Brandon Perez is a name you need to keep an eye out for this offseason and the 2021 football season. After starting on varsity his freshman year, Brandon knew he had found something he wanted to pursue wholeheartedly.
Perez came to a realization after his first year of being the kicker that he was pretty good at it. Over the offseason he worked to save up money so he could take lessons and attend kicking camps. This would get him the help and looks he needed to showcase his talent. The kicking camps Brandon would attend were hosted by the National Kicking Rankings group. NKR helps showcase and evaluate the best kickers, punters, and snappers in the country.
The Wilson Football All-American Invitational Show case was held in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 31-August 2, 2020. Brandon competed in this showcase with at least fifty other kickers, in the Class of 2023, from all over the country. At the end of the showcase Brandon was named the Wilson Football Pre-Season All American for his class.
The last camp Brandon attended was held at Dallas Cowboys Stadium on January 2, 2021. Brandon’s performance at this camp would garner him a title that he didn’t believe could be possible a year and a half ago. Brandon was ranked the number one kicker and punter in the nation for the Class of 2023. He gained his 5-Star recruit status as a kicker and is currently at 4.5-Stars as a punter.
These accolades were well earned, especially after the season Brandon had for the Pirates. Brandon’s stats for his sophomore year were 7/9 on field goals and 18/20 on extra point attempts. One of the most memorable games the Pirates had this season was the four-overtime thriller against the Forney Jackrabbits. Crandall wouldn’t have been able to pull out the win without Perez’s leg. Crandall was backed up deep on fourth down and had to make the field goal to send it to a fourth overtime. Forney had called a timeout to ice the kicker. Perez answered the call and nailed a fifty-oneyard field goal with yards to spare! Brandon said, “I realized I could make it while waiting during the timeout. I just had to trust in myself and give it all I had for my team.”
Brandon’s work ethic is amazing in the classroom and on the field. I have seen Brandon practicing by himself on the weekends for hours perfecting his craft. Head Coach Kyle Hardin said, “You don’t get a kicker everyday that can hit 50 plus yard field goals with ease in a high-pressure situation. I gave Brandon as many footballs as we had so he could practice. He practices all the time!”
Needless to say, Brandon is excited about this offseason getting stronger and better than all his competition. I can’t wait to see what this translates into next football season.
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