Tre Brown opts out of Cotton Bowl

After delivering a handful of key plays in three straight Big 12 title games, Brown will pursue his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL

John E. Hoover | Dec 21, 2020

Oklahoma cornerback Tre Brown announced via Twitter Monday night that he will not play in the Cotton Bowl against Florida.

Thank you Sooner nation 🤍 pic.twitter.com/MiNFePbCmv
— Tre Brown (@T_Brown25) December 22, 2020

Brown is opting out of his final collegiate game so he can begin preparations for the NFL Draft. On Sunday, Brown decided to showcase his skills at the premier event for college football seniors when he accepted an invitation to play in this year's Senior Bowl on Jan. 30 in Mobile, AL.

Brown, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior from Union High School in Tulsa, has been a starter and regular contributor in the OU defensive backfield since late in his freshman season.

He made game-saving plays in each of the last three Big 12 Championship Games, including a sack of Texas’ Sam Ehlinger for a safety in 2018 and a clinching interception in the final minute on Saturday against Iowa State. He also delivered two 43-yard kickoff returns that set up crucial OU scores.

Brown also clinched the victory over Texas this season with an end zone interception in the fourth overtime of the Sooners' dramatic 53-45 win.

Tre Brown, Jon-Michael Terry and Reggie Grimes — Jon-Michael Terry (left), Tre Brown and Reggie Grimes :: Ty Russell / Pool photo

Brown’s superior explosion and closing speed make him a tantalizing NFL prospect. He finishes his senior year with 31 tackles (25 solo) and three interceptions.

OU now goes into the game against college football’s most prolific passing offense without its most accomplished and experienced defensive back.

The Sooners figure to elevate sophomore Jaden Davis back into a starting role against the Gators. Davis was the starter early this season before redshirt freshman Woodi Washington took over that spot for him opposite Brown.

Now with Brown out for the Cotton Bowl, Davis and Washington make sense as the starting corners.

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Published Dec 21, 2020

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.