Camden Brown is not an immigrant in the truest sense of the word but he has an understanding of what drives people who want to pursue the promise of opportunity.
Opportunity, Brown said, is what brought him to Georgia Southern from Auburn where he had had off and on success for three years as a wide receiver playing under three different head coaches: Bryan Harsin who had recruited him, Cadillac Williams as an interim after Harsin was fired midway through his second season, and last year under Huge Freeze where playing time dropped off dramatically.
A second season under Freeze did not look promising and Brown made the decision to enter the transfer portal and he wound up “immigrating” to Georgia Southern. He is on track to graduate in December. At Auburn he was a regular member of the SEC Commissioners honor roll which requires a 3.5 or better GPA.
“I was looking for an opportunity to go somewhere to showcase my ability,” Brown said. “My position coach at Auburn (Marcus Davis) suggested I take a look at Georgia Southern.
“I came for a visit and after meeting the coaches I felt the vibes, felt the need. Then I met JC (French) and all we talked about was football. I liked that. I thought this is a quarterback I can connect with.
“In the world we live in now it’s about NIL. I could have gone to a lot of schools for (more) money but that’s not where my heart is. I’m a long-term guy and I looked at the situation here as an opportunity to show what I can do.”
Marcus Davis was a member of Coach Clay Helton’s first staff and knew the Eagles had lost a boatload of talent among its receivers the last two years including mainstays Khalel Hood and Derwin Burgess, Jr.
Brown was one of the top recruits in Florida after helping Fort Lauderdale powerhouse St. Thomas Acquinas win three straight Class 7A state championships, went to Auburn and as so often the case he got caught up in coaching changes.
The move to Georgia Southern is proving to be a boon for both Brown and the team and there indeed is a connection with French.
Brown is enjoying a great start to the season and had a banner night in last Thursday’s 38-35 loss to Southern Miss when he caught 12 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown.
The 12 receptions tied Hood and Burgess’s single game record and he now has 32 catches for 550 yards and six touchdowns. It’s a pace which has put him on track to set several school marks including the possibility of becoming the first 1,000-yard receiver.
It was Brown’s third straight 100-yard game tying the late Raja Andrews’ mark set in 2008. Andrews finished with five 100-yard games in 2008 and Hood has the career mark with six and the single season record for yards with 948. The school record for touchdowns is eight set by Chris Johnson in 2000.
Going into Saturday’s game with Georgia State the Monroe, La., native has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games. The late Teddy Craft holds the single season mark at five in 2003.
At this current pace Brown would finish with 64 catches, 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns. Georgia Southern is one of only four FBS schools (Army, Navy, Kennesaw State) to never have a 1000-yard receiver.
“The numbers don’t mean anything at all,” Brown said. “We have a mission and that’s to win games. I’m excited I’m putting up the numbers but that’s not my focus. It don’t matter if you’re not winning.
“People like winners at the end of the day. If you’re losing you can’t celebrate the numbers.”