![Barion Brown - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics Barion Brown - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/imgproxy/E1fkuvc2BhE7SIX5m_9S84_iM2p7tzLK-y0tXbXR5hE/fit/600/800/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3VrYXRobGV0aWNzLWNvbS8yMDIxLzEyLzFjOWQ4NTJhLWJyb3duX2Jhcmlvbl8yMDIzXzAyLXNjYWxlZC5qcGc.png)
BarionBrown
- position Wide Receiver
- height 6-1
- Weight 182
- class Junior
- Hometown Nashville, Tenn.
- High school Pearl-Cohn
2024 – Junior
• Preseason First Team All-America, RS (Sporting News)
• Preseason Second Team All-America, RS (Athlon, USA Today)
• Preseason Fourth Team All-American, WR (Athlon)
• Preseason Second Team All-America, RS (Phil Steele)
• Preseason First Team All-SEC (Coaches, Media, Phil Steele, Athlon)
• Jet Award Preseason Watch List
• Hornung Award Preseason Watch List
• Reese’s Senior Bowl Bowl
- Has 2,407 career all-purpose yards with 1,167 yards receiving, 145 yards rushing, 1,016 kick return yards and 79 punt return yards
- Holds the UK records and tied the SEC records for most kickoff return touchdowns in a career (4) and season (3)
- Led the nation in 2023 in kickoff returns by averaging 36.0 yards per runback; that mark ranks 17th all-time in college football (since 1976) for a single season
- Became just the second player in school history to have a rushing, receiving and kickoff return for a touchdown in the same game when he did it last season vs. Clemson in the Gator Bowl
- Only player in the nation to chart three kickoff returns for touchdowns since South Florida’s Brian Battie in 2021
- Has caught a pass in every game he has played (26)
2023 – Sophomore
• All-Bowl Team (AP)
• First Team All-America (Sporting News)
• Second Team All-America (247)
• Second Team All-America (CBS Sports)
• Third Team All-American (CFN)
• First Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
• First Team All-SEC (Pro FB Focus)
• Second Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• Second Team All-SEC (AP)
• SEC Special Teams Player of the Week (9/4)
• Has compiled 1,167 career yards receiving, moving up to No. 28 on UK’s all-time receiving yards list
• Has made a reception in every game as a Wildcat (26)
• Started in 12 of 13 games played
• Had a team-high 43 catches for 539 yards and four scores in 2023
• Also had 12 rushes for 147 yards and one rushing TD
• Totaled a team-high 16 kick returns for 576 yards and a nation-high three touchdowns … Also had three punt returns for 51 yards (17.0 ypr)
• Led the nation in kickoff returns by averaging 36 yards per runback … Broke the UK single-season and career records for KO return average
• Returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, breaking the UK single-season and career record (4) for kickoff return TDs … Tied the SEC records in both categories
• Named the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Most Valuable Player and named to the All-Bowl team by The Associated Press after totaling three receptions for 100 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown reception … Adding two carries for 26 yards and a 22-yard touchdown rushing (the first of his career) and a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, his third TD return of the season and the fourth of his career
• His kickoff return for a TD, which was credited as 102 yards according to the Bowl’s stat crew, is the longest in TaxSlayer Gator Bowl history, a record previously held by Andre Debose of Florida (99 yards) against Ohio State on Jan. 2, 2012
• His kickoff return for a TD is the second for a Kentucky player in a bowl game … The other was by David Jones against East Carolina (99 yards, also at the beginning of the second half) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2, 2009
• Became the second player in school history to have a rushing, receiving and kickoff return for a touchdown in the same game … Last to do so was Don “Dopey” Phelps vs. Michigan State in 1946 … Also marked the first game of his career with both receiving and rushing TD
• Named SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week (11/27) after returning a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against No. 9 Louisville … Also caught two passes for 48 yards, including a crucial 23-yard catch that set up Ray Davis’ game-winning touchdown run … Had a career-high 250 all-purpose yards on the day, 180 on kickoff returns, 48 receiving and 22 rushing
• Is just the third player in school history with a kickoff return touchdown in consecutive seasons, joining Craig Yeast (1996-1998) and Derrick Locke (2008-2009)
• Had two 100+ yard games this season (100 vs. Clemson and 105 vs. Vanderbilt) … Now has four in his career
• Hornung Award Watch List for the nation’s most versatile player
2022 – Freshman
• College All-True Freshman Team (PFF)
• True Freshman All-American (On3.com)
• Third-Team Freshman All-American (CFN)
• Fourth-Team All-American (Phil Steele)
• Freshman All-SEC Team (Coaches)
• Second-Team All-SEC – KR (Phil Steele)
• Fourth-Team All-SEC -WR (Phil Steele)
• Midseason True Freshman All-American (247 Sports and On3.com)
• SEC co-Freshman of the Week (10/3)
• SEC Special Teams Player of the Week (9/5)
• SEC co-Freshman of the Week (9/26)
• First Wildcat to win a SEC weekly award three times in a single season since Lynn Bowden Jr. in 2019
• Ranked tied for second nationally and led the SEC with one kickoff return for a touchdown
• Ranked fourth nationally and fourth in the SEC in kick return average (27.5)
• Ranked 24th nationally and third in the SEC combined kick return yardage (440)
• Ranked fourth in the SEC in kick returns (16)
• Played in all 13 games with seven starting assignments
• Recorded a team-best 50 catches for a team-high 628 yards, averaging 12.6 yards per catch with four scores (second-highest)
• Concluded the season the freshman record holder for most receiving yards in a season with 628 and most pass receptions in a season with 50
• His four touchdowns receiving are the second-most touchdown receptions by a freshman in program history … Teammate Dane Key holds the record with six
• Caught 10 passes for 145 yards, season highs in both categories, vs. No. 1 Georgia … Also caught UK’s lone touchdown, an 8-yard aerial in the fourth quarter … The 10 catches were the most by a UK freshman since Chad Scott had 10 vs. South Carolina in 2000 … The 145 yards were the second-most by a Wildcat freshman, Garrett Johnson had 154 at Florida in 2014 … The 145 yards also were the second-most for a Wildcat vs. a No. 1-ranked team (Rick Kestner had 185 in the win vs. Ole Miss in 1964)
• Caught seven passes for 62 yards in the win over Mississippi State
• Accounted for a career-best 245 all-purpose yards with only five touches at Ole Miss … Caught two passes for 81 yards, including a 51-yard catch-and-run that put UK in scoring position on the last possession … Also had three kickoff returns for 164 yards, an average of 54.7 yards … His 164 kickoff return yards set a new single-game freshman record … In the first quarter, he set up a touchdown with an 85-yard kickoff return … Earned SEC co-Freshman of the Week honors
• Caught four passes for 102 yards and his first two UK receiving touchdowns in his first career start vs. Northern Illinois … Had a 70-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown in the third quarter that is his longest of the season … Named SEC co-Freshman of the Week (9/26), his second SEC honor this season
• Just the second UK freshman with 100 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the same game, also Garrett Johnson at Florida in 2014
• Named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week (9/5) after scoring his first career touchdown on a 100-yard kickoff return out of halftime in his collegiate debut vs. Miami (Ohio) … Became the first UK player to score on a kickoff return and a 100-yard kickoff return since Derrick Locke vs. Louisville on Sept. 19, 2009 … Marked the 19th time in program history that a UK player has scored on a kickoff return … 15 players have accomplished the feat … Six Wildcats have had 100-yard KO returns, done a total of seven times (Derrick Locke twice) … First UK freshman with a kickoff return touchdown since Kio Sanford in 1994 … Also caught three passes for 45 yards
• Had his first career rush for three yards and one catch in the win at Florida
High School
• A five-star prospect who ranked as high as the No. 2 wide receiver nationally and No. 2 prospect in Tennessee by on3.com
• The all-around athlete played several positions for head coach Tony Brunetti at Pearl-Cohn High School, including quarterback, running back, receiver, defensive back and kick returner during his senior season
• Earned the Tennessee Titans Class 4A Mr. Football Award
• Finished his senior year with 897 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 59 carries
• Also caught 22 passes for 303 yards and three scores
• Defensively, had 24 tackles with two for loss
• Helped lead the Firebirds to an 11-2 overall record with a second-place finish in Class 4A Region 5
• Selected to the All-American Bowl’s East roster
• Also excelled on the track and fi eld team as a back-to-back state Tennessee state champion in the 100- and 200-meter dash
• Is Pearl-Cohn’s record holder in both events
• His 10.49 second Ɵ me in the 100-meters in spring of 2021 is the third-fastest TSSAA state meet time since 1985, in any class
• Named Track Player of the Year
• Chose Kentucky over Alabama, TCU and LSU
Personal
• Name is pronounced “BEAR-ee-ON”
• Born in Nashville, Tennessee
• Son of Shomika Brown and Barry Moore
• Has one brother, Erion
• Major is community and leadership development
Barion Says
• His nickname is “B7”
• He chose Kentucky because he just loved everything about it
• One word to describe him on the field is “unbelievable”
• Other than playing football, his dream job is to become a coach
• If he could eat one meal for the rest of his life it would be pizza