Ji’Ayir Brown took an unconventional route to Penn State: a Trenton, New Jersey native, he was a three-star recruit out of Trenton Central High School, then spent two seasons at Lackawanna College, earning Northeast Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year and JUCO All-American honors before transferring to Penn State in 2020.
After a light first season as a backup, Brown took over as a full-time starter at safety in 2021 and immediately became one of the most disruptive defenders in the country
. His 6 interceptions that season were the most by a Penn State player in 15 years, to go along with 73 tackles and two fumble recoveries. He followed that up with an even more complete 2022 campaign: 74 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery, earning him third-team All-Big Ten honors by season’s end. His signature moment came in the Rose Bowl against Utah, where he posted a career-high 1.5 sacks and an interception and was named the game’s Defensive MVP.
Brown was selected in the third round (87th overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 NFL Draft and earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors as a rookie. He’s remained a starter in San Francisco’s secondary since, appearing in Super Bowl LVIII against the Chiefs.
