The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Brown, who’s now being pursued by more than 20 schools, said Heupel first contacted him “a few days after” he was hired Jan. 27 to replace former coach
Jeremy Pruitt. Brown said Heupel has made a good impression on him to this point.
“Actually, we’ve been talking every day since then,” Brown said. “He hits me up, he calls me. We’ve been talking quite a bit.
“He’s a great coach. He’s a cool coach. He lets you know what he wants from you, what he’s expecting, and how hard he’s going to pursue you and why he wants you. My impression of him: He’s been a great coach so far.”
Brown said Heupel has told him that he’s important to Tennessee because of “my versatility on the field and my athleticism at DB.” Brown said he’s “pretty sure” the Vols want him to play in the secondary.
“I’m getting the idea like I’m a DB,” he said. “I’m thinking DB, too.”
He said he has enjoyed his frequent contact with Heupel, and he admitted the Vols now are recruiting him harder than they did under Pruitt.
“It’s crazy,” Brown said. “To know that (Heupel) just moved in and he’s still rebuilding his staff, and for him to reach out to me every day he can — he sends me a quote every morning that just means a lot for him to take the time out, even though he has a lot going on right now, and still get in touch with me. It shows me how interested he is in me and how hard he’s pursuing me.”
Brown, who’s originally from Michigan, said he’s high on Tennessee because it’s “the in-state school, and just the culture, the way Tennessee carries itself.”
“It’s a lot of pride behind Tennessee,” he added. “Even on the side of Tennessee that I’m at, man, it’s Volunteer everything over here. I’d have to say those are the two biggest factors.”
