??? Is he still an UGA lean? Sounds like OSU might be out as well as FL. Will the instate pressure win out and he goes to UT?

Brown says he has 'no idea' on college choice
By Dave Hooker (Contact)
Originally published 09:12 a.m., February 2, 2009
Updated 09:23 a.m., February 2, 2009


There will be consultation with family and friends, some alone time with only his thoughts, and prayer.

It’s decision time for Marlon Brown. And with just two days until National Signing Day, the top prospect in the state doesn’t have a clue where he’ll end up playing college football.

“I have no idea,” the 6-foot-5, 205-pound receiver from Harding Academy in Memphis said on Monday morning. “It’s going to be real hard because I have some of the best names in college football.”

Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio Stats and Ole Miss are the finalists. Brown has ruled out Florida, a one-time possible destination that suddenly fell by the wayside.

Brown took his final official visit — to UT — this weekend. He said he enjoyed his trip but obviously didn’t come away convinced.

Visiting with first-year UT head coach Lane Kiffin was the highlight.

“He was just saying how he could use me at X and use me at the Z position a little bit,” Brown said, recalling the conversation with Kiffin, who will head up UT’s offense.

Brown’s build is the perfect fit for Kiffin’s offense, which made a living off of tall, sleek receivers at Southern California.

UT also has in-state pressure on its side from family and friends close to Brown.

“I do but I’m going to go where I feel I can excel,” Brown said.

Brown’s No. 1 concern with UT is its quarterback position. The Vols will return three signal callers who struggled in 2008 and the Vols aren’t expected to sign a quarterback until 2010.

Such concerns aren’t unique to UT.

Brown said he likes Georgia because of its coaching staff but is a bit troubled by an unsettled situation at quarterback following Matthew Stafford’s decision to bypass his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.

Georgia has youth on its side, especially on offense, where Brown could become a part of a group growing up together.

“That’s a good thing,” Brown said.

Ohio State has a coaching staff that Brown is also fond of; but, again, inconsistent play at quarterback. Then there’s the Big 10 stigma and the weather.

“It’s cold up there and its Big 10 football so I don’t know — you can either like the Big 10 or dislike the Big 10,” Brown said.

Ole Miss seems to have the most stable passer on Brown’s list: rising junior Jevan Snead. Yet the Rebels are still the Rebels.

“They have a great offense for receivers,” Brown said. “(But) It’s Ole Miss football. Sometime they are good; sometimes they are real bad.”

That’s a lot of things to think about for a young man who will announce his decision at 3:45 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.

“Its been real tough actually,” Brown said. “ Its been real tough.”