Before arriving in Blacksburg, Jason Brown was a transfer backup at South Carolina by way of a record-setting stay at St. Francis, an FCS school. Brown is a big-bodied guy who likes staying in the pocket. He keeps his eyes downfield, and he’s not afraid to squeeze the ball into tight windows. He doesn’t mind throwing on the run, either, and the routes he likes throwing are a big part of the Hokies’ West Coast elements.
I can’t overemphasize how tough a situation Brown was in at USC. He went from three years in a spread-and-shred FCS team, to starting for a pro-style SEC team after an offseason of third-string reps and a smattering of in-season snaps. St. Francis let him play with a loose, side-arm/back-foot throwing style, while USC tried to rebuild his throwing motion. His receivers with the Red Flash dominated opposing DBs, while the Gamecocks’ receivers were routinely mugged by SEC corners.
Brown was stuck as third-string quarterback until he performed well at the end of a blowout loss to Texas A&M. Needing a spark, the Gamecocks used the subsequent bye week to prep him for a start against Florida. Brown did well managing the game—175 yards, two TDs, no picks, one sack—while the defense and rushing attack did the real damage on the way to a 40-17 win. In the remaining three regular season games, USC didn’t have the same dominance rushing, and without the help, Brown’s limitations were exposed.
His game has two very clear strengths. First, he’s very comfortable with passing concepts that rely on in- and out-breaking routes. Intermediate concepts that hit over the middle and beneath the safeties—mesh concepts, drags, digs, etc.—are probably his strongest area:
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