Who is Max Brown? All about Florida's backup QB

With Florida's star quarterback Graham Mertz out of the season following an injury, all eyes will be on redshirt freshman Max Brown. Brown will be the starting QB this weekend when the Gators take on the undefeated Florida State Seminoles. This will be a battle of backup quarterbacks, as FSU will also be without Jordan Travis, who also suffered a major injury last weekend.

With the stage set for a showdown between FSU QB Tate Rodemaker and Florida QB Max Brown, one might wonder about the background of the Florida redshirt freshman.

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Who is Max Brown?

Standing at 6-foot-2, Max Brown was a three-star prospect coming out of Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 2022 recruiting class. He played for Lincoln Christian High School and made an impression during his senior year. Brown put up 2,750 passing yards and 40 TD passes along with 1,343 rushing yards and 20 rushing TDs during his senior high school campaign.

Initially, Brown had pledged to play for Central Michigan under former Gators coach Jim McElwain. However, after interest from Napier and the Gators and visiting the campus in January last year, the young quarterback decided to flip his commitment to Florida.

Unlike Graham Mertz, Brown is a dual-threat quarterback who possesses pass accuracy, speed and athleticism. Initially, he was a third-string quarterback behind four-star prospect Jack Miller. But after Miller faced issues with his throwing arm in fall camp, Brown was promoted as the backup to Graham Mertz, where he spent his time learning the Gators playbook.

The game against the Seminoles this weekend will be Brown's first collegiate career start. If he can lead the team to a win over the undefeated Florida State and help the team become bowl-eligible, he will etch his name in Gators lore.

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Max Brown is a dual-sport athlete

One interesting fact about the redshirt freshman is that he is a dual-sport athlete who plays both baseball and football. Right from his high school career, Brown took part in both sports and was also a top baseball prospect coming out of Oklahoma.

Apart from being a quarterback, Max Brown is also an outfield player on Florida's baseball team. However, he did not play during his redshirt season last year when the team went on to play in the College World Series Finals. This limited role led to him being available for the Gators' spring football practice.