Georgia Bulldogs: Waiting on Marlon Brown To Become "Marlon Brown"

Photo Credit:UGA Sports Communications

When Marlon Brown announced he was heading to the University of Georgia, there was a lot of excitement about the talented receiver from Harding Academy in Memphis, TN.

Many expected him to immediately step onto the field and become an impact player—catching footballs alongside A.J. Green. However the opposite has proven true as Brown has not only not been an impact player, but has hardly made much of a contribution at all.

So, what's the problem?

Popular opinion seems to be that the young man simply wasn't ready for the SEC. He certainly had the size and speed, but his domination came easier when he was playing in Memphis—against the lesser competition in his league. He simply wasn't challenged enough at the high school level and, to some extent, coach Richt's staff understood that when they signed him, said Richt, at that time,  "...the league he played in certainly made you question just a little bit, is this just a big man in a league where he's dominant, or can he really play with the big boys."

That said, the potential for Brown still seemed limitless in terms of what he could do once he became better acclimated to SEC play. However, he has been plagued with a series of unfortunate setbacks, mostly injury-based, that have translated into Georgia Bulldog fans seeing a player who doesn't look like he will ever become what they imagined.

To be fair to Brown, it seems only right to mention that the wasted redshirt season of 2009 is as much a factor in Brown's overall lack of development than anything. The young man was targeted less than a dozen times during his true freshman season (2009) and, essentially, wasted a year of possible tutelage.

The mentality behind that decision not to redshirt him is a source of ongoing debate, but is neither here nor there as he enters his third season at Georgia—you know what they say about hindsight.

With A.J. Green gone and Kris Durham graduated, Brown has a better than average opportunity to begin to showcase what he can do at Georgia. He is no longer playing in the shadows of a superstar wide receiver, nor is he likely to be short-changed on the football field if he can play consistent football throughout the spring and summer.

The sky can still be the limit for Brown—if he can remember how to fly.

What say you, is Marlon Brown finally ready or are his best days behind him?