Elijah Brown poised for big senior season at Mater Dei: 'I think this is going to be the year'

SANTA ANA, Calif. — "Cool and collected" Elijah Brown is as comfortable as ever. 

As he heads into his senior year, Mater Dei's four-year starting quarterback is excited about the "fire" new head coach Frank McManus brings to the program.  

"He’s probably the closest one to Coach (Bruce) Rollinson in the sense that he can get us really motivated," Brown said during an interview in his former coach's office on Wednesday.

Just like with Mater Dei's coaching change, Brown isn't sweating his college recruitment either. He says Arizona State, USC, UCLA and Stanford are currently recruiting him the hardest.

Brown raved about USC in particular and insisted he's unbothered by the challenge of having to fend off five-star QB Dylan Raiola, who's also being recruited by Lincoln Riley, as well as the battle for playing time if he were to pick the Trojans.

"I wouldn't mind going in there and having to compete with somebody so I'm just making sure my future school is a fit for me," Brown said. "I'm not really concerned with who's going there."

What about not receiving an Elite 11 finals invitation following the regional last month? That must've frustrated the No. 33 recruit in the country, right? How could it not?

Wrong. 

“I think they’ll probably spin back and invite me a little later," he said with a smile. "I didn’t send in the film, so that might be a reason. I still have to do that. I’m not really taking it too hard."

The only time Brown's felt the slightest bit uneasy lately is when he gets a "twitch" of excitement thinking about suiting up for one last high school season this fall.

"I feel like we’ve been off for so long now," Brown said. "I’m getting that twitch."

PLAYING LIKE HE ACTS

In his three years of high school football, Brown has rarely been rattled. His ability to stay calm is a gift. 

Greg Biggins, a National Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports.com, describes Mater Dei's quarterback as "playing with a poise and maturity rarely seen at the HS level."

"He has started every game since his freshman season and has never looked overwhelmed while playing against top level competition," Biggins wrote in Brown's scouting report.

With so many great quarterbacks coming out of Mater Dei, there's an intense pressure that comes with playing the position at the school. 

You wouldn't know that from watching Brown.

His ability to stay cool in the pocket and stay cool off the field, like right now, when he's knee deep in a recruiting process that will impact the rest of his life, is second to none.

That's his super power. 

GETTING BETTER

Brown is 29-1 as Mater Dei's starter. In the middle of his sophomore season, Rollinson said of his QB: "You look at where he’s at, it’s pretty remarkable to me. I won’t lie.”

That was nearly two years ago. 

This offseason, Brown is working with Mater Dei's offensive coordinator Taylor Kelly, who is also Brown's QB coach, to improve in an area of his game it may look like he's already mastered, decision making. 

“I’m working on mentally, taking what the defense gives me," Brown said. "I’m working on being able to audible to make the offense more successful. And also taking the short things. It doesn’t always have to be a deep shot. Chipping away, going first down to first down and driving down the field.”

In his 30 high school games, Brown has completed 70.5% of his passes for 6,339 yards and 76 touchdowns. He's also rushed for seven touchdowns and thrown just 11 interceptions. 

“I think I play better under pressure," Brown said. "When things are on the line, I’m usually there to step up and be that guy.”

THE LONE LOSS

Brown's one high school defeat happens to have come in Mater Dei's last game, a 24-22 setback against arch rival St. John Bosco in the Division 1 Southern Section championship game last season.

The loss alone of course stung, but failing to send out Rollinson with a championship in his 34th and final season felt like a gut punch.

“That took a toll on me but things happen," Brown said. "I wish we could have pulled off that win. That would have been a really legendary moment for him. But things happen.”

Brown completed 21 of 30 passes in the title game defeat for 291 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't turn the ball over.

“It was definitely hard to take that loss, but I think it will only make us stronger as a team," he said.

2023 TEAM SHOULD BE NATION'S BEST 

Mater Dei will start the 2023 season as the top team in the country. The Monarchs were great a year ago and return the vast majority of their group, which will be headlined by the team's QB.

The usually soft spoken Brown, who characterizes himself as "reserved," wasn't shy in sharing his goal for the fall.

"I’m trying to blow everyone out by a lot of points," he said. "I don’t want to have any close games ... I feel like people think we’ve lost a step. But I don’t think we’ve really lost anything. I think this is going to be the year.”

That prediction is in line with what Rollinson said about Brown in his sophomore season.

“We’ve given him some fuel for the race car, but the race car can go a lot faster," he said back in 2021.

Buckle up.