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Move may not cost Brown too much

Even if the Pasco star isn't on a high school field this year, other options - such as junior college first or offseason baseball leagues - could keep football powerhouses or MLB interested.

By FRANK PASTOR
Published July 28, 2005

DADE CITY - Dominic Brown's plan to leave Pasco and enroll at a school near his father's home in Georgia might cost him his remaining high school eligibility.

But it won't necessarily change his status as a top-tier football and baseball prospect.

Though puzzled by the timing and motivation behind his change of heart, state and national recruiting analysts say it shouldn't hurt Brown's standing with colleges.

"Dominic is a good enough player it might not matter where he's at - Georgia, Florida or Canada," said Jeremy Crabtree of rivals100.com, which ranks Brown as the 23rd-best senior in the state.

"And if he ends up at Georgia, it's one of the three or four most heavily recruited states in the country. It's just outside the big three of California, Texas and Florida, so if he does end up in Georgia, I don't anticipate that would hurt his stock at all."

So long as Brown is on the field.

Because he plans to move from the home of a parent who has custody (his mother, Rosemary) to one who does not (his father, Robert Walker), he likely will be ineligible for athletics for one calendar year under Georgia High School Association transfer rules.

Appeals for this football season are unlikely due to timing, GHSA executive director Ralph Swearngin said. But if Brown were to last through the three-phase appeals process and was granted a hardship waiver, he could play immediately.

If he sits out, colleges might have to re-evaluate him.

"It's hard to say," said Jamie Newburg, national recruiting analyst for scout.com. "Obviously, from a college coach's perspective, you're going to want to see him play his senior year. Are coaches willing to keep an offer on the table for him without having to play his final year of high school ball? I can't answer that question."

Either way, most schools would maintain their interest, analysts say.

Colleges routinely have waited for players who enrolled at prep schools or junior colleges. Even if Brown doesn't play high school ball in Georgia, he could raise his baseball stock by playing in offseason leagues.

Brown, a 6-foot-5 left-handed pitcher who throws consistently in the mid to high 80s, projects as a 15th to 20th-round pick in next year's first-year player draft, according to a San Diego Padres scout close to Larry Blustein, publisher of floridakids.us.

Brown could put himself in the top 10 rounds by focusing on baseball year round, Blustein said.

"He's a kid that I more or less projected as a pretty decent baseball player down the road," Blustein said. "He's already a pretty good football player who could go to one of the Big Three (Florida, Florida State and Miami) because of his athletic ability, but there's a thing about not spending 365 (days) to it. He kind of splits his time. His love isn't solely for football."

A wide receiver/defensive back who caught 38 passes for 718 yards and nine touchdowns last season as a junior, Brown has scholarship offers from Florida State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Iowa, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and South Florida, among others.

Those offers won't disappear if Brown plays at Redan High, where he told family, coaches and friends he intended to enroll, or elsewhere in Georgia, Newburg said.

"It's a solid program in that area of Atlanta," Newburg said. "If you're good, the coaches will find you, and him moving, I don't think it will be any big deal. It's not like he's going to a place where it's a sinkhole and no one is going to know about it. We're talking about DeKalb County. (Redan) plays in a real good region. He should be fine."

Still, Blustein was puzzled by Brown's decision, particularly because Florida has a stronger reputation for producing baseball and football talent than Georgia.

"It makes me laugh when people say they're moving to a good athletic situation in Georgia," Blustein said. "What do you think this is? This is the pinnacle in any sport you play, even in basketball these days."

[Last modified July 28, 2005, 01:10:15]