Is This the Year Marlon Brown Will Stand Up?

Ever since  Marlon Brown committed to play at UGA, I have been excited about the prospect of him playing.  He was VHT coming out of HS, and has excellent size (6’5″, 216). 

In a roster management decision that rivals Kiante Tripp and Richard Samuel as the most idiotic of the Richt era, Brown’s freshman season was wasted.  He only had 2 catches all season long, and never made an impact.  He should have been redshirted.  He checked in late in the season against Tennessee for the first time, just to spite Kiffin, but never did anything. 

With the suspension of A.J. Green to start the 2010 season, I expcected big things from the big receiver.  That never panned out, only getting 11 receptions all season long. 

I had finally given up on Brown after not showing up in 2010.  I had the great opportunity to attend a spring practice in 2011, and saw first hand how he couldn’t catch anything.  I made the comment on this blog afterwards that I thought Marlon Brown couldn’t catch a cold walking around the North Pole with no coat on. 

2011 saw more of the same.  Yes, there were some bright spots.  He had a long TD reception against Vanderbilt, and scored a big TD against Kentucky. 

Overall, though, the 2011 season was a failure yet again.  He only had 15 receptions for 234 yards and 3 TD.  But consider his line from the Vanderbilt game-4 receptions, 121 yards and 2 TD. He got nearly 33% of his season’s yards in one reception!  6 games last year, Brown didn’t record a recpetion.

Now, I agree with Tyler’s point that the receiving corps will not suffer to much with nearly 70% of the production returning.  In 2011, UGA had to replace both A.J. Green and Kris Durham (40% of receptions and almost 50% of the yards from 2010). 

There is finally a lot of depth at the receiver position.  More imporantly, there is talented depth.  But will Marlon Brown show up in his Senior season and make an impact?

I sure hope so.  I just wouldn’t count on it.

Corbindawg