Penn State Football: Cameron Brown moves into starting role
Cameron Brown moves from a two-year contributor for Penn State football into a starting role. He has an opportunity to make an instant impact.
Sitting behind a deep position group can never be easy for a young player. Cameron Brown did the best he could in that time soaking up the playing time he did get and making a nice impact. In two years, the athletic sophomore has recorded 62 total tackles. He’ll see those numbers more than double this year as a starter for Penn State football. His range and speed make him a dangerous player.
First off, Brown has the experience to step in and not skip a beat. He’s played in 24 career games with two starts and showed off an impressive get-to-the-ball tracking. Furthermore, Brown has the intelligence to dissect plays quickly and clearly made an impact with the coaching staff. He got playing time his true freshman season as a highly-touted, four-star recruit.
Instead of redshirting in a talented linebacker corp, Penn State football knew it needed him. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Brown is an athletic freak. In the new age of linebackers, he might be a little slight, but he delivers a boom. I talked about his talents before the season that it’s partially God-given in the measurables aspect.
His hard work and nose for the running back got him on the field, but his size and speed put him in that rare spot where he saw playing time early on. He gets down low on hits and under players to rock them. The best thing he has going for him is his wide launch point. That means he can reach and cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.
A lot of his tackles occur just before a runner might bust free. He corrals them from behind or from the side, because of his length. His reach along with Farmer’s speed will make for a scary combination. As the defense searches for a third starting linebacker, Brown adds a productive, experienced spot at linebacker.
The Nittany Lions still need to see his full game on display. But, his first few years definitely showed promise.
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Whoever steps in with Micah Parsons, Jan Johnson, Jake Cooper and etcetera, he’ll be a guy who can bring that spot along. Far too often followers of a program get caught up in losing a returning starter. Instead, fans should focus on all returners including contributors. Penn State football can count itself lucky that it brings back Cam Brown for another two years.