HUBER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- The Wayne Warriors are no stranger to playoff success in Ohio and the Dayton-area powerhouse took another step towards familiar territory on Friday night. 2022 tight end Elijah Brown and his teammates notched a win over rival Centerville in the first round of the state playoffs, securing a 20-10 victory over the familiar foe.
“I feel like it was a great time win. Receiving-wise, the ball didn’t come to me, so I made sure that I did my part blocking and that’s perfectly fine. We got the dub and now we’re on to Springfield next week,” Brown said. “I was picking up the linebacker tonight. After the first half, we made some adjustments to pick up the ‘backer and obviously, our running backs fed off of that and had a great game.”
Brown has already landed two dozen offers in the recruiting process, as the 6-foot-5, 230-pound standout tight end has drawn interest from Power Five programs all across the country. Without being able to make visits to college campuses during the pandemic, Brown is taking all of his offers and interest in stride.
“I’ve been talking most recently to Duke, that’s a new school that just offered. I’m always talking to Ohio State, Alabama, Arizona State and all of the schools I have offers from are staying in contact,” Brown said.
Of the many programs that have offered him, one of his options that he has the most familiarity with is nearby Kentucky. The Wildcats have heavily recruited southwest Ohio under head coach Mark Stoops. Wayne, in particular, has sent Dorian Hendrix, Tobias Gilliam and Ahmad Wagner to Lexington in recent years.
“I still talk with Kentucky. Coach [Vince] Marrow, that’s my guy. Kentucky is a great program. It’s not too far from home and we’ve had some Wayne alumni there, so that’s obviously a good thing,” said Brown.
Two of the programs that Brown has the most contact with are schools on opposite sides of the country.
Elijah Brown - CatsIllustrated.com
“Coach [Derek] Hagan from Arizona State [is one of the coaches who I have the best relationship with, we have a really tight bond. At Penn State, there’s coach [Tyler] Bowen. And those two are probably the tightest right now,” Brown explained.
Ohio State, the hometown school for Brown, has been keeping a close eye on the talented tight end. Although the Buckeyes have not offered yet, Brown indicated that it could be a game-changing moment in his recruitment if Ohio State extended a scholarship.
“I mostly talk with coach [Kevin] Wilson at Ohio State. He’s just telling me to keep working hard and keep playing how I’m playing and keep being patient. Of course, [that offer would mean something to me],” Brown said. “Being an Ohio kid and watching the Buckeyes growing up, it would mean a lot. It’s only an hour away from home and I’ve gone to Ohio State games growing up, so that would be cool.”
One of offers on Brown’s list that stands out the most is Alabama, a familiar SEC foe for Kentucky fans. It was a surreal moment for Brown to land an offer from Saban’s staff.
“I talk to all of Alabama’s coaches. Talking to Nick Saban was, you know, a very cool experience,” Brown laughed. “That’s a legend, pretty much. It was awesome talking to him.”
Brown has indicated that he would like to take visits when he is able to following the conclusion of the pandemic. In the meantime, the 2022 tight end is in a holding pattern, speaking with college coaches over the phone and building his relationships. There is little else he can do.
In addition to aforementioned offers like Kentucky, Alabama, Penn State and Arizona State, Brown has received scholarships from West Virginia, Michigan State, Pitt, USC, Virginia Tech and others. Notre Dame, much like Ohio State, is a school that’s frequently in contact with Brown and could offer in the future.
Brown is ranked as the no. 11 tight end in the 2022 class and the no. 13 prospect in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com.
“I feel like it was a great time win. Receiving-wise, the ball didn’t come to me, so I made sure that I did my part blocking and that’s perfectly fine. We got the dub and now we’re on to Springfield next week,” Brown said. “I was picking up the linebacker tonight. After the first half, we made some adjustments to pick up the ‘backer and obviously, our running backs fed off of that and had a great game.”
Brown has already landed two dozen offers in the recruiting process, as the 6-foot-5, 230-pound standout tight end has drawn interest from Power Five programs all across the country. Without being able to make visits to college campuses during the pandemic, Brown is taking all of his offers and interest in stride.
“I’ve been talking most recently to Duke, that’s a new school that just offered. I’m always talking to Ohio State, Alabama, Arizona State and all of the schools I have offers from are staying in contact,” Brown said.
Of the many programs that have offered him, one of his options that he has the most familiarity with is nearby Kentucky. The Wildcats have heavily recruited southwest Ohio under head coach Mark Stoops. Wayne, in particular, has sent Dorian Hendrix, Tobias Gilliam and Ahmad Wagner to Lexington in recent years.
“I still talk with Kentucky. Coach [Vince] Marrow, that’s my guy. Kentucky is a great program. It’s not too far from home and we’ve had some Wayne alumni there, so that’s obviously a good thing,” said Brown.
Two of the programs that Brown has the most contact with are schools on opposite sides of the country.
Elijah Brown - CatsIllustrated.com
“Coach [Derek] Hagan from Arizona State [is one of the coaches who I have the best relationship with, we have a really tight bond. At Penn State, there’s coach [Tyler] Bowen. And those two are probably the tightest right now,” Brown explained.
Ohio State, the hometown school for Brown, has been keeping a close eye on the talented tight end. Although the Buckeyes have not offered yet, Brown indicated that it could be a game-changing moment in his recruitment if Ohio State extended a scholarship.
“I mostly talk with coach [Kevin] Wilson at Ohio State. He’s just telling me to keep working hard and keep playing how I’m playing and keep being patient. Of course, [that offer would mean something to me],” Brown said. “Being an Ohio kid and watching the Buckeyes growing up, it would mean a lot. It’s only an hour away from home and I’ve gone to Ohio State games growing up, so that would be cool.”
One of offers on Brown’s list that stands out the most is Alabama, a familiar SEC foe for Kentucky fans. It was a surreal moment for Brown to land an offer from Saban’s staff.
“I talk to all of Alabama’s coaches. Talking to Nick Saban was, you know, a very cool experience,” Brown laughed. “That’s a legend, pretty much. It was awesome talking to him.”
Brown has indicated that he would like to take visits when he is able to following the conclusion of the pandemic. In the meantime, the 2022 tight end is in a holding pattern, speaking with college coaches over the phone and building his relationships. There is little else he can do.
In addition to aforementioned offers like Kentucky, Alabama, Penn State and Arizona State, Brown has received scholarships from West Virginia, Michigan State, Pitt, USC, Virginia Tech and others. Notre Dame, much like Ohio State, is a school that’s frequently in contact with Brown and could offer in the future.
Brown is ranked as the no. 11 tight end in the 2022 class and the no. 13 prospect in the state of Ohio by Rivals.com.
