Former Louisville football superstar Ja'Corey Brooks is immediately making a name for himself at the NFL stage as the undrafted rookie is turning heads for the Washington Commanders. The 6-foot-3 195 195-pound wide receiver is the biggest surprise this July during the Washington Commanders' summer Training Camp.
The Commanders' first preseason game is officially under two weeks away, and with Dan Quinn desperately needing help on the outside of his offense, Brooks is emerging as one of his favorite targets. One of the biggest stories this offseason for Washington is that their star wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, has reported to camp but is holding out until contract negotiations.
While that is being played out, Jayden Daniels desperately needs someone to step up and become a reliable target on the outside to play with incoming star Deebo Samuel. Well, Brooks is proving he can be that wide receiver two if they need him there, as he is the talk of the town heading into their first preseason game.
Ja'Corey Brooks turning heads in Washington after dominant first week
The Commanders' first preseason game will be on Aug. 9 against the New England Patriots, and the former star wideout for the Cardinals is trending to make Quinn's 53-man roster.
Brooks earned three touchdowns in the first two days of camp, and Commanders fans and experts are raising eyebrows. He has been turning heads all offseason and was an absolute steal for the Commanders as they snagged him undrafted.
Brooks' jaw-dropping performance in the first week earned him one of the four standout players of the week, per Washington Commanders Senior Writer Zach Selby.
"Brooks' biggest advantage is his college touchdown rate, as he scored once every nine touches with Alabama and Louisville. He caught three touchdown passes on Wednesday and Thursday with those throws coming from Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. He is also putting in extra work after practice, as he spent time with Mariota and Josh Johnson on Thursday to work on his routes."Zach Selby
Selby went on to also state that Brooks has a lot to do to make the 53-man roster, but after his first week's production, he has earned the coaching staff's attention. It comes as no surprise to Louisville Cardinals fans to hear Brooks is dominating early and emerging as an elite scorer.
The former Cardinal had a spectacular collegiate career as a 5-star recruit out of high school, initially committing to Alabama, where he secured 57 catches for 896 yards and 10 touchdowns in 36 games. Brooks then transferred to Louisville and became Tyler Shough's No. 1 target, earning him a spot on the All-ACC First-Team.
Brooks had 20 catches of 20 yards or more last season, which ranked No. 3 in the Power 4, and went on to end the season with 61 receptions for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished in the top 20 in receiving touchdowns and had the second-most receiving yards in the ACC.
Brooks must keep this production up if he wants to suit up for the Commanders' week one game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7.
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