2023 – %Senior
• Elected to return for a sixth year, taking advantage of the NCAA’s ruling to grant an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Four-year letterwinner who has seen action in 45 career games with 13 starting assignments
• Has totaled 22 career receptions for 183 yards and two scores

2022 – Senior
• Played in 11 games with seven starts in 2022, missing the last two games of the season with a shoulder injury
• Finished the season with 10 receptions (sixth-highest on the team) for 99 yards and one score
• Hauled in his second-career touchdown on a six-yard reception in the first quarter vs. Miami (Ohio), his only reception of the game
• Had two catches for a career-best 47 yards in the win over Youngstown State
• Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll
• Dean’s List (Fall 2022)

2021 – Junior
• Played in all 13 games with six starts in 2021
• Had 11 receptions for 70 yards (5.4) and one score
• Earned his first career start vs. ULM and also started vs. Missouri, LSU, Tennessee, Louisville and Iowa
• Caught a season-high-tying two passes at No. 1 Georgia and vs. Tennessee
• Caught his first collegiate touchdown with a four-yard catch vs. ULM
• Named to SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll

2020 – Sophomore
• Played in six games in 2020
• Missed five games with injury
• Made his first collegiate catch, a 14-yarder in the third quarter, vs. Mississippi State

2019 – r-Freshman
• Saw action in 13 games, mostly on special teams

2018 – Freshman
• Saw action in two games
• Redshirt season
• First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll

High School
• One of the nation’s top-20 tight ends by Rivals
• Noted for his receiving ability, a difficult skill to find among tight ends in the high school ranks
• Caught 17 passes for 305 yards with 11 touchdowns as a senior at Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati
• Totaled 250 yards receiving on 14 catches with five scores as a junior
• Two-time first-team All-Greater Catholic League selection
• Accepted an invitation to the 2018 Team USA Under-19 National Team for International Bowl IX
• Coached by John Rodenberg
• Three-year letterwinner in track in the 200-meters and discus throw and was a power forward/center for two seasons on the basketball team
• Was a member of the Improv Club
• Received offers from the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference, including schools such as Vanderbilt, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, West Virginia, Louisville and Pittsburgh

Personal
• Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Son of Doug and Kelly Bates
• Has two siblings, Morgan and Doug Jr.
• Comes from a family of athletes as father played football at Indiana, mother played volleyball at Morehead State, brother, Doug, played tight end at Toledo, sister, Morgan played lacrosse at Cincinnati and grandfather, Gene Neff, played basketball at Kentucky under Coach Adolph Rupp from 1951-52
• Graduated in August of 2022 with a degree in consumer economics and family financial counseling … Currently working on a second degree in communication

Brenden Says
• His nickname is “Batesy”
• Most people don’t know that he is extremely good at the worm
•  A muscular Will Ferrell or Chris Pratt would play him in a movie about his life
• If he could only eat three foods for the rest of his life he would choose spicy chicken sandwiches, carrots with ranch, and Philly cheese steaks
• The best part of being a Kentucky Wildcat is meeting great people and being a part of something special