Barion Brown, Trevin Wallace named SEC Players of the Week
Two Kentucky Wildcats have earned recognition from the league for their performances against Ball State in Week One. Sophomore wide receiver/return specialist Barion Brown was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week and junior linebacker Trevin Wallace SEC Defensive Player of the Week. It’s Brown’s fourth SEC weekly honor of his career and Wallace’s second.
On Saturday, Brown once again returned a kick 99 years for a touchdown, making him the first Wildcat in school history to return kickoffs in back-to-back season openers. As you might remember, that’s how he started his Kentucky career one year ago, returning a kick 101 yards vs. Miami (OH). Saturday’s kick return was the longest in the SEC during Week One. Brown also had three catches for 39 yards, totaling 156 all-purpose yards.
In true Brown fashion, he called his shot, predicting a kick or punt return on Media Day.
“I’m returning one week one, a punt return or a kick return. You’re gonna have to play this back because I’m going to run one back,” Brown said at UK Media Day. “I’m going to run it back and then I’m going to dance in front of my momma. You heard it. Please don’t kick it to me because it’s going to be bad. I might get your special teams coach fired if you kick it to me. I’m going to return it.”
Brown is now the fourth player in school history with multiple career kickoff return touchdowns, joining Derek Abney (2), Derrick Locke (2), and Craig Yeast (3). He’s on the watch list for the Hornung Award, given to the nation’s most versatile player.
Trevin Wallace clocked at 21 MPH during game
Wallace had a team-high 12 tackles vs. Ball State, which ties a career-high he set vs. Mississippi State in 2021 in his first career start (for which he won SEC Freshman of the Week). Six of those twelve tackles were solo, two for loss, and one half a sack. His tackle initiated the play that led to Jalen Geiger’s 69-yard scoop-and-score, just one of several key plays he made in the 44-14 win. Wallace needs just two more tackles to reach 100 total tackles for his career. He is currently on the watch list for the Butkus Award given to the nation’s top linebacker.
In his press conference today, Mark Stoops said he was even more impressed by Wallace’s performance after watching the tape, noting that the junior was clocked at 21 miles per hour at one point.
“Trevin will wow with the athleticism and he played a really good game. When Brad [White] brought him several times, you feel his impact on pressures. He’s a big dude that’s got some pop to him. So, he’s impactful when we pressure.
“He can obviously run like heck. I want to say he ran, on our GPS — don’t quote me exactly — but I want to say it was the second-fastest time in the whole game. It was like 21-something miles per hour, 21-point something. I mean, that’s moving for a dude who’s 240 pounds. He can run.”
I’m just glad these two are on our side. Congrats to Barion and Trevin.
SEC Players of the Week – Week 1
- Offensive Players of the Week: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama; QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
- Defensive Player of the Week: ILB Trevin Wallace
- Special Teams Players of the Week: KOR/WR Barion Brown, Kentucky; PR/WR Jordan Watkins, Ole Miss
- Offensive Lineman of the Week: OL Gunner Britton, Auburn
- Defensive Lineman of the Week: DE Tyler Baron, Tennessee
- Freshmen of the Week: DB Caleb Downs, Alabama; PK Kyle Ferrie, Mississippi State
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