Brandon Magee: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Arizona State OLB

Arizona State linebacker Brandon Magee (5’11”, 223 lbs) is looking forward to being drafted for the fourth time. Major League Baseball has tried to scoop him up three times.

With 113 total tackles in 2012, the redshirt senior is expected to be selected in the NFL draft as well. Before he suits up with his new team, here’s a quick rundown of the 22-year-old ‘backer.

Background

Full Name: Brandon Alonzo Magee

Birthday: Oct. 22, 1990

Hometown: Corona, California

High School: Centennial High School

Major: Exploratory

Year: Redshirt senior

Brandon Magee was a medical redshirt in 2011. He watched the entire season play out from the sidelines because of an Achilles tendon tear.

Magee had already started 11 of 11 games as a junior in 2010.

Statistics

2008: 8 games, 11 total tackles

2009: 12 games, 34 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception

2010: 12 games, 73 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 pass deflections

2011: Missed year (Achilles)

2012: 12 games, 113 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 2 interceptions, 1 pass deflection

Brandon Magee increased his overall production with each passing season as an active member of the Arizona State Sun Devils football team. He started out as a special-teamer and finished with second-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Magee’s only career touchdown was the result of a 45-yard pick-six against Northern Arizona in his senior season’s opening game. He recorded 17 total tackles (14 solo) against Arizona on Nov. 23.

Draft Process

Measurables

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 223 pounds

Arm Length: 28 3/4”

Hand Size: 9 1/8” 

Combine Results 

40-yard dash: 4.74

Broad jump: 114”

Pro Day Results

40-yard dash: 4.56

Broad jump: 108”

Brandon Magee didn’t do the bench press workout at the NFL Scouting Combine because of a hurt elbow, per NFLDraftScout.com. His 40 time improved markedly (.18 seconds) between the combine and his March 8 pro day.

His 10-yard splits were within .02 seconds, though, and his broad jump trended in the opposite direction.

Combine results from NFL.com. Pro Day results from NFLDraftScout.com.

Interesting Facts

Brandon Magee has a contract with the Boston Red Sox, the third Major League Baseball team to draft the Arizona State linebacker/outfielder.

The Tampa Bay Rays claimed him 863rd overall in 2008, followed by the Oakland A’s at No. 646 in 2011 and Boston at 721 in 2012. According to Fox Sports Arizona, Magee called baseball his “first love,” but he batted .103 in 27 collegiate games, collecting just three hits.

He also got hit by a pitch three times.

He’s so good at football, though, that he was one of 51 players on the Butkus Award (given to the nation’s best linebacker) watch list in 2012—despite missing the entire preceding season.

Magee was a (football) team captain, too.

Bo Jackson once called him to talk about being a two-sport athlete. It’ll be interesting to see Magee’s progress on both fronts.

Observations

Brandon Magee should be a pretty good interview once he gets to the NFL. He told ESPN.com’s Kevin Gemmell that no question is off-limits. He’s in support of the BCS playoff system—college football’s hot-button issue at the time of the interview—but we’ll see if his “I’ll answer anything” approach changes when his new NFL coach gets a hold of him.

AZCentral.com’s Doug Haller writes:

"

Seven years ago, [Magee] lost his best friend. Dominic Redd, then a freshman at Corona Centennial High, was beaten and stabbed as he walked home from school.

"A lot of people told me I need to take him to a counselor," Tia Magee [Brandon’s mother] said. "He said just to give him time. He grew his hair out to a fro. He grew a beard at one point. I just left him alone. It affected him a great deal."

Magee said it changed his life.

"Every time I get tired and feel like giving up, I think about Dominic and how much energy he had when he played football," he said. "I can't let him down. ... I want to make it (to the next level) for him, and once I get there, I'm going to take care of my mom and his mom."

 

"

Magee has never tried alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana or muscle supplements. He only tried soda once, but “never tried it again,” because he “hated the bubbles.”

Follow Brandon Magee on Twitter @BMagee8. Follow Jamal Collier on Twitter @StatManJ.