If you stay in the boat long enough, you'll hit land eventually. That is one of my favorite sayings, and it basically means that whatever you are working on, stay at it, stay consistent and eventually things will work out for you.
Those words can aptly describe the path and journey of Arkansas-Monticello QB Demilon Brown. Entering his sixth season as the Boll Weevils signal-caller, Brown has seen both the highs and the lows of college football but has stayed the course, navigating through it all. He has come out on the other side as a bonafide NFL Draft prospect.
I was able to catch up with the ever-so-elusive QB this week before their Thursday Night game vs. Northwestern Oklahoma State
QB Demilon Brown
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 215 pounds
- College: Arkansas-Monticello
- Next game: Northwestern Oklahoma State (Sept. 5)
Brown is an extremely dangerous runner when he's in the open field. His style is very much similar to Jalen Milroe of Alabama. He's got a quick release, and combined with his above-average velocity, he can get the ball to any area of the field. It's the combination of the two that really helps him thrive in the short, quick passing game. He's shown that he's able to handle both pressure from the opposing defense and pressure of the situation. Both are key elements of quarterbacking that he has in his toolbox.
RB Jordan Fuller
- Height: 5-foot-11
- Weight: 230 pounds
- College: Holy Cross
- Next game: New Hampshire (Sept. 7)
Fuller has a really good build for the position and the pro game. He's got the ability to be the lead-off guy or the closer in a tandem backfield. I'm shocked he stayed at Holy Cross considering the mass exodus of talent to the draft and portal after coach Bob Chesney left for James Madison. Fuller shows good patience with regards to pressing the hole before making a cut, and is able to combine that with above-average interior vision as well.
CB Melvin Smith Jr.
- Height: 5-foot-11
- Weight: 190
- College: Southern Arkansas
- Next game: Southeastern Oklahoma State (Sept. 5)
Another NFL Draft prospect coming from the Great American Conference. Smith has fantastic click-and-close ability to really drive on the football and turn it over. He primarily plays the field side corner, which speaks to his athleticism. He's able to play off-coverage really well. I like how SAU moves him around the secondary, getting him looks inside and also at safety. Where he has a chance to make an immediate impact as a pro player is on special teams, as he returns kicks for the Muleriders as well.
USports Canadian College Football (Week 3)
University of British Columbia coach Blake Nill has been one of the best coaches in the sport. He's routinely cultivated, developed and produced some really good prospects that have gone on to play in both the NFL and CFL. Last year we saw Giovanni Manu get drafted and Theo Benedet sign an UDFA contract in the NFL.
This season, he's got three prospects on the offensive side of the ball and a defensive prospect who has scouts buzzing. In fact, all four were at the East-West Bowl this past May and had really strong performances, both during the week of practices and during the combine workouts.
OL Arvin Hosseini
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 300 pounds
- College: British Columbia
- Next game: University of Manitoba (Sept. 6)
Hosseini showcases top-notch athleticism and footwork for the position. I feel like he has swing tackle capability while also being able to thrive as a guard at the professional level. Watching him take precise paths to the defender on pulls and trap plays are impressive. In the straight drop-back game, he's got the technique necessary to handle any type of rusher.
RB Isaiah Knight
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 210 pounds
- College: British Columbia
- Next game: University of Manitoba (Sept. 6)
Knight is on the East-West Shrine Bowl watch list and justifiably so. To me, it is his footwork for being a taller back that stands out. He's able to quickly drop his hips and bounce across gaps to find the open lane. Watching him at the East-West Bowl in May, he caught the ball very well coming out of the backfield; he also looked natural going deeper downfield and catching over his shoulders.
OL Gavin Coakes
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 315 pounds
- College: British Columbia
- Next game: University of Manitoba (Sept. 6)
Coakes plays center for the T-Birds and does an excellent job on both ends of offense. Where he consistently has success is with his hand usage. He never allows them to get outside the frame of the defender and is always able to reset them once engaged. Getting into the postseason all-star game circuit for both he and Hosseini would be ideal because it would be a great test to see how both handle the down-to-down consistency of the DL talent in the states.
LB Maka Bangura
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 215 pounds
- College: British Columbia
- Next game: University of Manitoba (Sept. 6)
Bangura has long arms and heavy hands, both of which helps him be sound vs the run. Watch him effectively take on blocks in the run game, he's able to stack, shed and not allow himself to get reached. One thing's for sure, he won't stay blocked for long. Despite being undersized a bit for an in-the-box player, he navigates it extremely well. There's some potential here for him to be a Micah Awe (Calgary Stampeders) type player for a team.
Game of the Week
This Saturday at 12 p.m. ET, I'll be the color analyst on the Monmouth/Lafayette game. It'll be a great opportunity for me to get a great look at a couple of NFL Draft prospects who will be featured in this Coastal Athletic Association-Patriot League matchup.
OL Ed Gatling
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 320 pounds
- College: Monmouth
- Next game: Lafayette (Sept. 7)
Gatling epitomizes the mantra of "looking for work." When you dive into his game last weekend against Eastern Washington, you see him consistently 10, 15 and in some cases 20 yards downfield looking for, and subsequently making, blocks. That's impressive for any offensive lineman, let alone the center. Gatling can box in a phone booth vs. defenders and does a good job of staying square with good pad level to sustain the block.
S Saiku White
- Height: 6-foot-0
- Weight: 195 pounds
- College: Lafayette
- Next game: Monmouth (Sept. 7)
White is on the 2025 Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List and the preseason FCS All-American got his season started last weekend against Buffalo. White finished with six tackles in that game. As a top-down safety, I believe he's strong in run support. He doesn't shy away from flying down in the alley to make the play. White shows an ability to really shrink space between he and the ball carrier/receiver.