Former MJ quarterback transfers to Troy

Former Mt. Juliet High quarterback Levi Brown has transferred to Troy University and begun classes at the Alabama school, according to his father.
Joe Brown said his son transferred from the University of Richmond at the holiday break after two seasons at the Virginia school. After a redshirt season this fall, he will have two years of eligibility with the reigning New Orleans Bowl champions.
"He just decided it would be in his best interests to transfer from Richmond," Joe Brown said Thursday. "There were several factors involved."
Levi Brown was heavily recruited by several Southeastern Conference schools two years ago. Because he graduated from MJHS in December 2004, he wanted to sign with a school where he could enroll immediately and participate in spring practice.
He eventually settled on Richmond, an NCAA Division I-AA school. In two seasons with the Spiders, he started three games, including the first two of his freshman season. He completed 51 of 90 passes for around 680 yards and six touchdowns with four interceptions, his father said.
Troy tied with Middle Tennessee State for the Sun Belt Conference championship last fall and took the league's New Orleans Bowl berth based on the Trojans' come-from-behind win over the Blue Raiders in Murfreesboro in November. They went on to rout Rice 41-17 in the Superdome to complete an 8-5 season.
"I think they're a really up-and-coming program," Joe Brown said of Troy. "Their facilities are on par with any of the SEC facilities (including Kentucky, Ole Miss and South Carolina) Levi visited when he was in high school, although on a smaller scale."
Omar Haugabook, who earned Most Valuable Player honors in the New Orleans Bowl, will be a senior this fall while Brown sits out.
"When Levi decided to transfer, that was the first thing he looked at," Joe Brown said of the QB situation.
Levi Brown sent tapes to 10 schools and received six offers, his dad said. He narrowed his choices to MTSU, Illinois State and UT-Martin. It was the Trojans' spread offense under quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who coached quarterbacks Tim Couch and Jared Lorenzen under Hal Mumme at Kentucky, which sold Levi.
"They're really spreading their offense out and throwing it a lot," Joe Brown said. "Their offense is what really attracted Levi to Troy."
When Levi Brown becomes eligible, he and the Trojans will be thrown to the major-college lions. They open the 2008 season at LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma State within the first four games and will visit Florida and Arkansas to begin the following year when he will be a senior. Troy will visit MTSU in the '08 finale on Nov. 22.
Sports Editor Andy Reed can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 17 or by e-mail at andy.reed@lebanondemocrat.com.