Putting out an A.P.B. for freshman receiver Marlon Brown may be a bit drastic, but he’s missing from Georgia’s offense to date.

The highly-regarded Memphis product has been on the field for only a handful of plays, and has yet to be targeted by quarterback Joe Cox in the passing attack.

“I don’t know, physically he’s close,” Cox said of the 6-foot-4 Brown. “I mean, I think he could get in games, but I’m not in their meetings. I don’t know exactly how close he is in his process. I think he could definitely contribute, but you know there’s a reason he hasn’t got in a lot this far. I don’t know what that reason is, so I don’t know.”

Brown said he knew coming in he’d need to add weight and strength, and felt like he had a productive summer and preseason workout. But he hasn’t figured into the gameplan yet.

“The season started, and I wasn’t playing,” he said. “I got down a little bit, but after a while I was like, ‘Forget it,’ and I just decided I’d go out and grind every day at practice.”

Georgia has deployed four true freshmen (Branden Smith, Rantavious Wooten, Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch) on offense thus far. All four have had an effect. Brown was projected to be in the mix, vying for playing time and making catches.

He talked to receivers coach Tony Ball, who told him to, “To keep working. That’s all he’s been saying is, ‘Keep working.”

“I think Marlon’s chance is going to come soon enough because he works real hard,” said receiver A.J. Green. “You know, he’s just trying to get better. I think he needs to get his confidence up more and things like that. Just learning the offense.”

Added Brown: “I talked to [Michael Moore] and A.J. about it and they said to keep grinding. A.J. said just to have confidence in yourself out there on the field.”

Brown has the physical look of an SEC wide receiver, and teammates say he has game breaking speed.

“Well we hadn’t really pulled him aside like in my office or anything.but I see a lot guys like that,” said coach Mark Richt. “I actually spoke to him [Wednesday] and just said keep working and keep improving. I’m seeing tremendous improvement in Marlon, he’s smoothing his game out. It’s coming. It’s coming.”

The coaching staff has eased Brown onto the field during games, with every subtle moment a learning experience for him.

“I was real nervous,” he said of his first college play against South Carolina. “In the huddle it was real loud. I was like, ‘what’s the play Joe, what’s the play?’ I got lined up and everything was going so fast. I was just like, ‘please don’t mess up on national television and in front of all these people.”

ESPN broadcasts and 92,000 in Sanford Stadium overwhelmed Brown to a certain extent, but he says he’s “chill” now.

Brown watched as Charles and Smith scored their first collegiate touchdowns. He saw Wooten make two crucial catches last week versus Arizona State. He said he knows his time will come, and he’d be ready to make the play when the chance arises.

“I think he’s very close,” Wooten said. “He comes to practice every day. Of course, we’re freshmen, we’re going to make mistakes; it’s going to happen. We come to practice everyday to get better and the coaches believe that we can make plays.”

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbsteit labeled Brown as a top-five freshman to watch in the preseason. Those expectations won’t be met, but Brown, who said he needs work on his hips and route running, still has a chance to gain valuable experience. After all, he is 18, and in his first year on a college campus.

“Any great receiver is looking to play and compete,” Wooten said. “That’s why you come to Georgia, is to compete. Just do what you can do man.”