BOZEMAN — It’s arduous for Charles Brown to fathom a extra becoming vacation spot than Texas State.
San Marcos, the city the place Texas State resides, is about 230 miles south of Brown’s hometown of Grand Prairie, a Dallas suburb. TSU can be a Soccer Bowl Subdivision program, the best stage in school soccer and a tier above Brown’s former group Montana State, of the Soccer Championship Subdivision. Identical to MSU, TSU’s mascot is the Bobcats.
Brown, a rising redshirt freshman vast receiver, felt conflicted about getting into the switch portal final month. He merely wished to discover a higher match with extra alternatives to play. He believes TSU checks these containers.
“I like Montana State,” Brown advised 406mtsports.com on Thursday. “I simply felt like I wasn’t within the plans. I am glad I am nonetheless a Bobcat, although. Only a Bobcat again house now.”
My story written in braille you gotta really feel it to know. #EatEmUp #TEAM#BlessedAndGrateful pic.twitter.com/X2m0LFZCrg
— CHARLES BROWN (@OfficialCBrown1) May 12, 2022
Brown dedicated to MSU in 2019, again when Jeff Choate was head coach. Brown left Arlington Excessive College early and enrolled at MSU in January 2020, however his first spring camp was reduce quick due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MSU didn’t play that following season both.
Brent Vigen changed Choate, now the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Texas, in February 2021. Brown had no main points with Vigen, new offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright or new vast receivers coach Justin Udy, they only weren’t the coaches he dedicated to. He envisioned enjoying in an offense run by Choate, Matt Miller (MSU’s OC in 2019) and Erik Frazier (the receivers coach on the time). Then-running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Denarius McGhee additionally helped carry Brown to Bozeman.
“Once they left, studying the brand new playbook, it was fairly troublesome,” Brown stated. “We obtained that, however then (the brand new coaches) simply did not know the place to make use of me.”
An instance of that, Brown stated, got here within the 2021 opener at Wyoming. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound speedster lined up within the slot and made the primary catch of the sport. His coaches moved him to the surface the following week, and he made one different catch the remainder of the season. His redshirt was preserved as a result of he didn’t take the sector after the fourth sport.
Brown was barely puzzled by the place change but in addition “might perceive it as a result of I am extra of a hybrid receiver,” he stated. Texas State’s coaches recruited him to play both inside or outdoors, he added, so his portal entry had little to do with the post-Wyoming transfer. Most of his choice revolved round his 2022 outlook.
Whether or not or not Brown deserved heavy enjoying time is subjective and unimaginable to discern from the surface, however he definitely thinks he does, and he felt pessimistic about his possibilities at MSU following spring camp.
“I am actually assured in myself,” Brown stated. “The issues I did all through spring and the time I used to be at Montana State, I knew if I did hit the portal that somebody was going to see and pull me out.”
Aside from FBS-bound Sam Houston, Brown primarily thought-about FCS colleges like Incarnate Phrase earlier than Texas State reached out. He dedicated shortly after he visited San Marcos and acquired a proposal from TSU.
Being nearer to house performed a giant position, as did TSU’s FBS standing (within the Solar Belt Convention). He additionally expects to get important enjoying time, particularly after TSU’s senior-heavy receiving corps graduates subsequent yr.
“It simply felt like house,” he stated. “The teaching workers, all people there, they welcomed me with open arms, they usually had been excited for me to start out this new journey.”
Brown developed good relationships along with his teammates at MSU, and he didn’t converse with any bitterness towards the teaching workers. It simply “didn’t work out,” he stated, so he joined eight different MSU gamers within the portal. Brown is the fourth of these gamers to discover a new group, together with quarterback Matthew McKay (Elon), offensive lineman TJ Session (Cal) and offensive lineman Cole Snyder (Delaware).
“I did not actually wish to get within the portal,” Brown stated. “I want stuff would have actually labored out in Montana State as a result of I am the kind of individual that when I am in one thing, I wish to end it. However that is God’s plan.
“I am excited to remain on this journey and excited to work, and I want nothing however one of the best for my guys again in Montana State.”