Sonny Dykes addresses Brione Ramsey-Brooks’ newfound viral fame

It’s hard not to notice TCU freshman offensive lineman Brione “Big Bubba” Ramsey-Brooks. At 6-foot-5 and weighing 455 pounds, Ramsey-Brooks stands out in any room, even among a football roster that includes other massive human beings.

A photo of Ramsey-Brooks’ profile on TCU’s website was posted to Twitter last week, causing even those outside of Fort Worth to take notice the freshman and his size. More pictures emerged after showing just how large of frame he has. Horned Frogs coach Sonny Dykes joined On3‘s Andy Staples to explain how the offensive lineman has handled all the attention.

“I think he was surprised,” Dykes said. “We all were a little bit. But these things sometimes take on a life of their own. We’re not sure why they do. I guess there’s a little bit of curiosity because he’s a big guy. There’s not that many 450-pound college football players out there. But he’s a guy that’s gonna play big. He’s a big person and he’s gonna eventually get down into 300s. That’s where he’s gonna end up playing.

“He’s handled it well. …He’s one of those kids that just wants to go to work and realizes he’s got some work to do. But as I said, he’s really talented. He’s a super kid. He’s a lot of fun. Kid’s got a ton of personality and I’m excited about his future.”

Ramsey Brooks is a three-star recruit coming out of South Oak Cliff (TX) High School. He ranked as the No. 1,376 prospect in the nation and No. 126 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 cycle according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

For all the fanfare about Ramsey-Brooks’ size, he likely won’t see the field much until he can get his weight down. That’s something that Dykes has seen him work hard at in the few months he’s been on campus, praising his work ethic.

But even now at 455 pounds, Ramsey-Brooks has shown he’s more athletic than he appears.

“He’s actually doing well,” Dykes said. “He’s much further along than we thought he would be for a guy that, coming in, we knew he was gonna be a little bit of a project. …He’s surprisingly athletic for as big as he is. The thing that I love about Brione is that he’s worked really hard. He’s got a great work ethic. He came in and we started slow and kind of progressed. We knew he needed to get into shape and we weren’t just gonna throw him out there Day 1.

“He’s progressed. He’s probably ahead of the benchmark that we thought he would be at and he’s a really, really good athlete. I think he’s learning how to work. I’m really excited about his future. He’s a great kid. Has got a great personality. He’s obviously got tremendous size and for someone his size he can really move. So he’s one of those kids that, if he continues to progress, he’s got a bright future.”