Barion Brown Season 2024
2024 First-Team All-SEC (Return Specialist) – SEC Coaches
2024 Second-Team All-SEC (All Purpose) – SEC Coaches, AP
2023 Second-Team All-SEC (Return Specialist) – SEC Coaches, AP
2022 Freshman All-SEC – SEC Coaches, AP
Standout transfer wide receiver and kickoff return specialist from Kentucky … Signed with the Tigers in December of 2024 after 3 years at Kentucky … Capped 3 seasons at Kentucky with 3,273 all-purpose yards – 1,528 receiving, 1,465 kickoff returns, 195 rushing and 85 punt returns … Ranked No. 10 on Kentucky’s all-time receiving yards list (1,528) and tied for No. 14 on the school’s reception list (122) … Kentucky record-holder kickoff returns for a TD in a career (5) and in a season (3 in 2023) … Also the Kentucky record-holder for kickoff return average for a career (30.33) and season (36.0 in 2023) … Caught at least 1 pass in 36 of the 37 games in which he appeared at Kentucky … Holds the SEC record and leads the nation among active players with 5 kickoff return touchdowns in a career … Name is pronounced “BEAR-ee-ON”.
JUNIOR SEASON (2024 at Kentucky)
Named first-team All-SEC as a return specialist by the SEC Coaches and second-team All-SEC return specialist (SEC Coaches) … Second-team All-SEC as an all-purpose player by both the AP and the league coaches … Started 9 of 11 games played in 2024 … Did not see action vs. Murray State with injury … Second on the team in receptions (29), receiving yards (361) and receiving TDs (3) … Averaged 12.4 yards per catch … Had 18 kick returns for 449 yards, averaging 24.9 yards per return … Recorded his fifth-career kickoff return for a touchdown, a 99-yard runback in the second quarter at Florida … Notched his 100th career catch vs. Georgia, becoming the 20th player in Kentucky history with at least 100 receptions … Tied for the fourth-fastest player in Kentucky history to reach 100 catches (29 games) … Against Florida, caught two passes, including a 45-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, for a team-high 56 yards … Became the first player in Kentucky history to have 2 games featuring a kickoff return TD and a touchdown catch of at least 45 yards … Since 1976, became 1 of 2 FBS players with at least 11 career receiving touchdowns and 5 kickoff return touchdowns prior to his senior season (also Tyron Carrier of Houston, 2008-10) … Had 5 catches for 88 yards, including a 63-yarder on 4th-and-7 from the UK 20-yard line to set up Kentucky’s game-winning touchdown at No. 5 Ole Miss … Opened season with 2 TD receptions vs. Southern Miss … Scored on a 23-yard run vs. Ohio.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2023 at Kentucky)
Started 12 of 13 games for the Wildcats, earning second-team All-SEC honors as a return specialist from both the SEC Coaches and AP … Named first-team All-America by the Sporting News … Led team with 43 receptions for 539 yards and 4 TDs … Rushed 12 times for 147 yards and a TD … Finished season with 16 kickoff returns for 576 yards … Led nation in kickoff return average (36.0) and kickoff returns for touchdowns (3) … The 3 kickoff returns for TDs tied the SEC single-season record … SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance vs. Ball State in the season-opener when he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a TD … 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 … Added 2 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 … Became the second player in Kentucky to have a rushing, receiving and kickoff return for a touchdown in the same game … Also marked the first game of his career with both receiving and rushing TD … Named SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week 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 … Had two 100+ yard games (100 vs. Clemson and 105 vs. Vanderbilt).
TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON (2022 at Kentucky)
One of the nation’s top true freshman as a rookie at Kentucky in 2022 … Played in all 13 games with 7 starts … Earned True Freshman All-America honors from On3 … Freshman All-SEC … SEC Freshman of the Week twice … SEC Special Teams Player of the Week once … Led the SEC in kickoff returns for touchdowns with 1 … Ranked No. 5 nationally (and No. 3 in the SEC) in kick return average (27.5) … Led team in receptions (5) and receiving yards (628) … Averaged 12.6 yards per catch and tallied 4 TD receptions … Concluded the season as the school’s freshman record holder for most receiving yards in a season with 628 and most pass receptions in a season with 50 … His 4 touchdowns receiving are the second-most touchdown receptions by a freshman in program history … 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 2000 … The 145 yards were the second-most by a Wildcat freshman in program history .. Caught 7 passes for 62 yards in the win over Mississippi State … Accounted for a career-best 245 all-purpose yards with only 5 touches at Ole Miss … Caught 2 passes for 81 yards, including a 51-yard catch-and-run that put UK in scoring position on the last possession … Also had 3 kickoff returns for 164 yards, an average of 54.7 yards … His 164 kickoff return yards set a 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 4 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 … Named SEC co-Freshman of the Week on Sept. 26 … Just the second UK freshman with 100 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the same game … Named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 5 after scoring his first career touchdown on a 100-yard kickoff return out of halftime in his collegiate debut vs. Miami (Ohio).
HIGH SCHOOL
A 5-star prospect who ranked as high as the No. 2 wide receiver nationally and No. 2 prospect in Tennessee by On3 … An all-around athlete who 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 2 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 field team as a back-to-back state Tennessee state champion in the 100- and 200-meter dash … Pearl-Cohn’s record holder in both events … His 10.49 second time 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.
Barion Brown’s Career Highs
Receiving
Receptions: 10 vs. Georgia, 2022
Receiving Yards: 145 vs. Georgia, 2022
Receiving TDs: 2, 2x (Last: vs. Southern Miss, 2024)
Long Reception: 70 vs. Northern Illinois, 2024
Rushing
Rushing attempts: 3 vs. Southern Miss, 2023
Rushing yards: 34 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 2022
Rushing TDs: 1, 2x (Last: vs. Ohio, 2024)
Long rush: 26 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 2022
Kickoff Returns
Kickoff Returns: 4, 2x (Last: vs. South Carolina, 2024)
Kickoff Return Yards: 180 at Louisville, 2023
Long Return: 100, 3x (Last: vs. Clemson, 2023)
Kickoff Return TDs: 1, 5x (Last: at Florida, 2024)
Punt Returns
Punt Returns: 3 vs. Louisville, 2022
Punt Return Yards: 47 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 2023
Long Punt Return: 36 vs. Eastern Kentucky, 2023
All-Purpose Yards
All-Purpose Yards: 250 at Louisville, 2023