27 Days To K-State Football: Ed Brown & LeAndrew Gordon Player Previews

We are now just t minus 27 days to the start of the 2013 football season and kick-off against North Dakota State, and have another double feature coming your way. As of the spring roster, both Edward Brown and LeAndrew Gordon were listed as #27 and will be vying for an opportunity to dress in the number this fall.

Edward Brown

Brown was a preferred walk-on who came to the team in 2010 and is currently a redshirt junior. A native of Bradenton, FL, he was a versatile high schooler who played wide receiver, running back and safety. After redshirting in 2010, he played in one game (against Kent State) in 2011 but was limited strictly to the practice squad in 2012. A 6’0″, 192 pound player, Brown originally came to Manhattan to play wide receiver and had two catches for 24 yards with the White (second) team in the 2011 spring game. However, he has since transitioned into the secondary for the Wildcats.

Brown’s transition is a reflection of the depth at these two positions – K-State is in greater need of defensive backs than wide receivers. However, even with the departures in the secondary this year, he will still struggle to see a lot of playing time. Brown is a great role player who should contribute on special teams and be around to step up in the event of injury or when a reserve is simply needed.

LeAndrew Gordon

Gordon is hoping to make it at the receiver position and could be K-State’s next Brandon Banks if he can demonstrate the route-running and hands to win a starting role. The freshman from Arlington, TX may redshirt this year but secondaries should be frightened about the prospect of Gordon and Tyler Lockett on the same field. Standing at just 5’7″ and 160 pounds, ESPNU rated him the fastest wide receiver in this year’s recruiting class and Bleacher Report called him the fourth fastest recruit at any position. His 40 timed was reportedly clocked at 4.3 seconds, and the speedy player could quickly wear down defensive backs trying to keep up.

Interestingly, Gordon was good but did not dominate track in high school and may be quicker than he is fast. This wouldn’t be surprising, as he  played both running back and receiver in high school. His sophomore year he actually had 55 carries and averaged 11.8 yards per carry while catching just 15 passes, but as an upperclassman that ratio shifted to more catches (probably from some combination of depth and improved quarterback options). A three-star recruit, he was unranked coming out of high school but is essentially the model of player Oregon has been grabbing for years – underrecruited kids with insane speed that a good system can use to exploit defenses. I’m excited to see what we do with Gordon over the next few years.

To work backwards in our countdown, visit 28 days, where we discuss the potential of running back Javaris Leverett