Brooks looks to step up with depth issues at LB

Stefan Adams
3 min read
Miami Hurricanes freshman LB Sam Brooks enrolled at UM over the summer, and has been learning first-hand the vast differences between the high school and college games in fall camp.

“It’s been great. Painful but fun,” Brooks said. “It’s a lot of fun here, I love it.

“Everyone moves faster, everybody is bigger and stronger - big, strong, and fast. The plays move fast, like the tempo. Even in the weight room, the weight room is different, the environment is different. Everything is way different than high school.”

Position switches never make that transition easier. In high school, Brooks was mainly a rush end that got after the passer, but the Canes have always seen his future being at LB. Defensive coordinator and LB coach Blake Baker has been working with Brooks these past few months to make sure he has his keys down at the new position.

“Tackling-wise, nothing is different, I just need to get better reading the ball, reading the plays, that’s my only problem basically,” Brooks said. “I’m getting better on that, I’m getting better on everything, just need to keep working. I believe coach Baker will help me and get me on the field.

“I love to be on the field and I’m going to earn it. If I have to go with the ones or the twos, I’m going to earn everything.”

With a rash of injuries at LB, Brooks has gotten a crash course this fall in the hopes of getting him as prepared as possible for the season. The former Miami Northwestern star is now second on the depth chart behind Shaq Quarterman at MIKE heading into the UF game on Saturday.

“I got to step my game up a whole lot now to back my players up,” Brooks said of the injuries at LB. “I want Shaq to believe in me 100% that I got his back. Even though I’m a freshman, I don’t look at it as that - I’m a football player, that’s all that matters. I still need to step my game up a notch for my guys and I’m looking forward to playing.”

Brooks now stands 6-2 215 pounds, having gained 20 pounds since his senior season of high school, and says he’s more than comfortable playing the season at that size. As for his first test, Brooks welcomes the challenge of facing a top 10 Florida Gators team in Orlando this Saturday.

“It’s a pretty simple offense, it’s nothing that we can’t stop. We can stop that,” Brooks said of UF. “I won’t say too much other than I believe in my defense - even when I’m not on the field, I still believe in them. We have plays we’ve been working hard on, we’ve been studying them, that’s all that matters.”
 

Comments (23)

Amazing how these freshman put on the lbs: him, Couch, Zion.
I know they likely eat more and a lot better here, have better strength training, and are in their growth stages, but still amazing to me.
 
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I'm really intrigued by this "I won't say too much" repetition. Multiple players have said it. Almost like they're being coached to coil back before Saturday, huh?
I agree LuCane. I think we will all be pleasantly surprised by their play. We have something up our sleeve. Our play will speak louder then words. Team seems to me very focused with the task in hand.
 
Sorely underrated recruit by national pundits and this fanbase.
Par for the course with too big of a portion of our fanbase. Had he signed with any other team, the s'hitheads would have been all over this board talking about how we lost another South Florida recruit from one of our pipeline schools. Only to be followed by the "Manny cant recruit linebackers" crowd.

We land the guy, and what do you know, "he's just a 3 star recruit!"

F'uck that! This guy was a **** monster before his injury, came back from a major injury to have a monster senior year, to now being in the two deep after just arriving on campus. Let the haters hate! Brooks is going to be a problem for the next 4 years!
 
Par for the course with too big of a portion of our fanbase. Had he signed with any other team, the s'hitheads would have been all over this board talking about how we lost another South Florida recruit from one of our pipeline schools. Only to be followed by the "Manny cant recruit linebackers" crowd.

We land the guy, and what do you know, "he's just a 3 star recruit!"

F'uck that! This guy was a **** monster before his injury, came back from a major injury to have a monster senior year, to now being in the two deep after just arriving on campus. Let the haters hate! Brooks is going to be a problem for the next 4 years!
4?
 
Par for the course with too big of a portion of our fanbase. Had he signed with any other team, the s'hitheads would have been all over this board talking about how we lost another South Florida recruit from one of our pipeline schools. Only to be followed by the "Manny cant recruit linebackers" crowd.

We land the guy, and what do you know, "he's just a 3 star recruit!"

F'uck that! This guy was a **** monster before his injury, came back from a major injury to have a monster senior year, to now being in the two deep after just arriving on campus. Let the haters hate! Brooks is going to be a problem for the next 4 years!

every respected recruiting guru on CIS (guys like Liberty City El) sung Brooks' praises. I trust these guys evaluations.

So some of knew what to expect

I cant wait to see him and Huff develop in the next few seasons
 
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Par for the course with too big of a portion of our fanbase. Had he signed with any other team, the s'hitheads would have been all over this board talking about how we lost another South Florida recruit from one of our pipeline schools. Only to be followed by the "Manny cant recruit linebackers" crowd.

We land the guy, and what do you know, "he's just a 3 star recruit!"

F'uck that! This guy was a **** monster before his injury, came back from a major injury to have a monster senior year, to now being in the two deep after just arriving on campus. Let the haters hate! Brooks is going to be a problem for the next 4 years!
not taking away from him but who else would be in the 2 deep with our injuries?
 
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Amazing how these freshman put on the lbs: him, Couch, Zion.
I know they likely eat more and a lot better here, have better strength training, and are in their growth stages, but still amazing to me.
The "legitimate" supplements on the market that are approved by the NCAA standards are super helpful. One guy I knew his son was a 6-6 and 170 pound HS basketballer. He used the recommended supplements, worked with a good strength coach and a full solid diet and was 205 pounds in about 6-7 months and lost no agility. Bench went from 155 to 235 with long arms, power clean from 150 to 220.
 
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Idk bout yall but I was actually VERY surprised when I saw he was our 2nd string MLB on the depth chart the other day...

If we do some MLB blitzes with him in, I'll be very happy. Really surprised they haven't been cross training McCloud there though since we're primarily going to be 2 LBs this season and we are deeper at OLB than ILB. I think having McCloud at MLB rather than backing up Pinkney would be pretty solid, especially since he's bigger than the rest of the LBs other than Shaq.

Really looking forward to seeing Brooks develop, kids legit...
 
I'm really intrigued by this "I won't say too much" repetition. Multiple players have said it. Almost like they're being coached to coil back before Saturday, huh?
I am also intrigued by this. It's almost as if they have completely locked in to the Uif offense and are prepared to the point that every defensive player expects to shut it down cold. Also it seems like Diaz and Baker have made it a point to tell the players to keep their mouths shut and let the disgraceful gator do all the talking.

@LuCane I am getting more excited about this team and this season every day. I am looking forward to observing the effect Diaz and staff have had on this team. I am excited about the possibility that this entire team will carry themselves with the confidence, focus and intensity that was strictly limited to the defense the last three years. Is it possible that Diaz posseses that intangible quality that is only seen in elite head coaches? I don't want to get so ahead of myself that I invite disappointment but I find it increasingly difficult to resist. It has been so long since we had that type of head coach that one would think that we are due.
 
I'm really intrigued by this "I won't say too much" repetition. Multiple players have said it. Almost like they're being coached to coil back before Saturday, huh?

Remember the last time we faced an opponent who was thought to be better than us and they talked a lot of cash **** before the game and our guys were surprisingly quit and didn’t engage with them..until they came out that **** tunnel and beat that a$$ from the coin toss to the final bell! And racked up 200+ yards in penalties to boot..lmao.

Cotton bowl - 1990 against UT.

I’m getting a good feeling about this game!
 
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