Chef Braxton hopes to cook up special freshman campaign

Published Saturday, July 29, 2023
Jaylon Braxton is a self-proclaimed chef in the kitchen, so it’s only natural that his recipe for success with the University of Arkansas isn’t complicated.
In fact, it’s a piece of cake in his eyes.
“Hard work,” said the 6-0, 184-pound freshman defensive back from Frisco, Texas. “[Arkansas] is going to get that out of me all the time. I plan on making an impact on this team, and I want to be a freshman All-American this year. And in order to do that, I’ve got to put the work in.”
Braxton has been doing plenty of work since he’s been with the Razorbacks, but that shouldn’t be much of a shock. His reputation for extensive effort preceded his arrival, thanks to the handiwork he did at Lone Star High School.
As a senior with the Rangers, Braxton wore a multitude of hats and produced at just about every spot where he lined up. He caught 41 passes for 566 yards and 6 touchdowns at wide receiver while racking up 27 tackles and 5 interceptions at defensive back. Braxton even blocked a field goal and returned 8 punts for 99 yards with 1 touchdown on special teams.
The former 4-star prospect also added a touchdown pass for good measure in helping guide Lone Star to a 9-3 record and a spot in the second round of the Class 5A Division I state playoffs.
While he isn’t expected to be called upon to contribute from those same areas with the Razorbacks, that doesn’t mean Braxton’s not opposed to it. Besides, he insists that things have been good for him.
“It’s been great, actually,” he said. “I’m adjusting very well, just getting used to the team and the environment at Arkansas. At my high school, our coaches did a really good job of preparing us for everything about college and what it would be like.
“So I’m used to all the meetings, all of the practices, workouts and things like that. It’s been really, really good.”
Like his fellow freshman teammate Davion Dozier, time management has been key in Braxton’s acclimatization to college life. He admitted as much, especially when it comes to him juggling working out, studying a playbook and sleeping.
But he also noted that he’s adapted fairly well to it all and is ready to roll with a Razorbacks team that’s seemingly restocked in the secondary.
Arkansas, which hired Marcus Woodson and Travis Williams to be co-defensive coordinators during the offseason, lost a surplus of cornerbacks from last season, but plucked a number of talented players on that side of the ball out of the transfer portal.
The Razorbacks anticipate big things from Baylor move-ins Alfahiym Walcott, who was a second-team All-Big 12 pick last season, and Lorando Johnson, who started 12 of the Bears’ 13 games in 2022. Jaheim Singletary, a 5-star recruit from the Class of 2022, also made his way to Northwest Arkansas after spending his freshman season with two-time national champion Georgia.
There are other defensive back transfers on the roster, like Kee’yon Stewart from TCU and A.J. Braithwaite from Western Kentucky, to go along with returning players like Dwight McGlothern, who led the Razorbacks in interceptions last season with four, and the handful of true freshmen who were signed.
But there’s a reason why Braxton had offers from more than 30 NCAA Division I programs and was a major target for fellow SEC schools LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Nevertheless, it was Sam Pittman who landed the coveted ballhawk.
“Just the man he is, how he treats his players and how he treats his coaches is what made me want to come,” Braxton said of Arkansas’ fourth-year coach. “On all my visits to other schools, it really wasn’t like that. When I came to visit to Arkansas, I was originally committed to Michigan State, but when I got here, it was a no-brainer. It’s closer to home so it’s easier for my family to come visit me as well.
“The resources we have here, it’s all you need to get to the next level. But with the Arkansas coaches, you always get the real from them. Everything Coach Pittman told me, that’s what has happened. They’re going to keep it 100 with you, and I love that.”
The love Braxton has for the Razorbacks is starting to rival his affinity for being on the grill or in the kitchen.
“Man, I love cooking,” he said. “Me and my roommate, we always cook a meal about once a week. We had an NIL event where we were chefs, and my favorite meal is steak. I can eat it every day.”