Miami wide receiver Samuel Brown Jr. produced for an explosive Hurricanes offense this past season. Brown Jr. was a stellar contributor, recording 36 receptions for 509 yards and two touchdowns. He had to acclimate to playing a supporting role after accumulating a workhorse 62 catches for 815 yards at Houston in 2023.
Brown Jr. recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network. Brown Jr. discussed acclimating to a new role at Miami, taking advantage of every opportunity that came his way, playing with Cam Ward, which teams he's met with throughout the pre-draft process, and more.
JM: After playing at West Virginia (2020-2021) and Houston (2022-2023), you decided to transfer to Miami for your final season of college football. How do you reflect on that decision? It's been a long journey for you.
Samuel Brown Jr.: It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life. I went to a winning program in Miami. I played a role in bringing “The U” back. We were a generational team.
I played with the potential No. 1 overall pick in Cam Ward. Having him as my quarterback and the leader of our offense taught me so much. The leadership he [Ward] installed in the receiver room was a huge benefit to all of us. We had to compete for every rep.
JM: You had a lot of chemistry with Cam Ward. You learned a lot.
Samuel Brown Jr.: He’s a real leader. He brought a whole different mindset to our receiver room. We knew he was going to give us a chance to make a play on the ball. It was our job to do the rest and make him look good. That’s how it went.
We worked five, six days a week. We took a lot of pride in putting in extra work off the field. The chemistry was always there between Cam Ward and our entire receiver room.
JM: It was so special to watch. You had to share the ball more at Miami than you did at Houston. How did you handle transitioning to a new role?
Samuel Brown Jr.: I had to get used to it. Of course, it was a little frustrating at first. I was the go-to guy at Houston. Once I settled in midway through the season, it was a lot easier to accept and play my role. We were winning a lot of games. That made it a lot easier to swallow.
At that point, I was happy to play my role at a high level. I had to make the best of the opportunities that came my way. We knew where we wanted to go as a team. It all fell into place. I capitalized on my opportunities.
JM: And how did iron sharpen iron at practice? In the receiver room alone, there was yourself, Xavier Restrepo, and Jacolby George. All three of you are getting drafted this year.
Samuel Brown Jr.: It was a dog-eat-dog world. Either you’re eating or somebody else is going to eat the food on the plate. We were very competitive. We focused on maximizing every opportunity that came our way.
Whatever was put in front of us, we took it. If there was a play designed for us, we knew we had to make that play. We wanted to make it tough on the coaches. They knew they had to dial something up for every one of us. Players make the plays work. We were all firing on all cylinders.
JM: It was so much fun to watch. You carried the momentum over from your season to the NFL Combine. You leaped a 41.5-inch vertical and ran a 4.44 40. You must have gotten great feedback from NFL scouts on the performance.
Samuel Brown Jr.: It was a good showing. I had a hamstring injury going into the NFL Combine. It was a little iffy. That popped up just two weeks before the combine. I wasn’t that confident because I was worried, but my trainer instilled that confidence back in me.
I was hesitant, but he told me I was going to be fine. They gave me the confidence I needed. My training results ended up translating beautifully to the NFL Combine. I felt blessed. I took advantage of the opportunity even though I wasn't 100%. That’s what happened.
The 41.5-inch vertical, I wasn’t constantly hitting that in training. God put his hands on me at that moment. I was blessed with two good runs as well in the 40 in that 4.44 range.
JM: You displayed elite athleticism at the NFL Combine. Does Samuel Brown Jr. have a favorite route to run?
Samuel Brown Jr.: You can give me any route to run. I know how to work any route. If I had to choose a favorite off the top of my head, I would probably say a circus route, or a corner route, as people may call it.
I can stem inside. If it’s two-high [coverage], I can take it flat, or if it’s one-high, you take it deep. There are just multiple ways to win with that route.
JM: I love that. Have you met with any NFL teams throughout this pre-draft process?
Samuel Brown Jr.: I met with the Falcons, Chiefs, Jaguars, Packers, and Titans, to mention a few. I met with those teams on Zoom.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We've appreciated your time today. What kinda impact is Samuel Brown Jr. going to make at the next level?
Samuel Brown Jr.: I’m ready to be a great culture fit for the organization. I’m going to be ready to play whenever my opportunity arrives. I want to be a household name. I want to carve that out for myself.
