This Seattle running back is Washington’s top football recruit in the 2024 class

Even at 16 years old, and still finishing up his junior year of high school, Jason Brown is keenly aware that his next big decision very well could shape the next decade or more of his life.

But he didn’t make the decision that put him in this position.

“Al Roberts and Monte Kohler made that decision for me,” Brown said. “I didn’t even know if I was going to play running back two years ago.”

Prior to arriving on campus at O’Dea High School in Seattle, Brown always thought he’d be a cornerback. He knew he wanted to play football for the Fighting Irish, of course. And he loved the sport from early in his life.

He knew the speed and competitive toughness he’d honed from years of running track at the highest youth levels possible would translate well to the defensive side of the field. He didn’t know three years ago that upon arrival at O’Dea, the cornerback room would be replete with upperclassmen ready to play.

Nevertheless, Brown wanted to contribute for the Irish as quickly as possible. So he went to his coaches and suggested he could play wide receiver. Kohler and Roberts had a different idea.

They needed more running backs.

“It was pretty simple, really,” Kohler said. “With what we do at O’Dea, tailback is pretty important and we knew he could be pretty special.”

That year was the COVID-19 season, played during the spring in 2021. It helped Brown because he had six extra months to add 15 pounds of muscle as a freshman. Then a guy a year ahead of him broke his collarbone.

“The rest is kind of history,” Kohler said. “We’re blessed to have him, that’s for sure.”

Today, most recruiting sites regard Brown as one of the top three 2024 prospects at his position in the country.

“We’ve got him as No. 1 (in Washington) right now,” said Brandon Huffman, the National Recruiting Editor for 247Sports.com. “He’s as pure a running back as there is. He’s a Top 10 kid (at any position).”

The recruiting services aren’t the only ones who think that, either.

Brown already holds offers from heavyweight college programs across the country in every Power Five conference. Very early on, one program with local ties jumped in.

Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian made Brown the Longhorns’ first offeree in the 2024 class. Not just the first running back UT offered a scholarship, but the first player at any position.

“Texas is still very high on my board,” Brown said. “I mean, it’s UT. It’s a legendary program.”

As the February signing period for his senior teammates at O’Dea arrives, Brown said he’s narrowed his personal list of college choices to somewhere between 12 and 15 schools, a number he says he wants to cut to seven (after taking a few more visits to campuses) before he makes any official “finalist” announcement). It’s been a painstaking process to trim the list, Brown said, but also a fun one.

“It’s crazy,” Brown said. “Like Alabama — I talked to Nick Saban. It was the most starstruck situation I’ve never been in. I’m talking to Kirby Smart (at Georgia). For them to see me in that regard, it’s mind-blowing.”

The Texas call kicked this process into high gear.

“I don’t know how many running backs Texas has recruited from Washington,” Brown said. “I’m in a position I never thought I’d be in. I mean, honestly, it’s still all fresh for me. This really just picked up for me in December. And I’m definitely not in a hurry. Wherever I go, we’re going to win.”

Brown has been winning since he was 7 years old. He competed at his first national level track meet that summer. He made the Junior Olympics meet a year later and brought three medals home to Seattle — placing in the Top 5 in the 100, 200 and 400 meters.

“It’s all a confidence thing for me,” Brown said. “My hard work combined with my faith in God. And my parents put me in crazy good positions. They never wanted me to be scared of anything. And I’ve been surrounded by people doing great things.”

At that first Junior Olympics meet, Brown finished third in the 100, just 0.24 seconds behind Caden Durham from Duncanville, Texas, another of the top 2024 running backs in the country, and the kid that was the fastest in the U.S. in his age group that year.

Durham and Brown both gravitated naturally to the football field. For Brown, it’s always been his passion.

Transforming that passion into the goal of playing on Sundays in the NFL continues to inform Brown’s decisions. The next one, of course, being which lucky collegiate program will get his talents in the fall of 2024.

Will he choose Saban, Smart or someone else across the country? Will he choose to stay home as his mentor, frequent workout partner and the man he inevitably drew comparisons to — Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin — did?

“I love Seattle. I grew up here and I always want to represent Seattle,” Brown said. “Going into O’Dea, I wanted to be compared to Myles (who also went to O’Dea before choosing UW for his college career). So it’s an honor. I love Myles. He and I laugh about it. He’s told me, ‘I feel bad for you. You are going to be better than me.’ It’s kind of hard to believe I’m even in the conversation with him.”

Even so, as Brown makes his next big decision it won’t be about being the next Myles Gaskin.

“I feel like Jason Brown is his own person,” Brown said. “I want people to see the real Jason Brown.”

CLASS OF 2024 NUGGETS-IN-WAITING

OL Isendre Ahfua, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)

WR Gatlin Bair, Burley (Burley, Idaho)

OL Devin Brooks, Clackamas (Clackamas, Ore.)

RB Jason Brown, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)

QB E.J. Caminong, Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)

ATH Rahshawn Clark, Federal Way (Federal Way, Wash.)

OL Fox Crader, Evergreen (Vancouver, Wash.)

WR Malachi Durant, Puyallup (Puyallup, Wash.)

TE Hogan Hansen, Bellevue (Bellevue, Wash.)

S Marquawn McCraney, Highline (Burien, Wash.)

S Kyan McDonald, O’Dea (Seattle, Wash.)

TE Joey Olsen, Lakeridge (Lake Oswego, Ore.)

LB Brayden Platt, Yelm (Yelm, Wash.)

TE A.J. Pugliano, North Medford (Medford, Ore.)