MASE's Kumaro Brown on Tennessee football backing off, final four that includes Memphis
Kumaro Brown didn’t have the dynamic senior season he expected after finishing as a Mr. Football finalist his junior season.
But the MASE defensive back's confidence is far from shattered.
Though he said Tennessee football backed away from recruiting him and he doesn’t know why, he still has SEC interest. Brown said Arkansas, Ole Miss, Florida State and Memphis are his final four schools. He plans to commit on Jan. 19 after the December signing period.
"I still caught the colleges' attention that I wanted,” Brown said of his season. “So, I think I did great this season.”
And with everything that happened during the summer, he’s happy to still be able to play the sport he loves. The three-star prospect is listed as the No. 21 player in Tennessee for the Class of 2024, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Brown was shot in the leg during a drive-by shooting in his neighborhood on July 4. When he suited up for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl all-star game on Saturday, it was a reminder of how far he’d come.
“It’s really amazing, being selected for the all-star game,” Brown said.
Brown was selected to the Red Team in the all-star game, which was played at Memphis University School. The Red all-stars defeated the Blue all-stars 30-14. Brown, who also plays running back and receiver, scored a touchdown and named MVP.
As Brown recovered from his leg injury, which didn’t require surgery, he had a slow start to the 2023 season. But MASE coach, Cedric Miller, who also coached the Red Team this year, saw Brown’s progress by the end of the season.
“Once he got back into his groove, the old Kumaro Brown came back out,” Miller said.
He finished with 1,010 all-purpose yards and 18 offensive touchdowns. He also had three punt returns for touchdowns. He helped MASE (9-2) reach the second round of the TSSAA 1A football playoffs, which the Phoenix lost 35-34 to Union City.
With his high school career over, Brown is looking forward to the next phase and playing in college. And despite what he went through his senior year, he’s appreciative of the journey.
"I didn’t make the Mr. Football numbers,” Brown said, but he added he still had a good season.
“I’m just waiting until my college commitment.”
Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @wynstonw__.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Kumaro Brown on Tennessee football recruiting, his final four schools
