With the recent commitments from standouts at L.C. Bird and Thomas Dale high schools, it was a Meadowbrook High athlete’s turn to ascend to the next level.
Brandan Delaney, a big-bodied linebacker/defensive end and offensive lineman, recently pledged to play his college football at Virginia Union University.
“I picked Virginia Union because it’s close to home, not too far,” Delaney said.
The 6-2, 255-pounder graduated from Meadowbrook in June and made his commitment quickly thereafter, giving him and his family two reasons to celebrate in a short period of time.
Delaney started off playing defensive end for head coach Troy Taylor and continued to play the same position under Adam Tiller, who left the Monarchs for Colonial Heights following the 2017-18 school year. However, Delaney said that Virginia Union “most likely” will use him on the offensive line.
“I would compare my game to Trent Williams (of the Washington Redskins),” Delaney said when asked to describe his game. “Dominant, physical and willing to put my body on the line for my team to win.”
As a senior at Meadowbrook, he accumulated 38 “crush blocks,” a stat tracked by the Monarchs. The more common term for these types of blocks where the offensive lineman takes the defensive player out of the equation is a “pancake block.” Delaney also recorded two sacks.
“Playing on both sides of the ball all my life has taught me different things…how to gain leverage, hand placement on a person,” he said. “I have also have the advantage of knowing where defensive players will go because I played over there.”
The Virginia Union Panthers finished 6-4 last season and sported a 5-2 record in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, an NCAA Division II conference. They reeled off four straight wins at one point in the season. Their season ended on a tough note, as they fell to rival Virginia State by the slimmest of margins, 40-39.
