4-Star OT Prospect Verdis Brown Commits to FSU over Ohio State, Illinois, More

Florida State added to their depth along the offensive line after receiving a commitment from Verdis Brown.Brown announced his decision on Friday:The 4-star offensive tackle ranks 14th at his position and 154th overall in the 2018 recruiting class, per Scout. He's also the seventh-best offensive tackle in the South region.Brown originally attended Mount Carmel High School before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, last December.He was the second player from Mount Carmel to head to Florida.In July 2016, Houston Griffith, the No. 9 safety in 2018, per Scout, announced his move to IMG.Brown released a statement about his decision on Twitter:Playing at IMG furthered Brown's development on the field. In addition to the more specialized coaching he received, he also faced off with talented opposition on a daily basis on the practice field. According to Scout, seven top-100 players from the 2018 class call IMG home.While he's listed as a tackle, Brown could move to offensive guard at some point during his college career.Standing at 6'5" and weighing 295 pounds, Brown has the size to play either position. His physical tools, however, could limit his upside at tackle. He's timed at 5.24 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 4.85 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, per ESPN.The shuttle time is somewhat concerning since itmore so than his 40 timespeaks to whether or not Brown has the lateral quickness necessary to handle the demands of the position.Brown will need to be light on his feet in order to handle speedy pass-rushers coming off the edge. He should get faster as he continues to mature physically, so it's too early to ring any alarm bells right now.Should he struggle while playing tackle at the next level, then making the switch to guard shouldn't be too difficult. Brown will be a capable blocker in a few years no matter where he winds up.Ethan Frith and Brock Ruble will be seniors in 2018, while Josh Ball will have three years of remaining eligibility after redshirting in his first season on campus.Barring injury, Brown should have a limited role immediately upon his arrival at Florida State should he sign with the school.That will allow him more time to sort out his future on the field.It was easy to point toDeondre Francois' inexperience as one source of problems for the Seminoles offense in 2016. The offensive line didn't help, though, ranking 63rd in adjusted sack rate, according toFootball Outsiders.Brown isn't an immediate remedy for the issue, but he'll undoubtedly help shore up the line in another two or three years.
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