Brown sure he made right choice

Soon after Derrick Brown left Utah's camp he told his mother that he planned to go to school there. The Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta dual-threat quarterback was not kidding.

Days later, Brown picked up an offer from Utah and decided to commit, backing up the pledge to his mother and picking the school he fell in love with when he visited last weekend.

"I went to the camp, I did pretty well and the next day they had another camp and then they had a coaches meeting and coach (Dave) Schramm e-mailed me and said, 'Congratulations, you did a really good job and we'll be sending you the offer in the mail,'" Brown said.

"As soon as we left, I told my mom I'm going to go to this school. She asked me why and said that I haven't seen the school and that I really don't too much about it but I said the coaches, I love the coaches. The coaches made me feel at home and that was a big part of my decision, feeling at home and comfortable and they made me feel really comfortable."

What also helped Brown make his decision is that he foresees a solid relationship building with first-year quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, who played for the Utes. Because Johnson has experience inside the program, Brown believes he'll be a great resource to lean on for years to come.

"Coach Johnson having played there he knew a lot about Utah and he knew what he was talking about and I wanted a coach that could help me," Brown said. "I just like it.

"I know he's going to be a guy I can go talk to if I have any questions. He's been through this process and he's done it all so that was another plus, too."

Brown, who also had offers from Colorado State and San Diego State, said he's finished with camps and can now turn his focus to his senior season. Rivals.com rates him as the No. 19 dual-threat quarterback in the 2011 class and the No. 49 prospect in the California state rankings.

It cannot hurt that the Utes are moving to the Pac-10 but Brown, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound recruit, said it didn't play a major factor in his decision. More than anything, he liked Utah's program and especially its coaching staff. Those were the major reasons why he decided to commit so soon after being offered.

"When I was younger I always wanted to play in the Pac-10 and because I grew up here all you hear about is USC and UCLA but talking to coaches and doing some research, I like Utah and I like the people and the community," Brown said. "I like everything about it."

In his junior season, Brown threw for 1,886 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for 913 yards and 15 scores.