The Bobcats’ superstar tight end Keenen Brown was one of the only bright spots for the Bobcat offense under Everett Withers in the 2018 season. The graduate transfer now has his sights set on the National Football League.
Despite the Bobcats losing season, Brown managed to be a reliable target and a consistent spark for the offense every week. In the 2018 season, he made an immediate impact by hauling in 51 catches for 577 yards and seven total touchdowns.
At the age of three, Brown wasted no time picking up the pigskin. Brown would eventually play for Alief Taylor High School where he racked up over 900 receiving yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season.
The six-foot-three, 250-pound tight end transferred from Oklahoma State because he said he felt he had not reached his full potential and wanted to be closer to his family.
“After my four years at Oklahoma State I felt like I could be doing much more with the ball in my hands, “Brown said. “Coach Mayes was telling me how they would fit me in the system, I trusted him, and the rest is history.”
Former tight end coach of the Bobcats Adrian Mayes played a big part in recruiting Brown to Texas State and said how he knew Kennen Brown would be special for the program.
“I knew he was a good player coming from Oklahoma State,” Mayes said. “You could see from his tape that he was going to be a big-time player.”
Brown’s ability to turn up the field and make defenders miss after catching the ball is quite impressive and annoying for a defensive player to cover. Brown said this skill adds to his versatility as an impact player.
“I’m a playmaker,” Brown said. “Whenever I get the ball in my hands, I’m not looking to just get (the) first down. I’m trying to score.”
Mayes believes that his ability to get yards after the catch is what separates him from the other tight ends in this year’s draft.
“When he catches that football and gets vertical right away, that’s what separates him from the other guys in the class,” Mayes said. “There’s probably not a tight end out in the country that can do it like him”
Brown was invited to participate in the NFL Combine in March to showcase his athletic ability. He finished with a 4.75 40-yard-dash time; 17 bench press reps of 225 pounds; and a 33-inch vertical jump.
Brown said he appreciates Texas State and is thankful for the opportunity to showcase what he could do on the field.
“I am thankful for the Texas State program because they accepted me (as) one of their own,” Brown said.
The 2019 NFL Draft will begin at 8:00 p.m. April 25-27.