Billy HeyenTue, December 2, 2025 at 6:17 PM UTC·1 min readJames Franklin just flipped a 4-star Penn State commit who has a 5-star name originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
James Franklin's first recruiting class with the Virginia Tech Hokies wouldn't have been complete without this guy.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe's a four-star wide receiver who was already committed to play for Franklin at Penn State. But he's officially flipped.
The recruit: FatRat Brown.
Yeah, FatRat is going to be a Hokie.
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Now, he gets to stay home, too. He's from Richmond, Virginia.
On3's Hayes Fawcett reported the flip on Tuesday, sharing FatRat's quote that "The best in VA stay in VA."
For the record, FatRat's real name is Davion Brown. He's 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds and played at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond.
Based on how these nicknames usually go, FatRat must've been a chubby baby.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn addition to the Penn State offer, his most notable offer was from Georgia, and he had the likes of Duke and Maryland on his offer sheet, too.
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FatRat visited Virginia Tech over the weekend, he told On3.
“I think (Franklin) knows how to create a winning culture and he has been recruiting me for a while now and so the trust and the connection we have built has been special,” Brown told On3.
As a senior, Brown had 26 catches for 638 yards and nine touchdowns as well as 284 rushing yards for eight more TDs. He added a pick-6, a kick return touchdown and a punt return touchdown.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWelcome to Blacksburg, FatRat.
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