Q&A with Braylon Braxton: Catching up with the TU quarterback at AAC Media Days

ARLINGTON, Texas — Braylon Braxton sat in unfamiliar territory Monday evening.
The past two seasons have seen Braxton as a backup under center for Tulsa. But after the departure of former Golden Hurricane quarterback Davis Brin to Georgia Southern, and Braxton’s superb ending to his redshirt freshman season — featuring 10 passing touchdowns and 1,133 yards through the air to just two interceptions — he now holds the reins as TU’s QB1.
“It’s a pretty cool feeling to be honest with you,” Braxton said. “I’m definitely embracing every moment of this.”
But the number of days until the Golden Hurricane’s season opener at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 31 is dwindling. And Braxton understands he has a month and some change to mentally prepare himself for the weight of starting quarterback status.
According to his teammates, none of that should be a worry to TU fans.
“He’ll be ready,” said sixth-year safety Kendarin Ray. “I trust in (Braxton). We all do.”
At Day 1 of the 2023 American Athletic Conference Media Days, Braxton touched on his path to becoming a starter, what molded him into the athlete he is today and whether Ray or he is the premier player in a No. 1 jersey on the TU football roster.
Tulsa World: How have summer practices gone thus far?
Braylon Braxton: “It’s gone great so far. We’re excited to start up fall camp here shortly. But yeah, guys are getting bigger and stronger day-by-day. That’s obviously the goal of (summer workouts and practices). But we gotta obviously keep the intensity the same. I know more than anyone how boring a routine regimen can get. Workouts, they can get a bit repetitive. But in the end, it makes us better.”
TW: Who is the better No. 1 jersey on the team; you or Kendarin Ray? Braxton: “I’m gonna tell you it’s me, and with good reasoning. But my associate (Ray) will obviously say otherwise.
“I had No. 1 since my true freshman year. K-Ray wore No. 20 beforehand. Now he thinks he can come in here and try and act like the better No. 1. Heck no. He’s really not the original No. 1. I am.”
TW: Is there any significance behind your jersey number?
Braxton: “Not really. But I do like having No. 1 because I always strive to be No. 1 in everything I do. I hate losing. I absolutely hate it.”
TW: What do you remember from your initial snaps against Ole Miss in Oxford?
Braxton: “Man, that was such a valuable experience. Taking a snap on an SEC field, man that’s so surreal to even think about.
“Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but that was still a cool experience for me. And I feel like I grew a lot from it.”
TW: What benefits did you gain from learning behind a guy like Davis Brin?
Braxton: “I learned a lot from him, actually. Before games, like the night before, he’ll have watched every single game from our opposition up to date. Literally every single game. And with that, he’ll dissect their favorite defenses, their disguises and tendencies, as well as their players to look out for. I guess from him, I learned to be more detail oriented. He’s very good at recognizing things that others can’t or don’t.”
TW: What’s your go-to Madden team, and why?
Braxton: “The Philadelphia Eagles. Why? Because of Jalen Hurts. If you use him right, you can’t be beaten. It’s that simple.”