2022 Football Roster Choose a Player: Albright, Will Bailey, Dominic Ball, Parker Bandy, Montrell Banks, Jeremy Barnes, Hunter Baron, Tyler Beasley, Aaron Bigelow, Mekhi Bittner, Michael Bolton, Ben Brady, Bennett Brooks, Paxton Brooks, Will Browder, Charlie Brunetti, Lucien Bumphus, LaTrell Burrell, Warren Carver, JT Carvin, Jerome Charles, Christian Clipper Jr., Mo Crawford, Jeremiah Davis, Dayne Douglas, Camron Eason, Bryson Edwards, Romello Fant, Princeton Flowers, Trevon Frerking, Grant Gaca, Matt Ganaway, Malik Garland, Kurott Garland, Kwauze Gentry, Jerrod Grant, Brian Green, Isaac Hadden, Kamal Hannah, Jackson Harrison, Christian Harrison, Roman Helsdon, Joshua Herring, Elijah Hill, Gus Hooker, Hendon Humphrey, Nick Hyatt, Jalin Jackson, Tayven Jancek, Jack Jenkins, Jayson Josephs, Joshua Keyton, Ramel Krivosh, Braeden Labruzza, Cheyenne Lampley, Jackson Lane, Ollie Lanier, Nigel Lewis, Austin Mays, Cooper McCollough, Jaylen McCoy, Bru McDonald, Tamarion McGrath, Chase McNeill, Amari Meadows, Connor Merrill, Walker Miller, Cameron Milton III, Joe Mincey, Gerald Mitchell, Juwan Moore, Gaston Morgan, Kolby Nichols, Addison Nimrod, Chas Page III, Solon Parker, William Pearce Jr., James Perry, Kalib Perry, RJ Reddick, Masai Riley, Trel Rohrer, Titus Ross, Jackson Rucker, De'Shawn Salansky, Matthew Salmon, Hunter Sampson, Dylan Shuler, Navy Shuler, West Simmons, Elijah Slaughter, Doneiko Small, Jabari Smith, Maurese Spraggins, Javontez Stephens, Alton Taylor, Derek Terry, Da'Jon Thomas, Jourdan Thomas, Omari Tillman, Cedric Turbyville, Josh Turnage, Brandon Turrentine, Andre Walker, Wesley Warren, Jacob Weary, Trey Webb, Kaleb West, Tyre White, Squirrel Whitehead, Carson Wilk, Patrick Williams, Dee Wilson, Toby Wright, Darnell Wright, Jaylen Wright, William Young, Byron Go Profile Stats Profile P/PK Position Senior Class Lexington, S.C. Hometown 6'6 Height 201 Weight Airport High School #37 Paxton Brooks P/PK Position Senior Class Lexington, S.C. Hometown Season Career Season Stats Season: 2022 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 There are no statistics for this selected season available for this player. There are no statistics for this selected season available for this player. Career Stats Career Statistics Biography Summary Biography CAREER HONORS 2023 NFL Combine Invitee 2022 CSC Academic All-American Second Team 2022 CSC Academic All-District Team 2022 William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist 2022 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll 2021 CSC Academic All-America First Team 2021 CSC Academic All-District 3 First Team 2021 All-SEC Fourth Team (Phil Steele) Ray Guy Award Ray’s 8 for Week 7 (10/18/21) 2021 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll 2020 All-SEC Fourth Team (Phil Steele) 2020-21 VOLeaders Academy 2020 CSC Academic All-District 3 First Team 2020 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week (10/13/20) Ray Guy Award Ray's 4 for Week 10 (11/9/20) 2019 CSC Academic All-District 3 First Team 2019 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll CAREER Veteran specialist who produced a distinguished career on and off the field as a Vol … Spent five seasons with the program and served as UT’s starting punter and kickoff specialist … A four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll who was a CSC First Team All-America selection in 2021 and a second-team recipient in 2022 … Selected as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2022 … Was the starting punter for four straight seasons … Played in 61 career games … Averaged 42.33 yards per punt, which ranked eighth all-time in UT history (163 attempts for 6,900 yards) … Averaged 60.5 yards per kickoff … 126 of his 252 kickoffs went for touchbacks (50 percent) … 32 of his punts went fr 50+ yards and 58 of his punts were pinned inside the 20 … Career-long punt was 64 yards … Through his leadership efforts, selected to the 2020-21 VOLeaders Academy … Earned his undergraduate degree in May 2021 and received his master’s degree in December 2022 … Selected to the 2023 NFL Combine. 2022 – SENIOR (FIFTH YEAR) Served as the Vols’ starting punter and kickoff specialist … Selected as a second-team Academic All-American … Punted 38 times for 1,486 yards for an average of 39.1 with two 50+ yarders and 11 inside the 20 … Averaged 58.7 yards per kickoff with 28 touchbacks … Placed both of his punts inside the 20 and booted a season-long 54-yarder on Senior Day in win vs. Missouri (11/12) ... Also set career highs with 11 kickoffs for 641 yards in the victory against the Tigers ... Pinned two of his four punts at No. 3 Georgia (11/5) inside the 20 ... Had one of his top punting performances of the season in win over No. 19 Kentucky (10/29), booting three punts for 128 yards (42.7 avg) while downing two inside the five-yard line and hitting another for 51 yards with no return (season-long) ... Punted just once in win over No. 3 Alabama (10/15), a 31-yarder that was touched by an Alabama player before being recovered by the Vols to set up a second-quarter touchdown ... Also booted eight kickoffs for 492 yards and four touchbacks against the Tide ... Punted twice for 83 yards in road win at No. 25 LSU (10/8), including a 34-yard boot late in the second quarter that was downed at the LSU 4-yard line ... Also had eight kickoffs for 473 yards, including a short directional kick on the opening kickoff that was muffed by LSU and recovered by Will Brooks to set up the Vols’ opening touchdown ... Did not have to punt in win over No. 20 Florida, but had seven kickoffs for 446 yards (63.7 avg) and four touchbacks ... Boomed eight kickoffs for 504 yards (63.0 avg) with four touchbacks in win over Akron (9/17) ... Had five punts for 213 yards (42.6 avg) and pinned two inside the 20 in win at No. 17 Pitt (9/10) ... Punted twice for 93 yards (46.5 avg) and boomed seven kickoffs for 428 yards (61.1 avg) with three touchbacks in season-opening win over Ball State (9/1). 2021 – SENIOR Tennessee’s starting punter for the third straight season … Battled through injury and was limited in kickoff duties but still played in all 13 games … Tabbed as a CoSIDA First Team All-American following the season … Ranked eighth in the SEC in punting average (44.0) and logged 11 punts over 50 yards, including a long of 64 ... Attempted nine kickoffs for an average of 56.8 yards with two touchbacks … Averaged 43.3 yards per punt on six punts with three pinned inside the 20 in the Music City Bowl vs. Purdue (12/30) … Punted just once in win vs. Vanderbilt (11/27), a 46-yard boot that rolled out of bounds at the 3-yard line ... Punted four times for 180 yards (45.0 avg) with one punt downed inside the 20 vs. No. 1 Georgia (11/13) ... Had seven punts for a career-high 310 yards at No. 4 Alabama (10/23) ... Tied a career high by placing five of his six punts inside the 20 vs. No. 13 Ole Miss (10/16) ... Punted five times for 220 yards (44.0 avg), including a 60-yard boot in win vs. South Carolina (10/9) ... Did not have to punt in win at Mizzou (10/2), representing the first time a UT punter did not attempt one since Sept. 5, 2009 against Western Kentucky ... Punted six times for 259 yards (43.2 avg) with a long of 61 yards and one punt downed inside the 20 at No. 11 Florida (9/25) ... Punted four times for 183 yards (45.8 avg) with two 50-plus yard boots, including a 50-yarder that was downed at the 2-yard line vs. Pitt (9/11) ... Punted three times for 147 yards and set a career high in average yards per punt (49.0) in season opening win vs. Bowling Green (9/2) ... Also had a career-long boot of 64 yards and pinned two punts inside the 20 in the opener. 2020 – JUNIOR Played in all 10 games, serving as Tennessee's starting punter while also handling kickoff duties ... Named All-SEC Fourth Team by Phil Steele after averaging 43.6 yards per punt, which ranked fourth in the SEC … Was top 15 in the nation in kickoff average at 64.10 and owned a 67.50 touchback percentage, which was 17th in the FBS … 27 of his 40 kickoffs went for touchbacks … Set a new career high in punting average (47.3) after booting four punts for 189 yards, including two over 50 yards in season finale vs. No. 5 Texas A&M (12/19) … Also set a new season long with a 61-yard punt against the Aggies ... Completed a 31-yard pass on a fake punt at Vanderbilt (12/12) and averaged 47.0 yards per punt on five attempts, including a season-long 58-yard boot against the Commodores … Set a new career high with seven punts for 286 yards with a 56-yarder vs. No. 6 Florida (12/5) … Also pinned three punts inside the 20 and had two 50-plus yard punts against the Gators ... Punted six times, including three of 50-plus yards at Arkansas (11/7) … Averaged 45.8 yards per punt vs. No. 2 Alabama (10/24) ... Set or tied then-career highs in punts (6) and average yards per punt (47.2 - min. 2 punts) at No. 3 Georgia (10/10) ... Had two punts of 50+ yards and pinned three inside the 20 against the Bulldogs ... Recorded six kickoffs and a season-high five touchbacks at South Carolina (9/26) to open the season. 2019 – SOPHOMORE Assumed the primary punting role midway through the season and handled all kickoff duties … Punted 30 times for 1,260 yards for a 42.0 average to go along with 11 punts inside the 20 and six 50+ yards ... Finished 13th in the nation in touchback percentage (71.9), with 46 of his 64 kickoffs ending in touchbacks ... Ranked 16th in the nation in kickoff average (63.6) ... Successfully executed onside kick late against Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (1/2), which allowed possession for eventual game-winning score … Best punting game came at Kentucky where he placed all three of his punts inside the 20 and booted two punts of 50+, including a 57-yarder ... Punted four times for 176 yards (44.0), dropping two inside the 20 with a long of 51 yards vs. South Carolina (10/26) ... Had two punts for 66 yards against No. 1 Alabama (10/19). 2018 – FRESHMAN Handled kickoff duties and served as the Vols’ backup punter … Ranked No. 27 in the nation in kickoff average (63.6) and totaled 23 touchbacks … First punt of his career came against ETSU, traveling 34 yards before a fumble gave the ball back to UT … Kicked off 10 times vs. ETSU for 569 yards and five touchbacks. HIGH SCHOOL Three-star prospect out of Airport High School … Ranked as the No. 2 punter in the 2018 Class according the Kohl’s Professional Camps … Won punt off to earn second spot in the 2018 Under Armour All-American Game … 2016 Class 4A All-Region Kicker/Punter … 2016 Midlands Punt Leader … 2016 The State’s All-Midlands Second Team Kicker … 2015 and 2014 Class 3A All-Region kicker and punter. PERSONAL Full name is Matthew Paxton Brooks … Born on Feb. 21, 2000 … Son of Mary and Dixon Brooks … Maintained a 3.92 GPA while earning his undergraduate degree in kinesiology in May 2021 ... Earned his Master of Science in kinesiology in December 2022 … Traveled to Belize with the 2020-21 VOLeaders Academy in June 2021 … Recipient of First Family Men's Athletic Endowment … Twitter handle is @paxbrooks and Instagram handle is @paxton_brooks.