PAHOKEE – Markevious Brown gave few clues on where he will go as his college football destination.
This turned out to be a great move because it kept everyone guessing.
Was it going to be Miami? Was it going to be Virginia Tech?
Was Auburn going to be it? What about Arkansas?
How about Ole Miss?
Next to nothing slipped throughout Brown’s college recruiting process. He wanted to control his narrative, and it end the way he wanted it to.
In his hometown of Pahokee (Fla.), the IMG Academy cornerback and Under Armour All-American coolly announced that he was going with Ole Miss in front of his family and close friends inside a spot called Coco’s.
After taking pictures and sharing some celebratory moments with his loved ones, the ESPN 300 high school football player spoke on the decision and more.
“Just me being able to know that 10 years down the line, I’ll look back at my decision and feel comfortable with it,” the 6-foot, 170-pound senior cornerback said. “When I compared all my other schools with Ole Miss, it just felt like everything clicked. It just felt perfect.”
Brown went a little further into his final decision to play for Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
“[It is] the direction that the program is going, the impact that I can make early on at the school,” Brown said. “It’s a brotherhood.”
Brown on the level of brotherhood at Ole Miss:
“Everybody wants to see each other win,” Brown said. “That’s the place I feel like you can do what you gotta do and make an important impact.”
Brown ended his high school football career as a MaxPreps national champion at IMG Academy. He finished his senior year with two interceptions, including one against TRU Prep Academy in a decisive 41-6 win on Nov. 20 that sealed his team’s national title.
“I love that I learned a lot,” Brown said. “A lot of stuff that could help me be more successful at the next level…Time management, accountability, stuff like that. Everything you’ll need to be successful in college.”
Brown’s signing to Ole Miss may be the final event taking place for him prior to his January arrival at Ole Miss. This is likely because the 2021 Under Armour All-American Game has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic we are in now.
“For me honestly, I’m just honored to be a part of something like that,” Brown said. “I kinda wish I was able to play in it. But even without the opportunity, I’m still happy with wherever I’m going.”
Brown gave credit to his hometown of Pahokee for supporting him throughout his childhood, which included his time at Pahokee High School and later at IMG Academy.
“I feel excited,” Brown said. “I feel love being from Pahokee. Being a native in my city and knowing that everyone was behind me, that kinda makes me want to go harder. I feel like whatever decision I made, they would have been behind me one thousand percent. I’m more grateful for that than anything.”
Brown summed up his experience of being from Pahokee and being able to expand his horizons from there.
“I love my city,” Brown said. “This city raised me, taught me a lot about life, and showed me how to survive. Thank you to everyone who had an impact on my life and my career so far.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Ebony Jackson
