Pharo Brown commits

[TheMaehlMan]

He was the MVP of his team in the All-Star game, very excited about this pickup!

[greenyellow]

Getting him and Baylis in this class is huge for next year, due to the lack of depth at TE next year. Putting them with Lyerla, French, and maybe White, if he gets healthy and tries to continue playing, should really make for a nice, albeit, young TE corps.

[uostudent]

Getting him and Baylis in this class is huge for next year, due to the lack of depth at TE next year. Putting them with Lyerla, French, and maybe White, if he gets healthy and tries to continue playing, should really make for a nice, albeit, young TE corps.

Yup. Really excited about the TE's that Oregon has been bringing in lately.

Don't think the coaches are really counting on White. I hope French can stay at TE....the kid is a big time talent.

[Jduck]

Per ESPN Insider

DEC 29 10:18 PM ET

By Jared Shanker
Pharaoh Brown was shocked back in May when Oregon extended him a scholarship. As a four-star prospect and one of the better defensive ends in the country, the offer from the Ducks wasn’t the surprise – it was that the offer was for tight end.

“In May when I committed [to Michigan], Oregon wanted me as a tight end strictly, but I never played it before,” said Brown, who decommitted from Michigan. “I was like ‘OK but I’m a defensive end.’”

Fast forward nearly eight months, Brown (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Brush) rewarded Oregon for having faith in him as a tight end. At the Offense-Defense Bowl on Thursday, Brown became the the Ducks’ 18th commitment in the 2012 class and second tight end along with fellow four-star prospect Evan Baylis (Aurora, Colo./Grandview).

Brown and Michigan went their separate ways in November after Brown officially visited Oregon – his only official visit. Brown, ranked 14th among tight ends, committed to Michigan as a defensive end but started having a change of heart after a few games a tight end.

“At first, kind of but then it was pretty easy once I got my route running down,” Brown said. “It was a quick transition because from playing quarterback I could read the coverages in my routes. Me being a quarterback, I know what to look for.”

After a successful senior season at tight end, Brown began to only look at schools looking at him as a tight end. His other finalists were Michigan State and Nebraska, which gave him a choice of either offense or defense.

The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Brown is a prospect with a lot of upside at either tight end or defensive end if he eventually has to move to the defensive side of the ball at Oregon. He was a quarterback in high school before moving to defensive end as a junior.

When Brown moved to defensive end as a junior, it was his first time playing defensive line since pee wee football when he played only because he was too big for other positions. Much like his first season at tight end, Brown was an instant success at defensive end.

“It was a smooth transition as once I learned the swim move that was all I needed,” Brown said. “I just got it down from playing basketball and natural movement I have. I switched only a couple weeks before the season started so I didn’t have a lot of time to get down technique.”

With Brown’s commitment, the Ducks have built a miniature pipeline into Ohio. The Ducks’ second-best recruit in their 2012 class is Dwayne Stanford II, a junior from Cincinnati. Lyndhurst, Ohio, where Brown is from, is closer to Cleveland. The Ducks don’t have any players from Ohio on their roster.

[Coastal Duck]

Okay -- Devil's Advocate, here - Offers from Nebraska, Oklahoma and Michigan are impressive, what of tOSU? They are similar in philosophy to LSU - keep the great ones home, fill in from out of state.

I see where he was a 2nd-team All-State selection - does that mean tOSU locked up the 1st-team guy, or what?

Apologies - I have little extra time to research this seemingly innocuous scenario - thought it might be fun for a "digger."

[woundedknees]

The only TE commit for tOSU is Blake Thomas, a 3* commit from Cleveland... 6'4"/240/4.8.

[maxduck]

Okay -- Devil's Advocate, here - Offers from Nebraska, Oklahoma and Michigan are impressive, what of tOSU? They are similar in philosophy to LSU - keep the great ones home, fill in from out of state.

I see where he was a 2nd-team All-State selection - does that mean tOSU locked up the 1st-team guy, or what?

Apologies - I have little extra time to research this seemingly innocuous scenario - thought it might be fun for a "digger."

Glancing at the depth chart the top two were juniors, so presumably both will return next year. Last year they signed a 4 and a 3 star, plus they have the commit for this class. With five TE scholarships already filled maybe Urban thinks he has other areas of need.

[chapelhillduck]

Here's the Ohio all state first team (rough positions listed, but looks like no TE's?) Have fun!

OFFENSE: Ends-Monty Madaris, Cin. Moeller, 6-2, 190, sr.; Cameron Kavan, Mentor, 5-10, 170, sr.; Marcus Davis, Dublin Coffman, 5-10, 175, sr.. Linemen-Jacoby Boren, Pickerington Central, 6-3, 285, sr.; Pat Elflein, Pickerington North, 6-3, 285, sr.; A.J. Williams, Cin. Sycamore, 6-6, 275, sr.; Billy Price, Austintown Fitch, 6-4, 287, sr.; Storm Norton, Tol. Whitmer, 6-8, 300, sr. Quarterbacks-Mitch Trubisky, Mentor, 6-3, 195, jr.; Tyler Foster, Canton McKinley, 6-3, 184, sr. Backs-Brandon Schen, Lewis Ctr. Olentangy Orange, 5-11, 190, sr.; Jody Webb, Tol. Whitmer, 5-8, 165, sr.; Jack Snowball, Wadsworth, 6-0, 211, sr.; Conor Hundley, Cin. St. Xavier, 5-10, 205, sr.; Bri'onte Dunn, Canton GlenOak, 6-1, 221, sr.; Kareem Hunt, Willoughby South, 5-10, 180, jr. Kicker-Tim Shenk, Cleve. St. Ignatius, 5-10, 165, sr.
DEFENSE: Linemen-Sam Coles, Hilliard Davidson, 5-11, 190, sr.; Chris Wormley, Tol. Whitmer, 6-7, 270, sr.; Se'Von Pittman, Canton McKinley, 6-5, 262, sr.; Kevin Kavalec, Cleve. St. Ignatius, 6-3, 225, jr.; Bryson Albright, Cin. St. Xavier, 6-5, 215, sr.; Tom Strobel, Mentor, 6-6, 255, sr. Linebackers-Joe Bolden, Cin. Colerain, 6-3, 225, sr.; Dawhawn Hall, Canton GlenOak, 6-0, 210, sr.; Joe Burger, Cin. La Salle, 6-2, 230, sr.; Ben Gedeon, Hudson, 6-2, 220, jr.; Nick Davidson, Solon, 5-8, 190, sr.; Kent Kern, Tol. St. John's, 6-1, 225, sr.; Kurt Laseak, Mentor, 6-4, 220, sr. Backs-Mike Svetina, Cleve. St. Ignatius, 6-2, 220, sr.; Andre Jones, Cin. Colerain, 6-1, 195, sr.; Jermaine Edmondson, Canton McKinley, 6-2, 166, sr.; De'Van Bogart, Cleve. Glenville, 6-1, 195, sr.; Mark Meyers, Tol. Whitmer, 6-1, 180, sr.; Allen Gant, Southview, 6-2, 211, sr. Punter-Brandon Smith, Tol. St. John's, 6-0, 193, sr.

[AugustDuck]

Okay -- Devil's Advocate, here - Offers from Nebraska, Oklahoma and Michigan are impressive, what of tOSU? They are similar in philosophy to LSU - keep the great ones home, fill in from out of state.

I see where he was a 2nd-team All-State selection - does that mean tOSU locked up the 1st-team guy, or what?

Apologies - I have little extra time to research this seemingly innocuous scenario - thought it might be fun for a "digger."

I don't think that just because tOSU didn't offer him that we should think of that in a negative fashion. They are certainly a very different team than we are. They like massive TE that can block first, block second, and catch the ball third. Also he has not been a TE until this season. He played DE for a season or so previously, and was a QB before that. He is a good athlete though, and has done well at both DE and TE, so I think we got a good one for whichever side of the ball he eventually ends up on.

[UOducksTK1]

Sweet pickup. I love these athletes like Lyerla, French, and him... Ability to play OLB/DE or TE. Love their height too.