Arizona quietly added to its 2023 class Saturday after earning a big win Friday afternoon against its rival, Arizona State. Chandler-Hamilton linebacker Taye Brown wasn't at the Territorial Cup since his team was preparing for a playoff game, but the in-state prospect saw enough from the Wildcats this year to make his decision and commit to UA.
The in-state school offered Brown after he made the trek down to Tucson for a passing tournament and camp with the Wildcats. That sparked even more interest in the 6-foot-3 prospect ultimately leading to a solid list of options including Kansas State, San Diego State and Idaho among others.
He visited San Diego State earlier in the year and just weeks ago made an official visit to Kansas State. At that time it looked like the Big 12's Wildcats would be difficult to beat in his recruitment, but the UA staff has continued to make a push since offering him in the summer.
Brown previously noted the importance of being close to home when going through the recruiting process.
“It's definitely a great feeling to be close to home where you can have some independence, but you could also come home for dinner and be close to the family,” he said.
The senior linebacker has played on both sides of the ball at Hamilton, but Arizona likes him as a defensive player at the next level. He has mostly been used as a pass rusher up to this point in his career, but the plan Wildcats defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen has for him will mean playing a different role at UA.
"He sees me as a Mike or Will,” Brown said. “So, he sees me as an inside backer, and I play outside linebacker at Hamilton. So, we’ll see how that plays out."
Nansen helped lead the recruitment of the in-state linebacker for Arizona, and Brown quickly built a strong relationship with his future defensive coordinator.
“He’s a great coach,” Brown said. “He has a great resume. He coached USC prior and he has a lot of knowledge. He's an amazing person to talk to as well.”
Brown is the second commitment in the 2023 class from Hamilton joining safety Genesis Smith, who gave the program his pledge back in late August. Both decisions help continue a trend that started when head coach Jedd Fisch arrived in Tucson back in late 2020.
Since that time, the Wildcats have added four commitments from Hamilton players.
UA also remains in the picture with Hamilton receiver Tre Spivey who is also considering Kansas State and Oklahoma State among others.
Brown capped a stellar senior season Friday night as he finished the year second on the team with 91 tackles to go with a team-high 10 sacks.
Recruits in the 2023 class will have their first opportunity to sign with college programs when the early signing period opens up Dec. 21.
