Film Room: Joshua Braun

Offensive guard did not immediately stand out as a huge need for the Kentucky football program entering the offseason, but it was certainly a position where the offense needed better play. Offensive line coach Eric Wolford quickly addressed the spot with a super senior he had a pre-existing relationship with.

The Kentucky offensive line coach got Arkansas transfer Joshua Braun on campus for a visit last week, and the super senior with one year of eligibility remaining committed to the Wildcats shortly after his short stint in the Bluegrass.

Kentucky's first offensive line addition in the portal has arrived. Arkansas transfer Joshua Braun is now a Cat. A multi-year starter at guard.

This is a big one.

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— KSR (@KSRonX) December 16, 2024

After beginning his career at Florida, Braun spent the last two seasons at Arkansas and did not miss a game playing for head coach Sam Pittman. The former four-star recruit earned second-team All-SEC honors as a redshirt junior in 2023 playing right guard. Braun would switch to left guard in 2024.

What is Kentucky adding in the plug-and-play transfer? Let’s step into the KSR Film Room.

Well-rounded guard

Joshua Braun has played in 50 career games and has made 31 career starts. The super senior has logged over 2,400 career snaps. The former four-star recruit never missed a game at Arkansas. The two-time SEC transfer looked like an experienced player on his 2024 tape.

In the run game, Braun shows off power and puts some stretch zone reps on tape. This could be an action that Kentucky leans more into in year two under offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan.

Braun shows some power and torque as a run blocker. The guard can latch on to big SEC defensive tackles and possesses the grip strength to allow runs to succeed. There is some knockdown power once his hands are locked in. The veteran seems best suited for a downhill run game but shows enough lateral footwork to become an effective stretch and reach blocker.

Kentucky’s first transfer portal addition on the offensive line also flashes very good awareness. Braun has a good feel of when and how to climb up to the second level and is comfortable as an interior pocket protector.

Braun is a good mover to the second level and a high IQ player in protection. When locked into his set, the guard can be hard to maneuver around due to his sheer size. The Kentucky addition is a downhill blocker who showed durability and awareness on tape.

Plug-and-play

Joshua Braun settled in at right guard after playing 446 snaps at left guard for Florida in 2021. The transfer addition with one year of eligibility remaining should be an instant starter at one of the guard spots for Kentucky. The addition brings a ton to the table.

Braun has size, experience, play strength, durability, awareness, and fits an offense that is at its best with a downhill run game. The transfer gives Eric Wolford a proven SEC veteran who should immediately help stabilize the interior of Kentucky’s offensive line. As the Cats break in a new center in 2025, having someone as accomplished as Braun should extremely help with that transition.

Kentucky will make bigger splashes in the transfer portal this offseason, but perhaps no one is more plug-and-play than the Arkansas transfer. Joshua Braun’s impact should be immediately felt on the offensive line due to everything he brings to the table.