As football prospects across the nation picked colleges on National Signing Day, running back prospect Bryce Brown chose to take a vacation.Brown’s delayed decision keeps Miami, Oregon, Tennessee, USC — and now, possibly LSU — one last-minute signature away from landing the Scout.com No. 1 recruit.The Wichita, Kan., native is a soft verbal commitment to Miami, but he is considering LSU for his final visit, according to Rene Nadeau, college football analyst for ESPN and TigerVision.Nadeau said Miami, LSU and Oregon seem to be garnering the most interest from Brown, but the Hurricanes have the strongest chance to sign him.Sonny Shipp, Louisiana recruiting analyst for Scout, said the running back may be second-guessing his Miami commitment after former Miami offensive coordinator Patrick Nix was dismissed in December.LSU coach Les Miles contacted Brown, according to potentialplayers.com, a Web site that represents the running back.”LSU is sounding really for real,” Brown said on the Web site. “They have some great linemen, and they got Reuben Randle and Craig Loston. LSU is definitely in the running for my final visit.”The 6-foot running back rushed for 1,872 yards and 30 touchdowns at East High School his senior season.Adding Brown to LSU would give the Tigers two Scout five-star running backs in the 2009 class. Brown would join Scout five-star running back Michael Ford and rising seniors Charles Scott and Keiland Williams.Even though the Tigers signed Ford, LSU made a last-minute push for Scout five-star running back Trent Richardson, who chose Alabama.”If [Brown] would choose to come to LSU, it would soften the blow and people would forget that LSU didn’t get Trent Richardson on signing day,” Shipp said.The LSU coaching staff would like to add depth to the running back position, Shipp said.Brown was an all-state, Parade All-American and USA Today All-American player. He also played in the U.S. Army All-American Game.But Brown’s high school coach Brian Byers questioned the running back’s character earlier this year.”It’s always been him and then everybody else,” Byers told The New York Times. “Our team chemistry was nonexistent.”Brown responded and told The Wichita Eagle he “was willing to do whatever if it was going get the win.”Brown’s interest in LSU may have been sparked by his brother, Miami linebacker Arthur Brown, who chose Miami over LSU.”Arthur always talked good about his visit to LSU,” Shipp said. “He really enjoyed it.”Arthur Brown may be the Tigers’ best recruiting tool, Shipp said.Bryce Brown has already visited Clemson, Oregon and Missouri. The five-star running back also visited Tennessee last weekend.”With the way that Tennessee was able to get in on so many guys late in the game, it makes you wonder if [Tennessee coach Lane] Kiffin and company are able to pull another one,” Shipp said.This is the second year in a row the No. 1 player in the country didn’t sign on National Signing Day.Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor committed to Ohio State a month after National Signing Day in 2008.
Bryce Brown plans to make his decision March 12, according to potentialplayers.com.
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