Cam Brown Will Be Penn State Football’s Breakout Player in 2017

It’s safe to say that Penn State’s linebacker unit was a source of major concern in 2016 with injuries plaguing the unit and the defense losing starters Nyeem Wartman-White and Brandon Bell for 2017.

As a necessity, Penn State sent in the reserves, including burning a redshirt and playing true freshman Cameron Brown.

The 6’5”, 215 lb four-star prospect from Potomac, Maryland started the season with just one tackle against Pitt and appearances mostly on special teams against Temple. But in the Michigan game, where the linebacker unit was utterly decimated with injuries and needed all the help they could get, Brown didn’t disappoint. Cam Brown had one of his best games with 10 tackles (4 solo). By the end of the Minnesota game, where he notched nine tackles (six solo), Brown was already ranked second on the team for tackles, an impressive feat for a true freshman.

Arguably, Brown’s greatest 2016 defensive contribution was in the fourth quarter of the Ohio State game, setting up solid field position that led to a Tyler Davis field goal.

By the end of the 2016 season, Cam Brown had played 12 of 14 games, racking up 33 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman. In the Blue White game, he stood out with 7 tackles (5 solo).

Brown’s season didn’t go unnoticed by the team, with coach James Franklin and multiple players mentioning his name throughout the season and touting his pass rush ability, height, wingspan, agility and speed, per 247Sports.

Penn State’s defense returns six talented linebackers, but even with that depth, look for # 31 Cam Brown to continue making an impact.