From the Empire State to Florida’s Capital City.
Florida A&M football landed Syracuse transfer linebacker Caden Brown in its 2026 National Signing Day haul on Feb. 4.
The rising junior and former three-star recruit hails from Queens, New York, where he was the state’s fifth-ranked prospect while starring at Erasmus Hall High School.
Brown is a long way from home.
But how did he ultimately land on The Highest of Seven Hills, the top public Historically Black College and University, and one of the most historic football programs?
“It’s FAMU, man. FAMU sells itself at the end of the day,” said new head football coach Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.
“I think for him, it’s an opportunity to get on the football field and play quality snaps. We like to find our guys in Florida, but we’re going to extend our arms wherever we need to make sure we’re bringing in the best talent.”
Brown initially signed to play for Syracuse out of high school in 2024. He followed in his father’s footsteps, Alban, who played linebacker for the Orange from 1987 to 1989.
At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Brown primarily performed on Syracuse’s special teams coverage unit during the 2024 season. He helped Syracuse to a 10-3 season and a Holiday Bowl victory over Washington State.
Brown only appeared in two games in 2025, possibly making him eligible to redshirt the season. Syracuse struggled, going 3-9.
“We’re putting guys in this environment with a championship pedigree,” Gray explained his recruiting philosophy. “Syracuse has done a tremendous job of developing guys and making sure that they’re putting them in great situations to be successful.”
At linebacker, Brown can improve FAMU’s pass rush in his standup edge rusher role.
He will be in hot pursuit of opposing quarterbacks, something the Rattlers have struggled with as a team in the past two seasons.
Coincidentally, when FAMU defenses dominated the Southwestern Athletic Conference and the Football Championship Subdivision, another New York native was one of the cornerstones at the edge-rush position.
Current Dallas Cowboy Isaiah Land, from Buffalo, led all of NCAA Division I with 19 sacks in 2021 and won that year’s Buck Buchanan Award, awarded to the top defensive player in FCS.
Brown’s arrival to the Orange and Green pairs him with fellow edge rusher Antonio Camon Jr., who returned to the team after a stint in the transfer portal. Camon led the Rattlers with four sacks last season.
“He’s an explosive defensive player that comes off the edge and is able to put pressure on the quarterback,” Gray said of Brown. “We know in the SWAC, you’ve got guys like Andrew Body and other quarterbacks that are very athletic. So, you’ve got to have some athletic guys that chase the quarterback. For us, it was an opportunity to get a guy that we feel can help us in that realm in terms of putting pressure on the quarterback.”
Florida A&M Football 2026 Recruiting Class
Must be announced by the school.
NCAA Transfer Portal
High School
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How Caden Brown is a product of FAMU football’s national recruiting efforts
Reporting by Gerald Thomas III, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
