Julius Brents Living Out NFL Dream with Hometown Colts
For all of the prospects in the NFL Draft, just getting drafted allows them to make their dreams a reality.
However, getting drafted by your hometown team makes the entire experience that much sweeter.
Julius Brents lived out that experience when the Indianapolis Colts selected Brents with the No.44 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft Friday night. The cornerback from Kansas State is an Indianapolis native who graduated from Warren Central High School. Now, he will live out his NFL dream of playing for the team he grew up cheering for.
"You couldn’t write a better story than this," Brents said on Friday. "First and foremost man, just give my thanks to God. I feel like this is nothing but him, just being able to have this opportunity to play in my hometown. Being a Colts fan my whole life, growing up watching. Peyton Manning was my favorite player growing up with Bob Sanders. Now, just being able to put on that same Horseshoe man, it’s nothing short of a blessing."
Brents was watching the draft at Birdies in Westfield, Ind., not far from where the Colts hold training camp each summer. When he saw the 317-Indy area code on his phone, Brents wondered if it was a prank call. It was not.
"I was dreaming in a sense and I was just praying nobody was prank calling me," Brents remarked, smiling. "I saw the 317 pop up ... So, it’s great to have the people who have been supporting me my whole life to be a part of this major milestone and accomplishment with me. Man, it’s surreal. It honestly is. I don’t think it’s fully sunken in on me yet, but it’s crazy."
© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Brents attended the Colts' local pro day just a few weeks ago. While he did not participate due to injury – he had surgery on his wrist this offseason – it allowed him to get to know the Colts' coaching staff. He spent considerable time talking with Colts head coach Shane Steichen at the pro day.
Under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, the Colts have a particular type of player they like to add at cornerback. Corners have to be long, athletic, and able to help in the run game. Brents has all three qualities, revealing why Steichen was so high on him entering the draft.
"Had a great conversation with Coach (Shane Steichen)," he explained when asked what Steichen liked about his game. "The length, having that outside (experience), being able to disrupt guys, get hands on people and being able to have that versatility as well to switch it up. If you need me for that press corner, 100 percent can do that. If you need me to be that guy where I need to be a little bit more zone coverage, having eyes on the quarterback and making a play on the ball, 100 percent."
Brents, like Anthony Richardson, who the Colts took last night, is the most athletic player at his position in this draft class. At 6'2" and 198 pounds, Brents has the size, length (34-inch arms,) and explosiveness (41.5-inch vertical, 11'6" broad jump) needed to be a force on the outside. While Brents does not have elite speed, he makes up for it with a high football IQ and being physical with whatever receiver he is matched up with.
Below is an excerpt from the 2023 Indy Draft Guide on Brents's fit with the Colts:
Brents has raised his stock this draft cycle maybe more than any prospect. Early on, Brents was getting mid-Day 3 projections and as of late is projected to hear his name on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Brents’s size at 6’3" and 198 pounds paired with his arm length at 34’’ will, for good reason, excite teams. But his play speed not falling off because of it is what pops on screen. Brents would be best suited in a heavy zone scheme at the next level which when paired with his size makes him a strong match with the Colts. And on top of it all is an Indiana native himself who graduated from Warren Central High School.
While Brents is oozing with athleticism and potential, he believes he can bring more to the table. The cornerback prides himself on his competitiveness and mind, allowing him to adapt to any situation. Brents feels his fit in Indy will be a tremendous success.
"Just a competitor," Brents admitted. "You know what you’re going to get play in and play out, just being able to compete. Obviously, you know, the talent that God has blessed me with, with my length and things of that nature, being able to use that to my advantage, get hands on guys, deter the route, throw off the timing, things of that nature.
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
"I’m a smart football player. I’m real intentional how I attack the game. I don’t go into it blind. Make sure I have a strict plan where regardless if it’s taking care of my body or how I want to go about the process of watching film. So, continue to keep improving in that area but man, just having those different tangibles and then being able to tie it together with the football smarts, I feel like I’m a perfect fit for this team.”
After trading away Stephon Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys and letting Brandon Facyson sign with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Colts desperately needed a cornerback. Kenny Moore II and Isaiah Rodgers Sr. are the only cornerbacks on the roster who started a game last season. If Brents can solidify the other starting cornerback spot, it would be a huge lift to the Colts' defense.
Brents, who also goes by JuJu, hopes to create a legacy like his favorite player Sanders did in Indy. While Sanders was known for his vicious hits, Brents wants to be known for his coverage ability. We've all heard of "Revis Island," but how about "JuJu Island"?
"I would say to my opponent – we’re going to call it JuJu Island, so yeah, we can rock with JuJu.”
It may be a dream to reach that level, but Brents is already living his dream. JuJu Island could eventually be a reality as well.
More Colts Draft Picks
- Round 1 Pick 4: QB Anthony Richardson - Florida
- Round 3 Pick 79: WR Josh Downs - North Carolina
- Round 4 Pick 106: OT Blake Freeland - BYU
- Round 4 Pick 110: DT Adetomiwa Adebawore - Northwestern
- Round 5 Pick 138: CB Darius Rush - South Carolina
- Round 5 Pick 158: S Daniel Scott - California
- Round 5 Pick 162: TE Will Mallory - Miami
- Round 5 Pick 176: RB Evan Hull - Northwestern
- Round 6 Pick 211: DE Titus Leo - Wagner
- Round 7 Pick 221: CB Jaylon Jones - Texas A&M
- Round 7 Pick 236: OT Jake Witt - Northern Michigan
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