CMU defensive back Brandon Brown enters transfer portal
Central Michigan football defensive back Brandon Brown is entering the transfer portal, he announced Thursday on Twitter.
"I'd like to thank Coach Bono, Coach Moore, Coach Collins, and Coach Hall for believing in me," Brown's statement read. "I'd like to thank Coach McElwain for keeping his word in turning our program around. I've built great relationships here at Central Michigan University in and outside of the locker room."
Brown spent four seasons at CMU, redshirting the first and playing the next three. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, he appeared in all 12 games with two starts. That season, he intercepted one pass and defended another. In 2019, he started two games and played in all 14. He totaled 14 tackles and broke up seven passes.
In 2020, Brown took a step back and played in just two games. The addition and emergence of juniors Dishon McNary, Brian Edwards and Richard Bowens III led to Brown seeing less playing time. Brown is the third defensive back to enter the transfer portal since the beginning of last season, joining Kyron McKinnie-Harper and Demarcus Governor.
Brown is the fifth player to enter the transfer portal since the beginning of the offseason, joining McKinnie-Harper, running back Joshua Crawford, defensive lineman Mohammed Diallo and offensive lineman Romello Tarver. Brown will have two years of eligibility remaining thanks to the NCAA blanket waiver allowing all fall athletes an extra year.
Despite Brown's departure, the Chippewas are still deep in the defensive backfield. McNary, Edwards and Bowens all return, as do a pair of freshmen who received significant playing time in Donte Kent and Daedae Hill. CMU and coach Jim McElwain also signed four defensive backs in the 2021 recruiting cycle: Elijah Rikard, Eric Reese, Caleb Spann and DeAnthony Becton.
