Better Know a Buckeye: Baron Browning

This week's Better Know a Buckeye feature continues with a profile of Baron Browning, a linebacker from the Fort Worth area.

Browning's path to Ohio State is circuitous. His recruitment starts the June after his freshman year with his first offer, from Baylor. He committed to the Bears the next summer before uncertainty surrounding Baylor's sexual assault scandal, among other things, encouraged him to explore his options. Ohio State got its foot in the door with large help from Jeffrey Okudah. However, Browning seemed to favor Texas and, later, Alabama. Ohio State made a strong push near the end with his official visit for the Michigan game and an in-home visit at the end of last November to secure Browning's commitment on Dec. 1, 2016.

I retell this story below and the reasons Browning highlighted that encouraged him to leave Texas, and the South more generally, for Ohio State. Thereafter, I provide a scouting report of the No. 1 outside linebacker prospect in the country. I project a redshirt amid a crowded depth chart and a small injury concern for Browning before closing with highlight film for the reader to watch at the end of the feature.

HIS RECRUITMENT

Browning's recruitment starts the summer after his freshman year. He hit the camp circuit, performing under Art Briles' watchful eyes on June 1, 2014. He left with a scholarship offer, his first. This portended some major offers to follow as Oklahoma State and Arkansas each extended scholarship offers after impressive camp performances that summer.

His sophomore year was a bigger boon for his recruitment as Browning racked up offers from major programs across the country. It started that fall of 2014 with offers from Nebraska, UCLA, and Washington. It continued later in spring 2015 with offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC. This interest underscored a central theme early into Browning's recruitment that held through its duration: Baron Browning was the No. 1 outside linebacker prospect in his 2017 class and a certain five-star.

These majors offers, even the visit to Tuscaloosa concurrent with his scholarship offer, were unable to shake the trajectory of a recruitment that increasingly favored Baylor. Baron Browning's father, Barry Sr., played for TCU in the 1990s. His defensive coordinator there for a year was Phil Bennett, who served as Baylor's defensive coordinator from 2011 through 2016. That connection, combined with its status as his first offer and college football's nouveau riche of the time, made Baylor the favorite for Browning's services.

Browning's comments upon his July 18, 2015 commitment to Baylor largely reiterated those points. He identified Baylor as a "brand" of which he wanted to be part. He talked up his connection with the coaching staff, including Art Briles and Jim Gush, his would-be future position coach.

Browning said he was 100% committed to Baylor and would not repudiate himself from his word. It's conceivable he was right and this feature would not be on Eleven Warriors if not for the exogenous shock of the sexual assault scandal that rocked Baylor University. Baylor University had Title IX problems on this front since 2012 but these problems became front-and-center in June 2015 when Phil Bennett, Baylor's defensive coordinator, announced Sam Ukwuachu (a Boise State transfer with a slew of known behavioral problems) would play for Baylor in 2015. Ukwuachu was subsequently arrested for sexually assaulting a Baylor soccer player. The internal investigation Baylor commenced under then-president Ken Starr, concurrent investigations by outlets like Outside the Lines and Dallas Morning News, and newer incidents involving Shawn Oakman eventually culminated in a damning report before Baylor's board of regents that led to the removal of Art Briles from his position.

Browning had already made his mind to pursue other options before Briles' dismissal. He decommitted from Baylor on February 14, 2016. He punctuated the decision with "I think it's best I open my recruitment back up all the way and really weigh my options going into my senior year." He momentarily withheld comment about what new schools he was favoring though Browning would not want for options going forward.

It's still a bit surprising that Browning's eyes turned north to Columbus at this time. He had a longstanding offer from Ohio State but said little of it. Further, his immediate attention after his decommitment was regional. He visited Texas, not without a different form of program uncertainty, later that month. The next month, he visited Texas A&M, which was by a wide margin the biggest beneficiary of the turmoil in Waco (e.g. Kellen Mond, Hezekiah Jones, Jhamon Ausbon). He visited LSU in April. He already had a genuine interest in Alabama that resulted in a prior visit. Few things about Browning's recruitment at the time other than a mention in a preliminary "top ten" portended the unofficial visit Browning would take last May.

Here, Ohio State fans may have Jeffrey Okudah to thank for Baron Browning's unofficial visit. Okudah and Browning visited Ohio State together that same weekend of May 21-22 last year. Okudah was more strongly considering Ohio State than Browning was at the time. The joint visit to Ohio State had a lasting effect on the recruitment of both. A follow-up visit from Tim Beck and Luke Fickell to Browning's home in Texas may have put the Buckeyes in the lead.

Browning scheduled five official visits for the fall. He started with Michigan on Oct. 1 for its game against Wisconsin. He next visited Alabama for its game against Texas A&M and followed that the next week with an official visit to Florida State for its homestand against Clemson. His final two trips went to UCLA for its game against USC and to Ohio State for the Michigan game.

Ohio State's position at the time was anything but secure. For one, Ohio State may have lost major ground in the summer to Texas. Browning's mom favored TCU and Texas and liked Charlie Strong in particular. Browning sent a signal disconcerting to Ohio State fans when he canceled a trip to Columbus for Friday Night Lights and instead attended the Longhorns' version of the same camp. However, Texas position faded as it became clear Strong's tenure as Texas head coach was in serious jeopardy.

Further, Browning enjoyed himself so much in Tuscaloosa for the Texas A&M game that there were even whispers that Browning quietly committed to Alabama then and would wait to announce it until after his remaining official visits. In fact, Browning had scheduled that announcement for three days after his final visit, Ohio State.

Fortunately, the visit and the nature of the double-overtime win gave Browning some pause. He canceled that timed announcement to, in all likelihood, sort whether he favored Alabama or Ohio State.

Browning's decision to delay his announcement is certainly good new for the Buckeyes, as I believe he would have committed to Alabama had he announced today.

It seems Browning is torn between Alabama and Ohio State. Both programs are perennial national championship contenders with a history of developing and sending players to the National Football League. Alabama offers the chance to play closer to home, while significant playing time might come sooner at Ohio State.

Coaches from both Alabama and Ohio State made a final pitch with in-home visits on Nov. 30 of last year. Ohio State's coaches appeared to have made the stronger case when Browning made his announcement the next day.

HIS COMMITMENT

Baron Browning committed to Ohio State on Dec. 1, 2016 as the 15th member of what would become Ohio State's full 2017 recruiting class. He chose Ohio State over several major offers, principally Alabama. He had previously been committed to Baylor.

Notwithstanding earnest interest in programs like Michigan and UCLA, Browning acknowledged there was a strong initial impetus to stay local to play college football. This manifested first in his commitment to Baylor. It continued with interest in in-state programs like Texas, Texas A&M, and TCU. He pushed it a little when he seriously considered Alabama his final destination. He embraced it by saying he would spread his proverbial wings and leave his Fort Worth home for Ohio State.

“Football has taken me places I never imagined before, and I’m forever grateful for the lord blessing me with this opportunity, not to mention all the great people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve built that I know will last a lifetime. I’d like to say thank you to my coaches, my teammates, my family, my school, my community, my teachers, my parents, and last but not least Fort Worth. I can’t describe how much joy I have for being where I’m from. It has made me the man I am today. I’ve learned valuable lessons, life morals from my city, but I’ve also witnessed my city trap great people from reaching their full potential. It’s a blessing and a curse some might say to be where I’m from, but I know it’s all a part of God’s plan for me. Growing up, all I knew was Fort Worth, but I think it’s time for me to spread my wings. With that being said, I would like to announce my commitment to the Ohio State University. When it all came down to it, I truly felt like this was the place for me to grow as a person, athlete and student.”

Browning later acknowledged that Jeffrey Okudah was a major influence in his decision to consider Ohio State in May. Okudah later committed in January.

WHERE HE EXCELS

Baron Browning is a five-star No. 1 outside linebacker prospect in the country because he resembles a total package.

holy hell, this is the greatest football play ive ever seen in a high school highlight reel pic.twitter.com/IJkCMRfMU3

— D.J. Byrnes (@marion_ohio) December 2, 2016

The measurables stand out. He enrolled at Ohio State at 6-4 and 230 pounds, effectively with the size to play immediately. His ability to run a 4.56 40-yard-dash before any time in a college weight room underscores the national intrigue in what Browning could do as a college linebacker.

This shows in his ability to blitz and attack down hill more generally. He's explosive off the snap and wastes no time disrupting a passing situation or a running play in the backfield. He hits hard too, which is unsurprising with that frame.

The most surprising aspect of his film is how adroit Browning is in pass coverage. This is routinely a glaring limitation in even the highest-ranked linebacker prospects. Most high school football is run-heavy and linebackers develop skill sets at that level sufficient for that task. This creates a higher learning curve in the transition to college. Browning will be far ahead of his peers enrolling in college at that position.

MUST WORK ON

Browning has amazing size and front-line speed for the position but his change-of-direction ability is not the best. For that matter, his leverage at the line of scrimmage is not optimal either. Browning can sometimes run himself out of position.

REDSHIRT?

Browning would be a day-one starter at most other programs in the Big Ten, but he'll encounter two difficulties toward immediate playing time in the fall. One, Ohio State already has options in players like Chris Worley and Jerome Baker. The Buckeyes have positioned themselves well toward solid linebacker play and depth in 2017. Two, Browning helped himself when he enrolled early but will miss critical development time in the spring with a shoulder injury. This will not preclude him from playing in the fall if necessary but it does make it attractive for Ohio State to redshirt him in 2017. That's my best guess for Browning.

These Texas boys are out here ballin' in the Bus... @baronbrwnng @Jkdobbins22#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/xIRLQoSlBO

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 20, 2017

HIGHLIGHTS

Junior-year highlights are the most complete highlights on the web for Browning.