Barion Brown returns to practice, continues high-level play: "Barion is Barion"

Mark Stoops opened fall camp noting the Kentucky football program was in “pretty good shape” injury-wise with a few minor issues keeping “a guy or two” out for a couple of days. Star wide receiver Barion Brown was quickly revealed to be one of those players, dealing with a “soft tissue injury,” which kept him on the sidelines during the Fan Day open practice.

He was since named to the Paul Hornung Award Watch List, but beyond that, it was mostly silent on the injury front. Brown was spotted in full uniform in a few social media clips and photo galleries following Kentucky’s first scrimmage of fall camp last Saturday, but nothing to indicate he was a clear standout or even a full participant to this point.

Pads thumping. The countdown is on …

🗣️ @Ray_Davis07 pic.twitter.com/i19RTBg0Ej

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 13, 2023

Scenes from #TrainingCamp 📸 pic.twitter.com/wyN7cxdLDU

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 16, 2023

Then came the full-speed highlight we were all waiting for on Thursday, a clip of Brown doing what he does best: catching bombs and scoring touchdowns.

🙌 @BarionBrown pic.twitter.com/L5ZGa4IjnW

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 17, 2023

Catch, run, score and celebration. Pretty clear that soft tissue issue he was dealing with a few weeks back is no more. Now it’s time to look ahead to scrimmage No. 2 on Saturday, exactly two weeks before the Wildcats kick off the regular season vs. Ball State on September 2.

Barion Brown back to doing Barion Brown things

How is the sophomore standout looking at the midway point of fall camp?

“Barion is Barion,” junior defensive back Andru Phillips said Thursday. “You’ve got to be on your Ps and Qs (covering him).”

“The speed in the receiver group we have right now is very different,” sophomore defensive back JQ Hardaway added. “I’m coming every day to compete against Barion Brown and Dane Key. It’s a challenge every day. I’m excited to compete against the best, that’s what I came here for.”

Brown is coming off a standout debut season that saw him earn Freshman All-America and All-SEC honors, totaling 50 receptions for 628 yards — both program records for freshmen — with four touchdowns across 13 games played. He also ranked fourth nationally and second in the SEC in kickoff return average at 27.5 yards.

The 6-foot-1 wide receiver out of Nashville has been named a preseason fourth-team All-American as a kick returner.

“He’s the kind of player that just makes you hold your breath every time he touches the rock,” On3 college football analyst JD PicKell said of Brown in July. “… Doesn’t matter, anytime he touched the rock you were like, ‘OK, this could go now here.’ … I expect him to have potentially better production this coming season with Devin Leary playing quarterback now. I think he could be a more reliable quarterback for Kentucky. No knock on Will Levis. If they get it to him early and often, good things are gonna happen for Kentucky.”

Brown was rated as the No. 90 overall player in college football in the On3 Top 100 back in May. Where will he be listed at the end of his sophomore campaign?