8/29/2013 football Edit

2015 First Five-Stars: Mekhi Brown

Rivals.com

Publisher

They are the best of the best. The players wanted by every program and destined to make a big impact at the college level and beyond. Rivals.com has identified the first five-star prospects for the 2015 class and is unveiling them this week. Ten prospects have been awarded five-stars but are not ranked at this time, and we will profile two each day. One of today's five-stars is Columbus (Ga.) Carver defensive end Mekhi Brown.

Mekhi Brown, DE, Columbus (Ga.) Carver

Attributes: 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, 4.6 40

Top School: Committed to Alabama

Mekhi BrownClick THE BROWN FILEHere to view this Link.

Position: Defensive end

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 230

High school: Columbus (Ga.) Carver

Sophomore highlightsClick Summer camp interviewClick HIGHLIGHT REELSHere to view this Link.Here to view this Link.

Scouting Report: One of the best words to describe Brown is disruptive. His length and athleticism help him wreak havoc against the run and the pass. He's fast off the edge, something you expect from a versatile athlete such as Brown. His physical attributes automatically trigger comparisons to 2014 five-star defensive end Lorenzo Carter, and the long-term potential of both players is similar. The key for Brown will be adding to his repertoire of moves as other players start to catch up with him physically.

Analyst's Take: "Brown is another example of the new breed of defensive end/outside linebackers that are sweeping the pro and college games. He's built like an NBA small forward and has great quickness, which causes all sorts of problems for slower offensive linemen to try to slow him down. His five-star status is really based on what we see with him going forward. I think he's only going to get bigger, stronger and more athletic, and if he can continue to add to his fundamental base he's really going to be a nightmare to deal with." - Woody Wommack, Southeast recruiting analyst, Rivals.com

Why He's a Five-Star "Of all the initial five-stars for 2015, Brown is by far the most raw of the lot. But he also has the highest ceiling. He's long and athletic, and he uses his long arms to not only make plays out of the reach of others but to disrupt passing lanes. His potential is endless, and it's clear at this point that he has no idea how good he can be. I like that because it makes him push harder. Brown is one of those prospects who will improve greatly each year as he understands things better and he catches up with his body. With his size, athletic ability and motor, everything else will fall in place and we could be looking at a freak defensive end." -- Mike Farrell, national recruiting analyst, Rivals.com

His Coach Says: "He's a great leader. He's one of those kids that's one of the first ones out there working on something and trying to get better. He's honest with himself, and if he feels like he had a bad day he's going to be the first one out there the next day working on it. He's constantly trying to get better as a player. It really helps that the other kids on the team see someone with his notoriety still working that hard. It shows them that hard work really does pay off. As far as his game, he has a great motor. He goes nonstop. He's constantly chasing, trying to find the ball, getting in on plays. Whether it's stripping the ball out and forcing a fumble to change the game like he did last year in the playoffs or doing something else, he's going to find a way to make an impact. He's also getting better at dropping in coverage and making throwing lanes smaller because of his length. When it comes to his attitude, he's been the same kid since he got here. He's a humble kid, works hard, and he hasn't let the attention get to him." -- Joe Kegler, head football coach, Carver HS

Odds and Ends: Brown is also an accomplished basketball player who played on the varsity squad as a freshman. ... Brown committed to Alabama over schools such as Auburn, Clemson and Florida. ... As a sophomore, he had 37 tackles and four sacks. ... Brown comes from a school that has four current NFL players, including 2013 first-round pick Jarvis Jones.

NFL Player Comparison: Mario Williams, Buffalo Bills

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