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Sam Brooks - Stop the Insanity

PittsburghCane

PittsburghCane

Redshirt Freshman
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Apr 20, 2017
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I gotta speak on Sam Brooks. Because the slander on here has gone way too far. I am still in the process of finding the numbers but I just have to start a conversation around the kind of player he really is and not what some people are perpetrating him to be.

First and foremost the eye test is and has always been there. Film on film on film. He strikes aggressively and authoritatively, plays through the whistle and shows great speed and bend.
Furthering the eye test hes got the frame of a true LB. Long limbed, wide shoulders, tall at 6'3 and plenty of room for more good weight. A season with a college program will do wonders. He is currently over 200 and should be close to 220 by seasons start.
Athletically he projects as a high 4 star athlete. I will submit that this is subjective, but look at his opening numbers as a post season sophomore from almost exactly two years ago.

84505


Those numbers (top)are as a sophomore. Next to Yasir Abdullah, who was a freak, Anthony Solomon who was said to be a very athletic ILB, Rian Davis who was a borderline 5 star last year, and Justin Flow who is the number one LB this. His numbers are on par or better than all as a sophomore. Subjectively, its easy to assume he would improve very well from those numbers. He is now 6'3, north of 200 and his vertical and shuttle, per @Lance Roffers are great indicators of future athleticism.
Lastly the kid was the BEST player in the most talented football county in america as a sophomore. Had he not gotten hurt his junior year we are probably looking at a top 30 player.
Please, lets stop talking about Sam like he is some consolation prize. He's way more than that and has the makings of a big time impact player.

EDIT: Found updated numbers from Lance Roffer on the site:

Sam Brooks- 194 pounds, 4.62 40, 4.20 SH, 42’ Powerball, 36” Vertical, 116.91 SPARQ

Several of our recruits got fanfare from recruiting analysts this year, but Brooks seemed to be overlooked. His profile is that of a high-end AC player. His production was top-shelf and his athletic testing matched. 92nd percentile athlete.
 
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Those in the know are not asleep on him. Trust me.
The recruiting services did not get to see enough because I believe he was injured junior or senior yr. Can't recall.
Anyway, CIS mods/reporters said all along that he was underrated in terms of stars.
Even in the discussion of LB depth, posters have been acknowledging him along with Huff coming in over summer.
Part of the worry was that he played a lot of Edge Rush in HS and will he need to ramp up the learning curve. I don't see that as an obstacle. Pat Joyner is a prime example of successful conversion back and forth from the two positions on the collegiate level.

We good.
 
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Great insight, not sure I've seen a whole lot of negativity toward Brooks on CIS that would require a "clearing of the air". But, Brooks was definitely overlooked by the ratings agencies due to the knee injury.

As a UM fan I think the injury has the potential to be a major blessing in disguise, if you will. First, the kid has a huge chip on his shoulder with something to prove on the field. Secondly, and more importantly (to me), he wasn't offered the same type of bags that other national top 30 kids from South Florida normally get offered. Not saying we didn't have to fight for him during the Richt-Diaz transition, but it wasn't as hard as it could have been.

Either way, thrilled to have him and I think the majority of us are expecting big things from Sam.
 
Senior Year:
I saw Brooks play live and I wasn't impressed. They had him lined up at rush end 80% of the game and he was playing tired from the beginning of the game until the 3rd quarter. Didnt pick it up until the 4th. The other team didnt go his direction much but I expected more during the passing downs but he got off the line slow, stood straight up, and seemingly held up the O lineman like he was a space eating DT. He got a sack(maybe 2?) towards the end of the game.
On the other hand, he looked like he had a really nice frame and lateral speed so he'll probably be much better off the line as a backer. This was also game 1 or 2 of the year for him, coming off an injury so he may have been nursing it and playing a bit scared. I ultimately have high hopes for him, he was amazing his sophomore as mentioned already but his SR year didnt deliver like I hoped it would've.
 
@PittsburghCane is correct that some people have been sleeping on Sam Brooks and others have been outright disrespecting his talent. His athleticism is off the charts, and he is a disruptive difference maker on the field. Count me as one who expects big things from this young man.
 
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I saw some game film of him pre injury and he jumped off the screen, like 5 star crazy dominate the game kind of talent. Post injury he doesnt seem to be the same, but he is still a quality recruit.
 
caneinorlando said:
Better than Beason and Vilma??...Wow..I don't know about that...
Click to expand...

No no not better, just in the same realm. I didn't say Perryman was better either. I just mean that they were some of the best linebackers in the nation during their time here and I think Sam Brooks can live up to that
 
Astcloud11 said:
Senior Year:
I saw Brooks play live and I wasn't impressed. They had him lined up at rush end 80% of the game and he was playing tired from the beginning of the game until the 3rd quarter. Didnt pick it up until the 4th. The other team didnt go his direction much but I expected more during the passing downs but he got off the line slow, stood straight up, and seemingly held up the O lineman like he was a space eating DT. He got a sack(maybe 2?) towards the end of the game.
On the other hand, he looked like he had a really nice frame and lateral speed so he'll probably be much better off the line as a backer. This was also game 1 or 2 of the year for him, coming off an injury so he may have been nursing it and playing a bit scared. I ultimately have high hopes for him, he was amazing his sophomore as mentioned already but his SR year didnt deliver like I hoped it would've.
Click to expand...
He finished the year with a 100tks 20TFL's & 16 sacks on the season. This myth about him taking a step back his Senior year is completely false & insane.

He was literally the most dominant player on the field in the State title game vs Armwood.

The Coaches at MNW have all touted Sam as the hardest worker on the team & the unquestioned leader in the locker room. Ask the young bulls on the team bout Sam, every one of them sing his praises as the best player on the team.
 
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Astcloud11 said:
Senior Year:
I saw Brooks play live and I wasn't impressed. They had him lined up at rush end 80% of the game and he was playing tired from the beginning of the game until the 3rd quarter. Didnt pick it up until the 4th. The other team didnt go his direction much but I expected more during the passing downs but he got off the line slow, stood straight up, and seemingly held up the O lineman like he was a space eating DT. He got a sack(maybe 2?) towards the end of the game.
On the other hand, he looked like he had a really nice frame and lateral speed so he'll probably be much better off the line as a backer. This was also game 1 or 2 of the year for him, coming off an injury so he may have been nursing it and playing a bit scared. I ultimately have high hopes for him, he was amazing his sophomore as mentioned already but his SR year didnt deliver like I hoped it would've.
Click to expand...
Dude was coming off a serious injury. U have to remember that
 
Some of us have already explained this sh*t 100x on here, anybody doubting Sam will just have to eat crow & look stupid for it when the time comes.

The kid is cut from a different cloth & is a pure natural beast ready to ball out once he hits campus.

He's athletically identical to Lavonte David & has similar level of explosion. In this Defense he fits in the Weak side Backer spot perfectly & can be developed into a starter learning behind Pinckney.

Go watch his Senior tape, Idk why people keep acting like he sat the whole year & didn't play, he literally had his best season in his whole HS career last year.
 
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