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Sacramento running back Marcel Brown said he committed to the Utes on Monday because he wants to follow in the footsteps of the man he considers his big brother.
If he can do that, fans are going to like Marcel Brown.
Brown has been mentored since a young age by 2004 Fiesta Bowl running back Marty Johnson, and has been similarly prolific at Sacramento's Rio Linda High, rushing for 1,951 yards and 28 touchdowns, according to his MaxPreps profile.
Johnson's input was the deciding factor, Brown said, although he also knows current Utah running back standout Devontae Booker, who is from the Sacramento area.
Johnson told him to watch Utah games the past couple years, and Brown obliged him. Apparently, he liked what he saw.
"I remember him telling me for the past years, going through high school, he was just saying, 'Do what you think is best,'" Brown said. "It just came down to me wanting to be like him."
Brown also appreciated the attention from Utah offensive line coach Jim Harding and the rest of the Utah staff, who have kept in regular contact and seem to care about him as a person, he said, and not just as a player.
His strengths are his speed, his power and his vision, he said, although he believes he has room to improve all facets of his game.
Rio Linda, which plays in the section semifinals on Friday, switched this season from a power-I formation to a spread, removing defenders from the box to pave the way for Brown's big year — although he was great starting as a sophomore and junior, too, said head coach Justin Reber.
"Marcel is phenomenal," Reber said. "He's kind of the anchor of what we do."
He's listed at 6-foot, 212 pounds and rated a three-star prospect by Rivals. Reber said "everyone on the West Coast" has visited campus to see Brown, but Brown said he feels firm in his commitment.
"I'm pretty sure this is it," he said. "The only thing that hasn't been done yet is the paper."
Brown is still contemplating what he will study at the U., but is leaning toward kinesiology or something in a medical field. He is LDS but has no plan to serve a mission at this time.
Here's a list of the Utah football commits the Tribune has reported on. Click for details:
2015
2016
2017
— Matthew Piper
Twitter: @matthew_piper