#14

Brian Branch

Former defensive back at Alabama. 2022: 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 79 tackles.

DB · Alabama · Jr. · #14

6′0″ · 193 lb · Fayetteville, GA

CFB Index 91 · #6 of 493 safetiesLow confidenceNational watchDetroit — drafted 2023, Rd 2, Pick 14, #45 overall

Recruiting

4★

S recruit

No. 61 nationally · Signed with Alabama

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at Alabama. 2022: 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 79 tackles.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Alabama in 2020.
Drafted round 2 by the Detroit in 2023.
Named All-America (CBS) in 2022.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Alabama, 157 tackles — drafted at #45 overall by Detroit.

His career

He arrived as a blue-chip recruit and played like one.

20207 games

Signed with Alabama4-star out of Sandy Creek

202213 games

All-Americafirst · 2 selectors
All-SECsecond

2023

Drafted by Detroitround 2, pick 45

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#61 national

CFB

College

Alabama

2020–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #45

Detroit · 2023

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

3 honors · 2 categories

🥇

ALL-AMERICA

Named All-American (2022)

2 selectors honored him

🎖

ALL-SEC · 2ND TEAM

All-SEC 2nd team (2022)

Coaching lineage · 2020–2022

1 coach

2020–2022

Nick Saban

Alabama

Played his entire career under Nick Saban.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

DetroitEntering 4th NFL season

#45Rd 2 · Pick 14

DetroitEntering 4th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Nick Saban — 37-4 over that span.

2020Alabama13-0HC: Nick Saban · Balanced, fast tempo

2021Alabama13-2HC: Nick Saban · Balanced, fast tempo

2022Alabama11-2HC: Nick Saban · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

91All-America level #6 of 493?

Medium confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (97th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (97th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Passes defended#75 / 2755 · 97th pct

Tackles for loss#85 / 2755 · 97th pct

11.0

Solo tackles#102 / 2755 · 96th pct

Forced fumbles#11 / 737 · 95th pct

Tackles#150 / 2755 · 94th pct

Sacks#341 / 2755 · 86th pct

3.0

QB hurries#511 / 2755 · 76th pct

Interceptions#124 / 811 · 73rd pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2022 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	6.0	0.9	0.3	0.7
Road6g	6.2	0.8	0.2	0.5

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-78g	5.2	0.7	0.2	0.5
Weeks 8+5g	7.4	1.1	0.2	0.8

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Kalen DeBoer

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

National watch / fringe AA

In the All-America conversation, short of a selector's first team.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

91 · #6 of 493 safeties

Former four-star. Now #6 at the position.

Selector Grid · 2022

AP—

FWAA—

AFCA—

WCFF—

SN—

SI—

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	Alabama	79	48	11.0	3.0	8	2	1
2021	Alabama	55	34	5.0	1.0	9	--	--
2020	Alabama	23	17	0.5	0.0	7	2	--
Career		157	99	16.5	4.0	24	4	1

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2022

W 20–19

at Texas

1 TFL · 4 SOLO · 7 TOT

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 1 on the road.

With B. Young — 213 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 79.1 · 38 rush yds (7 car) · J. Burnip — 41 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 50 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 55-0vs Utah State	5	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 2	W 20-19@ Texas	7	4	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	W 63-7vs UL Monroe	5	3	1.0	1.0	—	1
Wk 4	W 55-3vs Vanderbilt	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	W 49-26@ Arkansas	3	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 24-20vs Texas A&M	9	5	2.0	0.0	—	2	Season-high 9 tackles
Wk 7	L 49-52@ Tennessee	9	4	0.5	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	W 30-6vs Mississippi State	4	3	1.5	1.0	—	2
Wk 10	L 31-32@ LSU	9	7	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 11	W 30-24@ Ole Miss	8	5	2.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 12	W 34-0vs Austin Peay	8	6	1.0	0.0	1	0
Wk 13	W 49-27vs Auburn	8	5	1.0	0.0	—	0
Bowl	W 45-20@ Kansas State	1	1	1.0	1.0	1	1
Total		79	48	11.0	3.0	2	8

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology