UM commit Romello Brinson faced a 5-star challenge Friday and more than held his own
There was a sequence just before halftime at Traz Powell Stadium on Friday when the heavyweight clash between Northwestern and Central really became a 1-on-1 battle, between Romello Brinson and Jason Marshall.
The Panthers had just fumbled the ball away at their own 13-yard line, so the Bulls had three shots at the end zone before halftime.
On all three tries, Brinson created separation from Marshall, Taron Dickens through a beat or two too late and Marshall recovered to deflect away the pass. The blue-chip battle lived up to the billing.
“I think it was great,” Northwestern coach Max Edwards said Friday. “I was watching it myself.”
Brinson ultimately finished with five catches for 78 yards and a 45-yard grab in the third quarter helped set up a touchdown to give the Bulls their ultimate 17-7 lead with 2:33 left in the period.
Marshall is a five-star cornerback — the No. 3 player in Miami-Dade County, according to the 247Sports.com rankings — and orally committed to the Florida Gators. Brinson is a four-star wide receiver — the top player at his position in all of South Florida — and orally committed to the Miami Hurricanes. On Friday, they relished the opportunity to face the toughest test they’re each likely to face all season.
“It was good competition,” Brinson said Friday. “He made some plays, I made some plays, so we were just going at it.”
Brinson’s regular season is now complete and Northwestern will open the postseason with a Region 4-Class 5A quarterfinal Friday in Key West, but the wideout has been one of the Hurricanes’ most impressive recruits in the abbreviated season.
In the Bulls’ opener against rival Miami Central last month, Brinson had three catches for 97 yards and scored a 77-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. The next week, he caught seven passes in a blowout loss to Bradenton IMG Academy, the No. 1 team in the country, according to the MaxPreps rankings.
Northwestern, the No. 2 team in Florida, played each of the other top four teams in the state in its three-game regular season and Brinson has been consistently productive across all three.
Friday was his toughest 1-on-1 test yet. Marshall already looks like a Southeastern Conference defensive back, and is the rare player who can match Brinson’s length and quickness. Brinson won his fair share of reps anyway.
“I knew he was going to be sticking me most of the game,” Brinson said, “so I was preparing for that during the week and stuff like that.”
In the first half, Brinson caught a curl for 8 yards and took a short swing pass for 5 yards, but the three-play red-zone sequence was the best showcase of his abilities and Marshall’s.
Brinson twice got the jump on Marshall running straight through the seam, only the throws from Dickens were a bit behind him. On the third play, Brinson beat Marshall on a slant as Palmetto’s pressure got to Dickens and the quarterback was forced to try a shovel pass, which Marshall nearly intercepted. The Bulls went into halftime ahead 10-7 in Miami.
Northwestern’s second drive of the second half started at its own 18 and Brinson carried the Bulls down the field for some extra separation. On the first play of the drive, the Panthers went into zone coverage and the senior ran straight past four-star safety Corey Collier, another Florida commit, to make an over-the-shoulder 45-yard catch.
The senior followed it with a 3-yard out and a 4-yard curl, and running back Zuberi Mobley eventually punched in a 3-yard touchdown.
Although Miami’s wide receivers have been excellent the last two games, most of the season hasn’t been great for the group. Brinson hopes to come in and contribute immediately. So far this season, he looks like a receiver who can.
“It was competitive,” Edwards said. “It was two good guys. Both of them had good sportsmanship and I enjoyed that matchup myself.”
