Barion Brown: The Fastest Man in College Football

Barion Brown ran his way right through the hearts of the Louisville Cardinal fans. When Kentucky needed juice, he provided it, paving the way for a stunning 38-31 win in the Governor’s Cup.

Kentucky trailed 17-7 after a long Louisville touchdown drive to open the third quarter. Desperate for a big response from the offense, Brown told them to wait on the sideline.

Brown ran the ensuing Cardinal kickoff more than 100 yards into the end zone. It was his third career kickoff return and second of the season. Brown flew down the field. How fast you ask? Reel Analytics ran the numbers and calculated that Brown ran 22.6 miles per hour. He was the fastest player in college football in week 13.

College Football’s Fastest Five of Week 13

1. Kentucky WR Barion Brown (@BarionBrown) 22.6 mph #ReelSpeed

🔗 https://t.co/UFKB2eWAzC pic.twitter.com/4JykypekBr

— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) November 30, 2023

Brown was also the fastest player in week one, even though he clocked in slightly slower at 21.8 miles per hour. He was tabbed SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for the outstanding play.

If you want to see more data behind Kentucky big plays, see how fast Ray Davis was rolling when he scored the Cats’ game-winning touchdown.

Weaver Earns Postseason Honors

The league will unveil postseason honors and All-SEC teams next week. Until then, there are still a few noteworthy honors being doled out to Kentucky Wildcats.

In addition to earning SEC Co-Defensive Player of Week honors, J.J. Weaver was named to the SEC Community Service Team. If you haven’t been paying attention, Weaver has been busy working in his community, both in the area where he grew up and his Kentucky football community.

He spent his summer working with kids. “The Perfect Fit” foundation hosted a football camp and back-to-school drives that gave children backpacks loaded with supplies, and free haircuts. This year he upped the ante by donating 111 bicycles at a bike drive at Iroquois Park in his hometown of Louisville.

You’ve heard stories about football players making similar contributions to their communities. This year he did something that had not been done before at the University of Kentucky.

Taking his mantra, “The Perfect Fit,” he created a peer-led support group to help those, specifically on the Kentucky football team, cope with trauma. As someone who still grieves for his father, Freddie, who was murdered in the summer of 2020, the project with the Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families not only benefits him, but his current teammates and future Wildcats. For his efforts, he is also a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award.

For @UKFootball linebacker JJ Weaver, the murder of his father in the summer of 2020 caused his immense grief. But JJ not only sought help, but he made it possible for others to find help too. @AdamZuckerCBS has the story. @jjtimeee pic.twitter.com/2fwSyaBKrF

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 4, 2023

Kentucky QB Devin Leary up for Comeback Player of the Year

Another award Weaver has won, the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year, could be taken home by another Wildcat this winter. Devin Leary is up for the honor after the Kentucky quarterback underwent a surgery never done before by Dr. James Andrews to repair a torn pec muscle. After suffering season-ending injuries in two out of three years, he started in all 12 games for the Wildcats and threw for 23 touchdowns, the second-most in the SEC.

Leary is a semifinalist for the honor. One other Wildcat on this team also previously won the award, Kenneth Horsey.