Consider Deshaun Davis among those who expected Derrick Brown to turn pro after his junior season. So, when the 6-foot-5, 325-pound defensive tackle announced earlier this month that he would be returning to the Plains in 2019, Davis was caught off-guard.
“It really surprised me because I really feel like Derrick Brown is a top-10, first-round talent,” Davis said Monday at a press conference to kick off Senior Bowl week in Mobile. “Sometimes, I was at linebacker and I would see him manhandle some people and I’d stop after the play and be like, ‘Oh, wow.’ He manhandles grown men with one arm—and that’s not normal. So, it was kind of weird to see him come back.”
Brown was one of several key juniors who opted to return to Auburn for 2019. He was the first major piece to announce his decision, and it set off a domino effect that gave Auburn a feeling of momentum heading into the offseason after a disappointing 2018 campaign that was capped with a record-setting performance in the Music City Bowl against Purdue.
What NFL Draft decisions mean for Auburn’s 2019 outlook
Brown, a former five-star prospect, has been a focal piece of Auburn’s defensive line during his time on the Plains. He has appeared in all 40 games the last three years, including starting at defensive tackle each of the last two seasons.
He has 115 tackles for his career, with 21.5 for a loss and 9.5 sacks. Last season, while earning second-team All-SEC honors, Brown finished with 48 tackles, including 10.5 for a loss and 4.5 sacks, setting career marks in the latter two. He also added six quarterback hurries, a pair of pass breakups and a forced fumble while fortifying Auburn’s strong defensive line.
Following the Music City Bowl, Brown — who became a father in December — said he would weigh his future and whether to turn pro or return for a final season. He announced his decision to forgo the draft, despite being a potential first-round pick, and return for the 2019 season on Jan. 6, citing the desire to leave school with both his degree and a championship.
“(His decision) really did surprise me, honestly,” Davis said. “His reasoning for it — I talked to him one time and he didn’t like the fact that he didn’t win a championship. He felt like if he could get everybody to come back — and all the juniors (on defense) did come back except for one (cornerback Jamel Dean), that they had a chance to compete for a championship.”
It’s something Auburn felt it could do in 2018 before its season was derailed early on with losses to LSU, Mississippi State and then, inexplicably, Tennessee, on the way to an 8-5 record. Regardless if the Tigers can vie for a title in 2019, Davis foresees big things for Brown.
“If he could stay healthy next year — which I’m pretty sure he will because of the training staff and everything down there — and avoid catastrophic injury,” Davis said, “he should be in the top-five, top-10 talent (in 2020).”
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.
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