Texas junior defensive tackle Malcom Brown has had a big season, and he said he is considering turning pro.
Brown told the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman that a first- or second-round projection would be enough for him to enter the NFL draft. "But I'm not really focused on that right now," Brown said. "I'm just trying to play, trying to do what I can do here."
Brown (6-foot-2, 320 pounds) looks to have benefited from the Longhorns' coaching change. He has been dominant at times in the middle of the line, and has 62 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries.
This is Brown's second season as a starter; he had 68 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two sacks last season.
Brown is married with two children, and in September, he freely admitted that getting to the NFL and providing for his family was his driving force.
Brown was a consensus top-10 national prospect in the 2012 signing class out of high school in Brenham, Texas -- a town probably best-known as the home of Blue Bell ice cream. Brown's athleticism and short-area quickness stood out even then, and he also has impressed this season with his hustle and strength.
He is one of two players with the same name at Texas. The other is starting tailback/leading rusher Malcolm Brown, whose first name is spelled the more traditional way.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
