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JuJu Brents

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JuJu Brents
No. 29 – Indianapolis Colts
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Born: (2000-01-18) January 18, 2000 (age 24)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:Warren Central (Indianapolis, Indiana)
College:
NFL draft:2023 / round: 2 / pick: 44
Career history
Roster status:Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Total tackles:43
Forced fumbles:1
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:6
Interceptions:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Julius "JuJu" Brents (born January 18, 2000) is an American professional football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa and Kansas State.

Early years

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JuJu Brents attended Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. A rangy defensive back, Brents played only three games of the 2016 season due to injury.[1]

On September 1, 2017, Brents committed to the University of Iowa to play college football.[2] Brents was ranked as the 33rd best safety (football) in the country and the number 401 prospect overall by 247Sports.com at the time of the signing of his letter of intent to play for Iowa.[2] The 6'2" Brents was a highly recruited college prospect, declining scholarship offers from Michigan State, Indiana, Cincinnati, and Louisville, among others.[2]

Brents made it back from his junior year injury to start the first game of the 2017 season, his senior year, during which he logged 11 tackles in action against one of Indiana's top-ranked schools.[3] The following week, Brents recorded his first interception of the year in game action against Pike High School of Indianapolis.[3] Brents would finish the season strong, culminating in selection to the 2017 Central Indiana Super Team named by the Indianapolis Star.[4]

College career

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2018 season

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Brents made his way to Iowa City in the summer of 2018 to begin pre-season practice with the Hawkeyes. The true freshman was quick to impress, emerging as the number 3 cornerback on the team's depth chart by the end of August.[5] Brents was listed as the reserve left cornerback and as slated to play as the so-called "nickelback" in five defensive back sets.[6]

Brents was thrust into the limelight in the Hawkeyes' fourth game of the season, a loss to Wisconsin, when starting corner Matt Hankins was forced out of the game with an injury.[7] He made the first start of his career the on October 6 against Minnesota, a wild coming-out party in which he contributed his first interception, two pass break-ups, and made three tackles in an exciting 48–31 victory.[8] Brents made a total of five starts as a freshman, gaining accolades before being himself forced from action due to minor "tweak" injuries down the stretch.[9]

2019 season

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Brents' 2019 sophomore season did not begin auspiciously when a preseason knee injury forced him to miss Iowa's opener[10] and the next three games.[11] He would see only limited play at the safety position in the team's fifth game, a 10–3 loss to Michigan.[11]

The knee injury continue to keep him hobbled, however,[12] and he wound up receiving a red shirt for the season.[13]

One saving grace, Brents later recalled, was that he shared extensive time in rehabilitation with Hawkeyes' defensive coordinator Phil Parker, who was himself recovering from knee surgery.[14] "I gained a lot of knowledge from him, from his viewpoint, how he sees things," Brents noted. "It's helped me to see a lot of things differently, especially on the field."[14] Chiefly among these lessons imparted was the value of film study. "The game really does just slow down when you sit down and study," Brents said. "My freshman year, maybe I was playing more on my athleticism."[14]

2020 season

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Brents' redshirt sophomore season proved to be a bitter disappointment. Sidelined for almost the whole of the previous year, Brents found it hard to crack Iowa's starting defensive backfield, winding up relegated to special teams and spot reserve work in the defensive backfield, fifth on the cornerback depth chart.[15]

In December 2020, Brents entered the transfer portal, announcing in January 2021 his intention to play for Kansas State University.[16]

Over the course of his career at Iowa, Brents wound up playing in 18 games — five of which he started — recording 17 tackles and one interception.[15]

2021 season

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Brents arrived at Manhattan, Kansas early in 2021 and made an immediate impression at Kansas State University during spring football practice. K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman was most enthusiastic, proclaiming Brents to have been "outstanding" and calling him "dominant" and an "alpha-male type athlete."[17] "He's learned what we're doing, he's transitioned well into what we're doing," Klanderman declared, adding "he's not a guy that just does it right, but can make the play and finish when he gets the opportunity. He's going to be a good one."[17]

In two years at Kansas State, JuJu Brents started 27 games and recorded 94 tackles and five interceptions. He was named as an first-team All-Big 12 player as a senior in 2022.[18]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 2+3⁄4 in
(1.90 m) 		198 lb
(90 kg) 		34 in
(0.86 m) 		9+5⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		 4.53 s 1.57 s 2.57 s 4.05 s 6.63 s 41.5 in
(1.05 m)		 11 ft 6 in
(3.51 m)
All values from the NFL Combine[19][20]

After trading back with both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons to collect two additional late round picks, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard selected Brents in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, using the 44th overall pick.[18] He recorded his first NFL interception in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.[21]

He played in nine games with eight starts, recording 43 tackles, one forced fumble, one interception, and six passes defensed.[22]

On September 10, 2024, Brents was placed on injured reserve with a with a season-ending knee injury.[23]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Kyle Neddenriep, "Our Top 35 Players in Central Indiana," Indianapolis Star, August 17, 2017, p. 6C.
  2. ^ a b c Kyle Neddenriep, "Warren Central's Brents Becomes Latest Indiana Star to Commit to Iowa," Indianapolis Star, Sept. 2, 2017, p. 5C.
  3. ^ a b Chris Cuellar, "Indy Area Prospects, Lee Star Before Iowa Visits," Des Moines Register, Sept. 26, 2017, p. C4.
  4. ^ Kyle Neddenriep, "2017 Central Indiana FB Super Team," Indianapolis Star, Dec. 8, 2017, p. 5C.
  5. ^ Chad Leistikow, "Young Players Are Emerging On Iowa Defense — And They'll Have To," Des Moines Register, Aug. 22, 2018, p. C1.
  6. ^ Chad Leistikow, "Leistikow's Thoughts on Iowa's Latest Depth Chart," Des Moines Register, Aug. 28, 2018, p. C3.
  7. ^ Mark Emmert, "Hawkeyes' Niemann to Miss 'A Couple of Weeks,'" Des Moines Register, Sept. 26, 2018, p. C1.
  8. ^ Steve Batterson, "Hawkeye Rookies Moss, Brents Step Up in First Starts," [Davenport, Iowa] Quad City Times, Oct. 7, 2018, p. C1.
  9. ^ Mark Morehouse, "Crazy Competition at Corner," Cedar Rapids Gazette, Dec. 29, 2018, p. M2.
  10. ^ Chad Leistikow, "Hawkeyes Can't Afford to Look Ahead to Iowa State," Iowa City Press-Citizen, Sept. 4, 2019, p. B2.
  11. ^ a b Mike Hlas, "Game Report," Cedar Rapids Gazette, Oct. 6, 2019, p. P2.
  12. ^ Marc Morehouse, "Iowa Defensive Back Enters Transfer Portal," Cedar Rapids Gazette, May 21, 2020, p. M2.
  13. ^ Boyd, James (April 23, 2023). "'Bambi turned into a buck': Indy native Julius Brents might fit Colts' CB needs". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Chad Leistikow, "Choice to Kneel for Anthem a Positive Change," Iowa City Press-Citizen, Oct. 21, 2020, p. B2.
  15. ^ a b Dargan Southard, "Iowa Defensive Back Brents Enters Transfer Portal," Des Moines Register, Dec. 9, 2020, p. B3.
  16. ^ "Ex-Hawkeye Brents Heading to K-State," Cedar Rapids Gazette, Jan. 13, 2021, p. P1.
  17. ^ a b Kellis Robinett, "These KSU Defenders Are Getting Glowing Reviews," Wichita Eagle, March 26, 2021, p. B1.
  18. ^ a b J.J. Stankevitz, "Colts Select Kansas State CB Julius Brents with No. 44 Overall Pick in 2023 NFL Draft," Colts.com, April 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "Julius Brents Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  20. ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Julius Brents College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  21. ^ Stankevitz, JJ (October 15, 2023). "JuJu Brents, Josh Downs notch career firsts in Colts' Week 6 loss to Jaguars". Colts.com. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  22. ^ "Julius Brents 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  23. ^ "Colts place CB JuJu Brents on injured reserve, sign CB Chris Lammons to 53-man roster from practice squad". colts.com. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
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