UCF's Davonte Brown Makes Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
Another day, another UCF Knight placed on a prominent award watch list. Today it would be none other than junior cornerback Davonte Brown.
Brown has been a starter during the past two seasons for the Knights. He was thrusted into the starting lineup in 2022 and learned the ropes. This past season, Brown’s play helped UCF’s pass defense make a jump from allowing 299.2 yards passing per game, ranking 121 out of 130 teams, to all the way up to No. 36 this past season, at 210.1 yards per game.
Brown’s confidence and aggressiveness really began to take shape in the middle of the season when UCF hosted Memphis. From that game forward, he was one of the best coverage players in the American Athletic Conference.
Further, Brown’s last four starts – at SMU, Connecticut, USF and versus Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl – saw him record a pass breakup in each game. He performed at his highest against the Gators with three pass breakups, helping the Knights to a 29-17 win in Tampa.
For the 2021 season, Brown tallied 38 tackles, two tackles for loss, 13 pass breakups, and one interception. For his efforts, it’s no surprise that he is now a player being watched by members representing the Jim Thorpe Award.
Brown enters his third season with the Knights after coming from prep powerhouse Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage.
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