Franklin Central junior defensive end Jayce Brewer is one of the most highly recruited players in the Midwest. The 6-5, 245-pound Brewer flashed as a sophomore for the Flashes, making 38 tackles (30 solo), including 12 for a loss, three sacks, one interception and one caused fumble.
Brewer’s recruitment figures to be a hotly contested battle. The four-star prospect, ranked behind only Lawrence North receiver Monshun Sales and Warren Central defensive back Kaleb Elkins as in-state prospects on the 247Sports composite list for the 2027 class, has Power Four offers from Arizona State, Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Wisconsin.
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A long list. But Brewer has his junior season, not recruiting, first on his mind. Franklin Central went 6-4 last season, the first winning season for the program since 2017. Brewer will likely play a little offense this season, too, lining up at tight end. We caught up with Brewer before Franklin Central’s season opener on Friday night at Perry Meridian:
Q: When did it become clear to you that football was a sport you could play in college?
“I started playing in kindergarten, so I was pretty young, and been playing pretty much my whole life. My freshman year is when I was like, ‘OK.’ We had our college day and that’s when I got my first offer from Toledo so I was like, ‘OK, I can do something big with this.’”
Q: Were you a basketball player growing up?
“I started playing basketball in third grade and I played last year, too (Brewer played in 15 varsity games). I think I’m going to keep playing. I always knew football was for me. Basketball was just something to do.”
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Q: What has it been like for you to see these big offers from power programs come in?
“It’s a blessing but I know I work hard in the offseason, so I know it’s my hard work paying off. I’m just really thankful for God to bless me with all of this.”
Q: What’s your family background in sports?
“My uncle (Jordan Brewer) went to Carmel and Pike and played at Purdue (Jordan Brewer caught 51 passes for 1,007 yards and 15 touchdowns on Carmel’s state championship team in 2007). My mom ran track. My aunt played basketball. My cousin plays basketball at Western Michigan right now (former Avon and Ben Davis standout Jayden Brewer). We have a lot of basketball players in our family.”
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Q: What do you see as your biggest areas for improvement as a junior?
“There’s always something to work on. Every day, I try to work on my hands, work on getting off the line. Just being more explosive overall.”
Q: What do you think of playing tight end?
“I’ll play anything to help my team win.”
Q: One of the coaches said he saw a nasty streak come out in you more this summer. Where did that come from?
“It was just a mindset thing. Last year was my learning year, more of learning experience. Now I’m really on top of everything. Now I got the hang of it, so it’s time to get in that mode.”
Q: What do college coaches say they like about you?
“They like my speed off the edge, my size. But last year I played at 210 (pounds). I put on some weight this offseason. I’m at 245 now. I just got in the weight room and I’ve been eating right. Eating more protein.”
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Q: What are your goals for the season?
“I’m trying to aim for 10 sacks. Last year I had 12 TFLs, so I’m going for 18 to 20.”
Q: Are you expecting teams to play for you differently?
“Oh yeah. I definitely feel like they are going to gameplan for me more, especially because we have a younger D-line. But I feel like if they gameplan for me, my teammates are going to eat too. So there’s not much they can do.”
Q: Do you have some college visits set yet for this season?
“Yeah. Week 1 I’m going to try to get to Ohio State, then Week 2 I’m going to get to IU. Then Week 3 to Notre Dame. I know I’m going to try to get to Tennessee vs. Georgia (Sept. 13 at Tennessee). I don’t know all of them yet. I haven’t set them in stone.”
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Q: Are there any schools you are liking so far?
“I like everybody the same. I haven’t narrowed my choices yet, so I’m just keeping an open mind.”
Q: Who do you lean on to help with those decisions?
“Coach (Jayson) West helps me a lot. He guides me in the right direction. My mom, too.”
Q: What do you like about your team this year?
“I just hope Week 1 and Week 2 we get into our rhythm and then try to win a state championship. That is everybody’s goal, so that’s really what we’re looking towards. I think we’re turning it around, really. Last year was our first winning season since 2017, so I think we’re really turning things around here.”
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Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA football: Q&A with Franklin Central four-star recruit Jayce Brewer
