OXFORD — Bralon Brown admitted Friday that he had some moments where he second-guessed his decision to stay at Ole Miss.

Brown didn’t specifically mention the transfer portal when he was asked if he ever considered leaving Ole Miss after last season. Instead, he pointed to a turning point in his internal dialogue — a visit with former Ole Miss star and current Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown.

“Nowadays everyone is quick to leave, but we had AJ Brown come in over the summer. He was talking to us about how he dislikes the portal and how it’s all about staying down and staying true to the people who recruited you and just trust in the process. That’s what he preached to me — trust the process. I’m trusting it. I’m going to keep trusting it.”

Brown said he pulled the Eagles’ star aside after the group talk and chatted one-on-one for another 15-20 minutes.

“I felt like God wanted me to hear that message,” Bralon Brown said. “At the time, I was overthinking. I was thinking, ‘Man, what’s it going to be?’ He came in and said, ‘Trust it. It’s a slow grind but nothing good comes fast. Nothing that is substantial that lasts for a long period of time comes fast. You have to grind for everything.’”

Brown wowed in preseason camp in 2021 before an injury sidelined him for several weeks. When he returned, the Miramar, Fla., native played in six games, primarily on special teams. Brown played in just four games last season, making one catch for 11 yards. He was ultimately redshirted, though he was allowed to appear in the Texas Bowl versus Texas Tech without it impacting his eligibility.

“The last two years, especially my sophomore year, I had to sit behind a bunch of guys. …(Ole Miss coach Lane) Kiffin’s offense, as you guys know, is one of the top. It’s really difficult and it took me a minute to get really adjusted and to really learn. The talent was there, but now the coaches are starting to develop trust.”

Brown said he simply had to master the offense so he could play faster without thinking. It’s not as easy as it sounds, Brown said Friday. However, as the Rebels’ Sept. 2 opener versus Mercer approaches, Brown is working with the starting offense frequently and figures to be a big part of Ole Miss’ offensive plan.

“I’ve been blessed with the chance to start running with the 1s,” Brown said. “Toward the end of the season last year, it was my first chance to get real reps with the 1s and I was grateful for the opportunity. I just have my head down, steady. I stayed down for two years and everything’s finally starting to play off.

“Right now I feel like I felt my senior year in high school. I’m as comfortable as can be. My first two years it wasn’t like that.”

Brown credited the older receivers in the Rebels’ program for guiding him through the past two seasons.

“Every time I got down on myself, from (Jonathan) Mingo to Malik (Heath) to (Dayton) Wade to (Dontarrio) Drummond to Braylon Sanders, they were always there to pick me up,” Brown said. “That’s what I love about this team and that’s what I love about this group. They see somebody down, they’re not going to let you stay down. They’re going to pull you right back up. They’re going to tell you what you need to work on. They’re going to keep it real with you. They’re going to help you.”

“Play-making ability and everything you need when it comes to playing ball, he had it,” Wade said. “It was just the small things — beating yourself up, knowing what to do, too much thinking. Game speed and real speed are totally different. …His game-speed had to increase and that comes with knowing what to do. Being able to play multiple positions, that made it even better.”

Brown said he knows the learning and development process is ongoing. Even though it’s his third year in the program, he’s watching his elders.

“I steal from D Wade all the time,” Brown said. “I steal from (Louisiana Tech transfer) Tre Harris all the time. I watch their film. I sit back and watch them take reps and I take from them and apply it to my game and vice-versa. It’s just a blessing.”