Career
• Transferred to Kentucky after three seasons at Virginia Tech and played in 60 career games (23 at UK) with 56 starts (20 at UK)
• Finished his career with 194 career receptions for 2,604 yards and 15 touchdowns (14 receiving, one punt return TD) … Also had 67 punt returns for 639 yards
• Had 1,049 receiving yards and ranked No. 33 on UK’s all-time receiving yards list
• Ranked in the top 25 on the NCAA’s active career lists in receptions (23rd) and receiving yards (21st)
• Had three 100-yard games in his career, all at UK
• Two-year letterwinner at UK

2023 – %Senior
• Elected to return for a fifth year, taking advantage of the NCAA’s ruling to grant an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Ranked second on the team in receiving yards (552) and was third in receptions (41)
• Had five punt returns for 22 yards (4.4 yards per return) and had four kick returns for 44 yards (11.0 yards per return)
• Caught five passes for 91 yards in the win over Mississippi State
• Made a team-high-tying six catches for a team-high 136 yards and a career-high-tying two touchdowns in the win over EKU … Scored UK’s first two touchdowns, giving the Wildcats a 14-10 lead that they did not relinquish
• Led Kentucky with five receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown in the win over Akron

2022 – Senior
• Transferred to Kentucky after three seasons at Virginia Tech
• Mid-year enrollee in January of 2022
• Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
• Has played in 47 career games with 44 starts
• Played in 11 games with eight starts this season
• Did not play vs. Mississippi State or Louisville with injury
• Has 153 career receptions for 2,052 yards and 11 touchdowns (10 receiving, one punt return TD) … Also has 62 punt returns for 617 yards
• Totaled 40 catches (second on the team) for 497 yards (third-most) and three touchdowns in 2022 … Also had eight rushes for 38 yards and 15 punt returns for 83 yards
• Has two 100-yard games in his career, both at UK
• Had a streak of catching a pass in 35 consecutive games … Ended vs. No. 1 Georgia on Nov. 19
• Set career highs with seven catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Northern Illinoins … His 69-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter was the longest play of his collegiate career and his first touchdown at Kentucky
• Caught a career-high-tying six passes for 136 yards in his UK debut vs. Miami Ohio … Most receiving yards for any Wildcat in his first game at UK (the previous record was Wan’Dale Robinson’s 125 yards in the 2021 season opener … Tied for the third-most in a season opener by a Wildcat
• Eclipsed 100 receiving yards in the first half of his Kentucky debut (five catches for 123 yards)
• Playing the previous three seasons at Virginia Tech, his previous career bests were six catches for 98 yards
• Had a career-high four rushing attempts at Florida
• Preseason Second-Team All-SEC, PR (Phil Steele)
• Preseason Third-Team All-SEC (Coaches)
• Preseason Third-Team All-SEC, WR (Phil Steele)

2021 – Junior (Virginia Tech)
• Started in all 12 games
• Led the Hokies in receptions (44) and receiving touchdowns (5) and was second on the team in receiving yards (559)
• Also the Hokies’ primary punt returner, averaging 13.67 yards and returning one punt for a 60-yard touchdown
• Ended the regular season ranking third in the FBS with 328 punt return yards
• His 13.7-yard punt return average ranked fifth in the nation
• Named ACC Co-Specialist of the Week (9/27) after racking up 140 all-purpose yards, including a 60-yard return for a touchdown vs. Richmond
• Earned ESPN All-ACC Midseason Team honors

2020 – Sophomore (Virginia Tech)
• Started in all 11 games
• Team’s leading receiver with 38 catches for 592 yards … Ranked second on the squad with three TD catches
• Also returned 10 punts for a total of 21 yards and rushed the ball seven Ɵ mes for 48 yards
• Recorded a season-high fi ve passes for 42 yards vs. Miami
• Tied a season-high with fi ve recepƟ ons for a career-best 98 yards, including a 60-yard TD vs. Virginia

2019 – Freshman (Virginia Tech)
• Played in all 11 games with seven starts as a true freshman
• Tied for second on the squad with 31 receptions, good for 404 yards with a long catch of 71 yards with one TD
• Named to the PFF College All-Freshman Team as a punt returner, was the highest-graded true freshman punt returner (83.0) in the naƟ on and the eighth-highest overall among players with at least 10 punt returns
• Led Tech with 13 punt returns for 185 yards (14.2 avg.) with a long of 35 yards
• Also rushed the ball 11 times for 139 yards
• Started in the Belk Bowl vs. Kentucky, posting two catches for 18 yards, an 11-yard punt return and a five-yard run

High School
• A four-star prospect coming out of Frank W. Cox
• Rated the No. 6 player in Virginia in the Class of 2019 by Rivals
• Rated No. 12 and No. 16 by 247Sports and ESPN, respectively
• Ranked the No. 17 athlete by Rivals, No. 37 by 247Sports and No. 54 by ESPN
• Played quarterback, running back and receiver on offense
• Four-year starter for head coach Bill Stachelski
• Accounted for 1,635 yards – 539 passing, 1,096 rushing – and 21 touchdowns as a senior
• Defensively, returned three interceptions for touchdowns and returned a punt for a score as a defensive back
• Two-time conference champion
• Also a four-year starter at point guard for the basketball team

Personal
• Name is pronounced “TAY-vee-on”
• Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• Son of Naiya and Chris Pernell
• Has one brother, Darrien
• Graduated in December of ’23 with a degree in community and leadership development

Tayvion Says
• His nickname is “Tay” and “Sweet Feet”
• Other than playing in the NFL, his dream job is to be a coach
• One thing people might not know about him is he that he’s very funny
• One word to describe him on the fi eld is “dynamic”
• Listening to Alicia Keys helps calms his nerves before a game