Kentucky beats Alabama, Ole Miss for commitment of four-star WR Barion Brown
For the third time in less than a month, Kentucky earned the commitment of a coveted wide receiver.
Barion Brown, a top-10 wide receiver in Rivals’ class of 2022 position rankings, announced his commitment to UK on Wednesday. Brown, a Nashville standout, picked the Wildcats over Alabama, Ole Miss and TCU, among others.
Kentucky on Oct. 28 got a commitment from Dane Key, a four-star wide receiver who plays for Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington. It received more good news on the morning of Nov. 6, prior to its game against Tennessee, when former Syracuse star Taj Harris announced he was going to transfer to UK. The Wildcats also have two three-star high school receivers — Jordan Anthony and Brandon White — committed as part of the 2022 class.
Both 247Sports and Rivals rate Brown as a four-star prospect. He has a .9478 composite score on 247Sports, which would be the highest of any offensive skill player to sign with Kentucky in the history of the rating system, which dates back to the early 2000s. He and Key, who boasts a .9130 composite score, represent two of the three highest-rated offensive skill players to sign with the Wildcats (the other, Lynn Bowden, had a .9307 composite score).
On3 Sports, a fledgling recruiting service founded by Shannon Terry, who started 247Sports and Rivals, rates Brown as a five-star prospect and the No. 2 wide receiver in the country.
Clint Brewster, an analyst for 247Sports, evaluated Brown in August. He called him an “elite speed player” who can line up anywhere in the receiving corps.
“Raw player with exciting upside considering how he can expand the offensive playbook and be used in many ways,” Brewster wrote. “Brown can make downfield catches or take an underneath route for big gains. ... Slender frame but has some length to add muscle. Shows toughness after the catch and will run routes through the middle of the defense. Has the athletic ability and body control to make the acrobatic catch.”
Brown’s commitment elevated Kentucky to No. 14 overall in 247Sports’ class of 22 team recruiting rankings.
This story was originally published November 24, 2021 at 4:03 PM.
