A Big, Athletic Target Who’s Thankful for the Opportunity
Jan 16, 2025 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Jerand "JB" Bradley was a junior at John Paul II High School in Plano, Texas, the first time he met Matt Wells. Something about Bradley caught the eye of Wells, then the head coach at Texas Tech, who had seen Bradley play football.
Bradley was a 6-foot-5 wide receiver a shade under his current weight of 217 pounds, and he possessed blazing speed with a 4.5 40 and a pair of sticky hands that caught long balls out of the Texas skies. Bradley and Wells hit it off. Bradley loved Wells' energy. Bradley loved Wells' passion. But more than anything, Bradley loved something even greater about Wells.
"He always showed love toward me," Bradley says. "I really appreciated that."
Bradley finished his high school career at DeSoto High School in Dallas as a finalist for High School All-America honors by Sports Illustrated after catching 57 passes for 784 yards and eight touchdowns.
He received 25 scholarship offers and chose Texas Tech.
Today, Bradley prepares his drive from Frisco, Texas to Manhattan. He leaves Friday. And so will begin a new chapter for one of the most intriguing Kansas State transfer signees in this 2025 class who will be reunited with Wells, who coached Bradley his freshman season at Texas Tech in 2021.
"He is a great guy," Bradley says. "He's a great offensive mind. He gets us into the best position possible and makes plays that fit our skillset. I'm excited to be in this K-State offense and be around all these great guys.
"I like how it's so versatile. I like everything about the offense from Avery Johnson to the weapons we have. I remember the first time I saw him play when I was at Texas Tech – Avery scored five touchdowns. Every time I see him, he's doing something crazy on the field. Man, I just love watching him play."
Bradley remembers Bill Snyder Family Stadium. He was there on the opposing sideline when Texas Tech suffered a 37-28 loss to the Wildcats on October 1, 2022.
"I remember coming into the stadium and it was packed," Bradley says. "Every time Deuce Vaughn touched the football the fans chanted his name. That was cool. It was a great atmosphere. It was one of the craziest stadiums I've played in."
It's Frisco where it all began. JB's father, Brandon, was a college football player at South Western Oklahoma, and he instilled the virtue of hard work into his son at a young age. Basketball was JB's first love, and he could dunk at age 14. Football was Brandon's passion, and he told his son that a 6-foot-5 basketball player was no big deal, but being a 6-foot-5 football player was something to behold. JB listened. He played junior varsity football and varsity basketball his freshman year at Frisco Lone Star High School.
He had 45 catches for 866 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore at John Paul II High School to earn TAPPS Division I Offensive Newcomer of the Year. As a junior, he had 96 catches for 1,522 yards and 21 touchdowns while leading the Cardinals to the TAPPS Division I state title game. He transferred to DeSoto High School his senior season and had 57 catches for 784 yards and eight touchdowns, and he was selected to play in the 2021 Under Armour All-America game.
"My dad knew football was better for me," Bradley says. "Me being 6-5 on a football field is a mismatch all around. I like scoring touchdowns over scoring two pointers or three pointers."
Upon arriving in Manhattan, Bradley vows to work until the final buzzer — or the final down.
He certainly brings a skillset that should give Johnson a big, athletic target anywhere on the field.
"I bring a lot, honestly," Bradley says. "My playmaking ability, I'm a big red-zone threat, and I do anything I can to help the team wins. My favorite route? I like every route. Everybody will say the 'go ball' is their favorite, but I like the shake route, slant and curl."
After catching five passes for 99 yards as a redshirt freshman at Texas Tech, Bradley exploded with 51 catches for a team-high 744 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. He ranked third among FBS freshmen in receiving yards and his 180 receiving yards against Oklahoma marked the most by an FBS freshman on the season and the most by a Red Raider freshman since Michael Crabtree had 95 at Texas on November 10, 2007. He earned second team Freshman All-American by The Athletic.
As a sophomore, he was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, and he was named to the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, yet he finished with 36 catches for 431 yards and four touchdowns.
"I didn't feel too good about those numbers," Bradley says. "They're not what I wanted, but it was all about God's plan and what plan he had for me. There was a lot going on dealing with quarterbacks being injured. There was a lot going on."
Bradley opted to transfer to Boston College last season to play under first-year head coach Bill O'Brien and wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt. He had six catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.
"The move to Boston College, pretty much I was looking at being at a spot that would help me develop my craft more, somewhere where I could learn under that staff," he says. "That was the best spot for me to learn and develop as a player. That's really why I decided to go there. Everything happens for a reason."
There was a reason why Bradley put his name into the transfer portal this time around. It went back to the man whom he'd met back in high school, who believed in him, and who showed him love.
It went back to Matt Wells.
"I'm so ready to get started and get to work with the rest of the guys," Bradley says. "K-State won its bowl game. I want to help pick up from there and get started. I'm super excited. I've learned a lot during my journey. Never quit. Stay resilient. Push through no matter the adversity. Keep on going. I'm blessed to be where I'm at.
"I'm super thankful to Coach Wells and K-State."
Jerand "JB" Bradley was a junior at John Paul II High School in Plano, Texas, the first time he met Matt Wells. Something about Bradley caught the eye of Wells, then the head coach at Texas Tech, who had seen Bradley play football.
Bradley was a 6-foot-5 wide receiver a shade under his current weight of 217 pounds, and he possessed blazing speed with a 4.5 40 and a pair of sticky hands that caught long balls out of the Texas skies. Bradley and Wells hit it off. Bradley loved Wells' energy. Bradley loved Wells' passion. But more than anything, Bradley loved something even greater about Wells.
"He always showed love toward me," Bradley says. "I really appreciated that."
Bradley finished his high school career at DeSoto High School in Dallas as a finalist for High School All-America honors by Sports Illustrated after catching 57 passes for 784 yards and eight touchdowns.
He received 25 scholarship offers and chose Texas Tech.
Today, Bradley prepares his drive from Frisco, Texas to Manhattan. He leaves Friday. And so will begin a new chapter for one of the most intriguing Kansas State transfer signees in this 2025 class who will be reunited with Wells, who coached Bradley his freshman season at Texas Tech in 2021.
"He is a great guy," Bradley says. "He's a great offensive mind. He gets us into the best position possible and makes plays that fit our skillset. I'm excited to be in this K-State offense and be around all these great guys.
"I like how it's so versatile. I like everything about the offense from Avery Johnson to the weapons we have. I remember the first time I saw him play when I was at Texas Tech – Avery scored five touchdowns. Every time I see him, he's doing something crazy on the field. Man, I just love watching him play."
Bradley remembers Bill Snyder Family Stadium. He was there on the opposing sideline when Texas Tech suffered a 37-28 loss to the Wildcats on October 1, 2022.
"I remember coming into the stadium and it was packed," Bradley says. "Every time Deuce Vaughn touched the football the fans chanted his name. That was cool. It was a great atmosphere. It was one of the craziest stadiums I've played in."
It's Frisco where it all began. JB's father, Brandon, was a college football player at South Western Oklahoma, and he instilled the virtue of hard work into his son at a young age. Basketball was JB's first love, and he could dunk at age 14. Football was Brandon's passion, and he told his son that a 6-foot-5 basketball player was no big deal, but being a 6-foot-5 football player was something to behold. JB listened. He played junior varsity football and varsity basketball his freshman year at Frisco Lone Star High School.
He had 45 catches for 866 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore at John Paul II High School to earn TAPPS Division I Offensive Newcomer of the Year. As a junior, he had 96 catches for 1,522 yards and 21 touchdowns while leading the Cardinals to the TAPPS Division I state title game. He transferred to DeSoto High School his senior season and had 57 catches for 784 yards and eight touchdowns, and he was selected to play in the 2021 Under Armour All-America game.
"My dad knew football was better for me," Bradley says. "Me being 6-5 on a football field is a mismatch all around. I like scoring touchdowns over scoring two pointers or three pointers."
Upon arriving in Manhattan, Bradley vows to work until the final buzzer — or the final down.
He certainly brings a skillset that should give Johnson a big, athletic target anywhere on the field.
"I bring a lot, honestly," Bradley says. "My playmaking ability, I'm a big red-zone threat, and I do anything I can to help the team wins. My favorite route? I like every route. Everybody will say the 'go ball' is their favorite, but I like the shake route, slant and curl."
After catching five passes for 99 yards as a redshirt freshman at Texas Tech, Bradley exploded with 51 catches for a team-high 744 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. He ranked third among FBS freshmen in receiving yards and his 180 receiving yards against Oklahoma marked the most by an FBS freshman on the season and the most by a Red Raider freshman since Michael Crabtree had 95 at Texas on November 10, 2007. He earned second team Freshman All-American by The Athletic.
As a sophomore, he was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team, and he was named to the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list, yet he finished with 36 catches for 431 yards and four touchdowns.
"I didn't feel too good about those numbers," Bradley says. "They're not what I wanted, but it was all about God's plan and what plan he had for me. There was a lot going on dealing with quarterbacks being injured. There was a lot going on."
Bradley opted to transfer to Boston College last season to play under first-year head coach Bill O'Brien and wide receivers coach Darrell Wyatt. He had six catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns in nine games.
"The move to Boston College, pretty much I was looking at being at a spot that would help me develop my craft more, somewhere where I could learn under that staff," he says. "That was the best spot for me to learn and develop as a player. That's really why I decided to go there. Everything happens for a reason."
There was a reason why Bradley put his name into the transfer portal this time around. It went back to the man whom he'd met back in high school, who believed in him, and who showed him love.
It went back to Matt Wells.
"I'm so ready to get started and get to work with the rest of the guys," Bradley says. "K-State won its bowl game. I want to help pick up from there and get started. I'm super excited. I've learned a lot during my journey. Never quit. Stay resilient. Push through no matter the adversity. Keep on going. I'm blessed to be where I'm at.
"I'm super thankful to Coach Wells and K-State."
Players Mentioned
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