Brown to enroll at KSU

Bryce Brown will enroll at Kansas State University. It's the only thing that's clear or definite in what has essentially been a three-year odyssey between the former top-ranked football prospect in America and Bill Snyder's Kansas State program. When reached by phone on Thursday afternoon, Brown's friend and former trainer Brian Butler confirmed the reports of the Wichita native's impending enrollment, but stopped short of providing much other information or perspective.
 

Bryce Brown will enroll at Kansas State for the 2010 fall semester.

These days, Brown's immediate fate, rests in the hands of the University of Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley, who has previously refused to release the former high school star from his scholarship agreement. So while an appeal is pending and it's easy to see where the tailback's chosen path leads, just when he'll reach his destination is left dangling in space.

"I have 100 percent faith in (Bryce's father) and the whole Brown family," Butler said. "I'm actually on the other line with him right now. Everything he told (ESPN) holds up, of course. Bryce can enroll at Kansas State and will, be he can't have any contact with the coaching staff over there until he gets his release."

So the pressing, at least for now, question remains relevant. Just when will the Brown family and all interested parties get the news, and will just what will it be? Brown's appeal for a previously denied release should come before Aug. 21, but the ruling will be sent by mail, leaving some wiggle room when it comes to setting a hard date for an announcement.

"It's just how they handle the process," Butler said. "We're all just waiting to get the answer."

According to Butler, the written appeal centers around the effects of stresses on Brown's father, Arthur Brown Sr., who has recently fallen ill. But by the time the certified mail is delivered, Brown will already have a K-State course schedule in hand.

"I will confirm that. Mr. Brown spoke to that in his ESPN interview," Butler said. "If we didn't feel that Bryce coming back and going to K-State was the right thing to do, Bryce would still be at Tennessee. This was more of a family issue than a football issue. Obviously, we're dealing with a dad's decision to have his son come back to school closer to home."

Arthur Brown Sr. has asked that media members be denied his phone number as he has no other details of the situation to share at this time. Though word from Brown's camp is that information will be more assessable once any word from the Volunteer program is heard, for now, Wildcat fans will have to join Wichita (Kan.) East High School graduate in his waiting game.

"From my end, once the appeal process is done and we get an answer, I'll have more to say," Butler said. "Right now, I just don't want to mess anything up."

Brown rushed for 460 yards and three touchdowns in limited action as a freshman at Tennessee last season and will have four years to play three seasons at K-State should he be granted his release.