Elite Linebacker Sammy Brown Enjoys Notre Dame Visit
After several months of great conversations and relationship building, the Notre Dame program finally welcomed Jefferson (Ga.) High School star linebacker Sammy Brown to South Bend for the first time. By every indication, the Irish staff knocked this one out of the park with the 2024 defender.
Brown spoke glowingly about the visit. Despite it only being a single day visit, the experience is already sticking with him tremendously. Notre Dame set out to impress and they did just that.
“It was an awesome visit,” Brown said. “I was really glad to finally get up to meet all of the coaches. We were really able to do everything you do in a visit, tour the campus, meet all the coaches, watch some practice.”
Brown did leave touring the stadium out of the agenda. He joked about it being closed for an interesting, and understandable reason.
“I will say we didn’t get the full extent of the stadium because Billy Joel is playing there on Saturday so it was kinda shut out,” Brown said with a chuckle.
Notre Dame has been recruiting the linebacker position at a very high level since Marcus Freeman arrived. With so many former standouts on the staff, it’s an easy sell for linebacker recruits who want to learn first hand from some of the best to do it.
“Today I spent almost all of my time with Coach (James) Laurinaitis,” Brown explained. “I was able to talk with Coach (Al) Golden a lot as well. They really like my film and were actually able to show me some of the stuff they’re implementing into their defense that can help me. Their overall message is for me to keep working and keep getting better.”
The Irish staff has continued to reiterate the vision for the talented Georgia athlete. He is incredibly receptive to that message. Some of his main criteria are a part of that pitch.
“I love what Notre Dame is doing,” he noted. “A lot of the stuff they’re doing is exactly what I’m looking for in a school. They’re developing their players for after football … businessmen, CEOs, presidents. So that’s something that I can appreciate and my parents can really appreciate too.
“The coaches are really excited and energetic for the season and that’s really a great reflection of Coach Freeman and what he is doing,” Brown continued.
The staff is already showing Brown how he fits schematically as well. He had the chance to spend time with some of the current Irish players who could eventually be his teammates down the line.
“They see me as an inside backer,” he said. “I was able to talk a lot with a handful of their inside backers. One of them is a Georgia native (JD Bertrand), so we have that connection. They’re all great people and even better players.”
For any talented recruit who is being courted by the best programs around the country, things can get a little hectic on the recruiting trail. So far, Brown is really just enjoying the ride.
“As of right now the recruiting process is still fun,” said Brown. “It’s awesome to go see everything and see places I've never seen before. When I start getting to the point where decisions have to be made is when it gets a little harder. But just trying to take it all in right now!”
Brown finished his sophomore campaign with 35 total tackles and three tackles for loss. His biggest impact was at running back, where he rushed for 753 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 58 carries, averaging an absurd 13 yards per carry.
On top of his impact on the football field, Brown is also an incredibly accomplished track athlete, who excels both as a sprinter and jumper for his program. He posted team best times of 10.70 seconds in the 100 meter dash and 21.82 in the 200. The 6-2, 215-pounder also posted a personal best jump of 22’2” in the long jump as a sophomore.
He is currently ranked as the No. 6 overall player and No. 1 linebacker in the 2024 class by 247Sports. Brown currently holds an impression offer list, some of the more notables being the Irish, Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, Miami, Michigan, LSU, USC, Texas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Michigan State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, South Carolina, NC State, Virginia, and Georgia Tech among others.
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