July Player Performance Index top 30 deep dive: No. 22 CB Davonte Brown

CaneSport is breaking down the top 30 Miami players on the roster, and today we’re at No. 22, CB Davonte Brown.

THE BIG PICTURE

UCF transfer Davonte Brown joined Daryl Porter, Jr. (who transferred in from West Virginia prior to last season) as the primary first-team boundary cornerbacks this spring. But that certainly doesn’t mean either or both will be the starters this season. After spring ball ended Miami coaches added three more portal corners – Jaden Davis (Oklahoma), Ja’Dais Richard (Vanderbilt) and Demetrius Freeney (JUCO). The competition level will be amped up in fall drills, and while we think Brown has the length and speed to be a standout starter it doesn’t mean he will definitely be on the field for the first rep of Game 1. He’ll have to earn it. Miami needs a couple of corners to step up with Tyrique Stevenson and DJ Ivey gone, and last year the secondary wasn’t really a strength statistically (No. 79 in nation in passing yards allowed, No. 101 in passing efficiency defense). So there are some concerns at the position, especially in a new Lance Guidry defense that has aggressive blitzing schemes and will often leave cornerbacks one-on-one down the field.

THE ANALYSIS

Brown arrived at Miami in January as a UCF transfer and arguably was the best performer of the Miami cornerbacks. But the fact that Miami added three more portal corners after the spring speaks volumes. So Brown will have to step up more in the fall to make sure he remains a starter. The 6-2, 185-pounder comes in with 36 games of playing experience, and in his time at UCF he had 91 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, 21 pass deflections and a forced fumble. He had 30 tackles, two INTs and four PBU this past season, and he also started every game as a sophomore in 2021 and ended with 13 PBU and an interception. In 2020 as a freshman backup he had 23 tackles while starting five games. His Pro Football Focus grades? Last year in 711 reps he graded out at 65.5 percent (70 is considered good) with a 63.6 cover grade and 46.7 tackle grade. In 2021 he had 763 reps at UCF and graded out at an elite 82.3 percent overall (84.0 cover grade, 55.7 tackling). In 2020 he played 411 reps and graded out at 66.5 (63.2 cover grade, 81.8 tackle grade). In 116 career targets he’s allowed 64 receptions for 838 yards and four TDs per PFF. So he has plenty of experience.

THE PROJECTION

The Miami DBs allowed 20 TD passes and 233.1 yards per game with 14 INTs a year ago, and the team needs guys like Brown to step up with Stevenson and Ivey gone. It’s most likely right now that Brown and probably Oklahoma transfer Jaden Davis are the starters given they both have a lot of experience at a high level. But it will be an all-out battle in fall drills. We could see Brown succeeding with a few interceptions and maintaining solid coverage down the field … but with that said in the spring DB coach Jahmile Addae said he wants to see more consistency from Brown and others so fall drills will be key.

THE JUMP HE NEEDS FROM SPRING TO FALL CAMP

Brown has the flat out speed to stick with guys but has to really hone in on not being faked out by a pump fake and keeping his eye discipline. In Lance Guidry’s defense one-on-one coverage is going to be the norm, so consistency is key. That’s really what coaches want to see from Brown. If he doesn’t step up in that area it’ll be someone else starting Game 1. You saw two years ago with 13 PBU how he can really be aggressive on routes and break up passes, so the ability is there. It just needs to be honed a bit more.

THE QUOTE

“Last season to the year before I played through a couple of injuries, wasn’t 100 percent. I feel last season it was little things, plays I made, didn’t make came down to small details, things I could have seen on the field before the play happened. I’ll take what I learned from that.” –Davonte Brown

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