![Brandin Echols - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics Brandin Echols - Football - University of Kentucky Athletics](https://ukathletics.com/imgproxy/GWQMXL9NlrExL6yuRQNYUxv7O7OMNO3PIoU6oPqiiI0/fit/600/800/ce/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdG9yYWdlLmdvb2dsZWFwaXMuY29tL3VrYXRobGV0aWNzLWNvbS8yMDIwLzA4L2UyZGQzMTMzLWVjaG9sc19icmFuZG9uXzIwMTlfZml4ZWQuanBn.png)
BrandinEchols
- position Defensive Back
- height 5-11
- Weight 178
- class Senior
- Hometown Southaven, Miss.
- Previous School Northwest Mississippi CC
- High school Southaven
Career
- Played in 24 career games in his two-year career with 22 straight starting assignments
- Totaled 108 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 11 PBU, two forced fumbles and an interception
- Had a career-high 10 tackles vs. Mississippi State (9/21/19)
- First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll and SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll (2019)
- Dean’s List (Spring 2019)
- Graduated in December of 2020 with a degree in community and leadership development
2020 – Senior
- Started in all 11 games in 2020
- Fourth on the team in tackles with 54 … also had 2.0 tackles for loss, two PBU and an interception
- Made his first career interception in the Gator Bowl on NC State’s first possession and returned it eight yards to midfield … Totaled seven tackles in the game
- Led UK with seven tackles vs. No. 1 Alabama
- Invited to the 2021 Hula Bowl
2019 – Junior
- Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
- Honorable mention flex defender (PFF)
- Started at corner in 11 of the last 13 games played
- Had 52 tackles (fourth on the team), a team-high nine PBUs, two forced fumbles (tied for second on the team), 2.5 TFL and a sack
- Tied for 14th in the SEC passes defended (0.75)
- Had a career-high 10 tackles vs. Mississippi State … Also got a sack/caused fumble in the third quarter his first for both plays at Kentucky
- Earned first career start vs. Florida
- Had three PBUs in his debut vs. Toledo, the most by a UK player since Derrick Baity vs. Northwestern on Dec. 29, 2017
- Mid-year enrollee
- Dean’s List (Spring 2019)
Junior College
- Went to junior college as a receiver but switched to defense back in his freshman season and found his niche
- A three-star recruit who ranked as the fifth-best cornerback among junior college recruits by Rivals
- Earned NJCAA second-team All-America honors
- Named first-team All-MACJC and All-Region 23 NJCAA in 2018 after leading the MACJC and ranking second in the NJCAA with six interceptions
- His 12 pass breakups ranked fourth in the country
- Added 49 tackles, a forced fumble and blocked kick in helping lead Northwest to an 8-2 record and a No. 8 national ranking in the NJCAA
- Coached by Benjy Parker
High School
- Played for head coach Ed Rich at Southaven
- Totaled 11 total tackles, two sacks and an interception as a senior
- Offensively, caught 29 passes for 406 yards and four TDs and rushed for 906 yards and eight TDs
- Added 604 return yards with four touchdowns
- Also played basketball and ran track as a senior, earning a spot on Clarion-Ledger’s All-State boys’ track team after winning the state championship in the long jump
- Chose Kentucky over offers from Ole Miss, Houston and Memphis
Personal
- Born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Son of Antonio and Ecstacy Williams
- Has three sisters, Desiree Williams, Taylor Williams, and Victoria Williams
Brandin Says
- His nickname is “Beezy”
- He chose Kentucky because it was a great opportunity
- When he played football as a kid he pretended he was Terrell Owens
- After his football career, he would like to be involved with community service work
- One word to describe him on the field is “dawg”