Kyson Brown gears up for rebound season through lead-by-example approach

(Photo: Spencer Barnes/WCSN)

After spending two seasons at Tupelo High School in Mississippi, running back Kyson Brown traveled almost 600 miles to move to Lancaster, Texas. His lone season as a Lancaster Tiger resulted in 707 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns that made him a three-star prospect and brought 13 Division I offers to his doorstep.

Despite the cross-country move paving the way for an eventual commitment to Arizona State in the first year of the Kenny Dillingham tenure in Tempe, Brown’s high school transition from Mississippi to Texas forced him to spend his entire junior season away from the varsity level due to the state’s transfer rules; a pill nearly impossible to swallow for the running back.

“I love football, and this is what I do for a living,” Brown said. “I put my all into it. I work hard every day, so just not being able to really see those rewards or reap those benefits kind of hurts a little bit.”

Four years later, Brown was kept away from the football field once again due to a different series of circumstances.

The then-redshirt sophomore back was to assume starting duties following two years spent behind Cam Skattebo, but after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 of the 2025 season, Brown only appeared in two of ASU’s nine remaining regular-season games and was not cleared in time to play in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

In the months following his injury-riddled season, Brown leaned on those closest to him to keep his spirits high and stay focused on recovering what he lost in 2026.

“I think my support system is great,” Brown said. “My family, my friends, they always was in my corner, keeping me uplifted. I’m really grateful for those people in my life.”

Brown also took it upon himself to utilize the time spent on the sideline as a learning opportunity in supporting his teammates and contributing to the program away from the football field.

“I learned a lot of different things,” Brown said. “How to be a team player and just come out and cheer on the guys and help in whatever way I can. I think that it just helped me build my character a little bit more.

“I’ve always been a lead-by-example type of guy, not more of a rah-rah type of guy. I think the whole process allowed me to be more vocal and express the things I’ve been through and the experiences I have. Just kind of share that with some of the people around.”

As a result of the latest transfer portal window, the redshirt junior running back is one of three returners in the position group alongside redshirt freshman Jason Brown Jr. and freshman Demarius “Man Man” Robinson.

ASU running backs coach Shaun Aguano, heading into his fourth consecutive season of overseeing Brown’s development, went out of his way to challenge him to pour over the leadership skills he developed during his recovery process into spring practices with the abundance of new faces entering the running back corps.

“I think he gets better and better,” Aguano said. “He’s probably the most comfortable in this scheme. Now, can you lead? Can you make everybody else get up to your standards? He’s done an incredible job. He’s probably one of my brightest guys in there.”

New faces such as redshirt senior and Villanova transfer David Avit haven’t shied away from viewing Brown’s four years of experience within the program as a resource to help sharpen their own skills amongst the fierce competition at the Bill Kajikawa Practice Fields.

“He don’t make mistakes,” Avit said. “That guy, you can tell that he’s been here, he’s focused, and he’s locked in. I’m always picking his brain, trying to figure out what’s thinking. ‘Hey, on this play, how are you running like this? Why did you take that step this time?’ And he’ll explain it, and you can tell the maturity in him.”

Brown also hasn’t neglected to maintain his close relationship with former Sun Devil Raleek Brown, even after his decision to transfer to Texas during the offseason.

“That’s a brother for life,” Brown said. “We have a far, far, far relationship beyond football. He’ll be my brother for life, and we share a lot of stories. We still communicate to this day. I’m rooting for him over there at Texas, and I’m sure he’s doing the same thing for me.”

Dillingham’s plan to utilize offensive formations that feature two running backs next season puts Brown in a position to potentially gain back the in-game experience he lost out on a year ago.

However, the fourth-year head coach has also been adamant about encouraging competition within the position group this spring in order to allow the pecking order to gradually figure itself out.

A starting spot on the depth chart for a second straight season is something that’ll have to be earned rather than given, yet considering the months-long battle he fought to be in this spot, Brown is no stranger to doing what’s necessary.

“(Kyson) is that level guy, and he’s going to work,” Aguano said. “He’s the type of guy that whoever hires him later on, he’s going to be successful, and he’s going to move up the ladder because he does everything right on the field, off the field. Does everything right.”