2021 4-Star Virginia Tech Target Markevious Brown is a SI All-American Candidate
2021 4-star defensive back Markevious Brown, who is one of the top cornerbacks in the nation for this recruiting cycle, has been named to the Sports Illustrated's All-American watch list.
Brown has emerged in recent weeks as one of Tech's top targets in the secondary for the Class of 2021, and the Hokies have clearly factored into Brown's decision making.
While Virginia Tech has entered into the fold a bit later in the recruiting process for Brown, the coaching staff has developed a strong relationship with him, in hopes of ultimately landing him once he commits.
Brown plays at IMG Academy in Florida, and is coached by former Hokies defensive back Antonio Banks. Under Banks' tutelage, Brown has become one of the top players in the football-rich state of Florida, where he is rated as the 42nd-best prospect in the state and the 19th-best cornerback nationally in the 2021 class, per the 247Sports composite rankings.
Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups. SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24. This process began this past week, as the top 10 quarterbacks were unveiled by SI All-American. This week, SI All-American continued its series, as the top 10 offensive linemen were revealed.
The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia, Jr.
The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December.
Prospect: Markevious Brown
Status: SI All-American candidate
Vitals: 6-foot, 170 pounds
Position: Cornerback
School: Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Schools of Interest: Auburn, Florida, Alabama, USF, Michigan, Miami, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Penn State.
Projected Position: Cornerback
Frame: Lanky with long arms and room for additional weight. Lean muscle with some development in upper torso.
Athleticism: Elite make-up speed; change of direction proves to be top-notch. Showed ability to quickly bend and/or reach at a moment’s notice. Lateral quickness to play any skill position.
Instincts: Seemingly knows when to reach for the football and knock it away from the wide receiver. Great anticipation to break on the football. Takes great angles to make tackles; defeats an offensive lineman’s block with speed and quickness.
Polish: When combining Brown’s immense athleticism with his natural ability to break on the football, he already showed he provides the overall talent to be a top-notch Division I cornerback. Base level of leverage understanding is present.
Bottom Line: When defending the football in the air, few cornerbacks possess the talent and natural instincts of Brown. His make-up speed, explosiveness, quickness, length and agility make him a cornerback with an extremely high ceiling. He is also capable of playing a nickel role if need be.
