By Jeremy Crabtree

updated 10:14 p.m. ET Nov. 18, 2009

MURRIETA, Calif. - Opposing coaches have compared Vista Murrieta junior Derrick Brown’s game to Tim Tebow’s style of play. It’s only fitting that Brown, who will be one of California’s top prospects in 2011, views the Florida quarterback as his role model.

“I admire Tim Tebow,” said Brown, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound dual-threat quarterback who has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and rushed for more than 600 so far this season. “He’s tough. He’s tenacious. When he’s hurt, he doesn’t let the defense know. He runs the ball really hard, and he also has touch on his passes. I try to be like him with my play.

“I study Tim Tebow and what he does even when he’s off the field. I really model how he is a leader. When he doesn’t have the ball, what does he do? When he does have the ball, what does he do? I look at how he controls his offense. Those are all things I try to emulate with my game.”

Vista coach Coley Candaele admits Brown has a long way to go before anybody can truly compare him to Tebow, but the coach can also see why the talk is there.

“The similarities are the fact that they’re both big kids that think of themselves more of a running back than necessarily a quarterback,” Candaele said. “Derrick likes contact. He likes to hit. He’s 6-3, 230. Those qualities make you think of Tim Tebow’s game. He’s not quite to that level yet. But he’s somebody that Derrick looks up to that plays a similar game.”

Candaele saw potential in Brown early.

The Vista staff moved him to quarterback late in his freshman season and started him as a sophomore, and the results speak for themselves. Vista won the Southwestern League this season, and they open the Inland Division CIF Southern Section playoffs on Friday night against Corona Santiago as one of the division’s top seeds.

Brown has had big games both through the air and on the ground, including four-touchdown performances against Santiago and Palos Verdes Peninsula.

“He was a varsity basketball player as a freshman, so we knew he could move,” Candaele said. “He has a gun for an arm. It’s just a natural transition and position to play. I think he would have preferred to play defense, but he’s really started to dive into his role as a quarterback.

“You just don’t know how kids are going to develop, but the sky’s the limit for him. The more he understands about the game of football, the better he’s going to get. As he learns the quarterback position and understands why things happen the way they do, he’s going to get better and better.”

Brown is already good enough to be on the recruiting radars of UCLA, Oregon and USC, and he admits he grew up a big fan of the Trojans.

“Oregon, UCLA and USC have been sending me mail,” Brown said. “I grew up a fan of USC because of their tradition and all the great players that have come out of USC and gone on to the next level. I just hope somebody is going to give me an opportunity to make an impact on the next level.”

Also on NBCSports.com Out of Bounds: Katrina survivor pens hit Saints song Rosenthal: Colts will be team to beat next season NBA: ProBasketballTalk is here! Check out new blog NCAA BK: Who's in, who's out? Updated bracket projections Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Confident new Gator Rivals.com: Five recruiting sleepers Rivals.com: Top 25 signing classes Rivals.com: Top five impact freshmen Kentucky hires Tee Martin as WR coach FanHouse: FSU recruits, fans flocking to Fisher CFT: Bowden, Florida St. officially stripped of 12 wins   Slideshow: Catch up on all the coaching changes CFT: Tebow commercial was much ado about nothing CFT: Top recruit Henderson ‘back on the market’ College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: