL age there are budgets that need to be adhered to and that means looking for value with some of your secondary positions in order to keep the dollars needed at the top to bring in stars.
Of course, chemistry is also extremely important, and Todd Golden and his staff are looking for players that will come in and fit with the existing group, because as so many coaches say when they’re recruiting a player–this program is like a family.
So, how about they recruit the actual family of one of their players?
Enter AJ Brown, a 6’4” guard who just finished his third year at Ohio. Brown is the brother of, you guessed it–Florida freshman Isaiah Brown. Brown has been at Ohio for all three years of his college career and finished this season averaging 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists as an important starter for the Bobcats. He is also fairly experienced having started for chunks of all three years and he’s always been productive averaging 9.0 points and 10.3 points his previous two seasons, though in his sophomore year he played just nine games due to a season-ending labrum injury. It’s important to note that he received a medical redshirt for that year–meaning Brown has two more years of eligibility remaining which is exactly what Florida’s coaching staff could be looking for. Outside of a few key players like Alijah Martin, Tyrese Samuel, and Zyon Pullin Florida’s coaching staff has always favored multi-year guys in the portal that could bring some continuity, and bringing in someone like Brown who isn’t a huge name in the portal and has the family connection means that he could stay the two years. It also could mean a higher chance of his brother Isaiah staying–not that there is currently any reason to suggest he’d want to leave.
This was a somewhat frustrating season for Ohio who came into the 2024-25 season with high expectations given that they had a strong year prior and did quite well in the transfer portal. They did finish fourth in the MAC, though it was a very down year in the league, and the Bobcats finished 77 spots lower in KenPom than they started, ending at 195th. Fairly undersized, the 6’4” guard Brown even played some minutes at the “4” having to guard much bigger offensive players. Defense has never been a huge strength of Brown’s, though he is crafty when it comes to coming up with deflections and making up for some of his defensive limitations by hunting for steals.
Where Brown is at his best is on the offensive end where he can be a complementary piece surrounding talented offensive creators. A career 37% three-point shooter, Brown is particularly capable off the catch where he hit 41% of his threes. When looking at players to complement some of the higher end offensive talent Golden is going to be looking for a floor spacer like this, particularly with the losses in the backcourt the team is absorbing. Another element of Brown’s game that Golden will like is his play in transition where he loves to push the ball himself or give it up and sprint to the rim where he can use a number of creative finishes.
Because several people will ask, the comparisons to his brother Isaiah are largely in size and stature, though they have different games. Isaiah is much more athletic than AJ and is someone with some more juice with the ball in his hands, whereas right now AJ is the more proven shooter.
The Gators are considered to be in a good spot to land Brown. Currently there is a dead period until Friday, so don’t look for any big announcements on any transfer targets until then.