Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Jarrell Brantley is a strong, versatile forward who can score inside, handle the ball, and contribute across multiple positions. His blend of physicality and skill has helped him carve out opportunities in professional basketball, both in the NBA system and overseas.

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Jarrell Isaiah Brantley. (College of Charleston Athletics)
  • Nickname: JB. (velca.jp)
  • Nationality: American / USA. (NBA)
  • Date of Birth: June 7, 1996. (NBA)
  • Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina. (College of Charleston Athletics)
  • Height: 201 cm (6’7″) on his current Nagasaki Velca listing; NBA.com previously listed him at 6’5″. (velca.jp)
  • Weight: 108 kg (238 lbs) on his current Nagasaki Velca listing; NBA.com previously listed him at 250 lbs. (velca.jp)
  • Wingspan: 7’1″. (Tankathon)
  • Shoe Size: I could not verify his shoe size.
  • Jersey Number (college and NBA): 5 — College of Charleston; 5 — Utah Jazz (2019-21); 55 — Utah Jazz (2023). (College of Charleston Athletics)
  • Position: Power forward / forward. (velca.jp)
  • High School: Ridge View High School (freshman-sophomore), Montrose Christian School (junior-senior), then a post-grad year at Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts. (College of Charleston Athletics)
  • College: College of Charleston (2015-2019). (NBA)
  • NBA Draft: Indiana Pacers, 2019, No. 50 overall in the second round; his rights were traded to the Utah Jazz on draft night. (College of Charleston Athletics)
  • Teams Played For:
    • College of Charleston (2015-2019)
    • Utah Jazz (2019-2021; 2023)
    • Salt Lake City Stars (2019-2021)
    • UNICS Kazan (2021-2022)
    • Greensboro Swarm (2022)
    • Leones de Ponce (2022)
    • New Zealand Breakers (2022-2023)
    • Nagasaki Velca (2023-present) (velca.jp)
  • Championship Rings: None publicly documented from his NBA or major pro career.
  • Children: Publicly documented daughter, Gabriella. (Deseret News)
  • Siblings: One older brother, Jamal, and one younger sister, Diamond. (College of Charleston Athletics)

Player Archetype / Play Style

Jarrell Brantley’s player archetype is that of a bruising combo forward: a strong, broad-built, long-armed frontcourt piece who does his best work by mixing power with surprising mobility. Defensively, his role leans toward being a physical multi-positional forward who can body bigger players, rebound, and hold his ground when switched into tougher matchups, while offensively he projects best as a secondary scorer and small-ball forward who can attack off the dribble, punish smaller defenders in the post, cut, finish through contact, and make enough perimeter shots to keep the floor functional. His physical traits have always stood out because he pairs real strength with a plus wingspan and enough bounce to play above the rim, and the overall play style is built more on force, touch, and effort than finesse alone. In practice, that makes Brantley the kind of forward who can dirty up a game, create pressure driving downhill, clean the glass, and give a team value as an energy scorer with defensive edge rather than as a pure shot-creation hub. (Tankathon)

Scouting Report

Jarrell Brantley is the kind of forward who creates problems because he’s comfortable playing through contact instead of around it. He likes lowering his shoulder into defenders, getting them off balance and turning ordinary catches into drives that end deep in the paint or at the free-throw line. What stands out is that he’s much more than a straight-line bully. When teams overplay his drive, he’ll stop short, pivot into space or deliver a pass to a cutter once the low man commits, and those reads are usually made with good patience rather than panic. He can function as a screener in pick-and-rolls or short-roll into open space, where his strength allows him to absorb contact before making simple decisions, although he’s more of a reactive passer than someone manipulating multiple defenders with his eyes. The trade-off comes when the game becomes faster and more perimeter-oriented. Against quicker forwards who can force him to defend in space or repeatedly change directions, his foot speed becomes more of a concern than his effort. Defensively, he’s at his best using his frame to deny deep post position, switching onto wings for brief stretches and rotating from the weak side to challenge finishes without chasing blocks he can’t reach. It’s easy to overlook how well he anticipates rebounding angles. He often creates extra possessions simply by establishing leverage before the shot goes up rather than relying on vertical explosion after it leaves the shooter’s hand. To me, Brantley fits best as a physical rotation forward alongside a floor-spacing center or mobile frontcourt partner, allowing him to attack mismatches, defend stronger forwards and keep the offense connected without being asked to initiate it. His game shares similarities with Grant Williams because both use strength and positioning to compensate for average length, while there are also shades of Paul Millsap’s interior craft, although Brantley relies more on power than Millsap’s refined footwork and touch around the basket.

Sources:

College of Charleston Athletics — Jarrell Brantley – Men’s Basketball – College of Charleston Athletics
NBA.com — Jarrell Brantley | Forward
Tankathon — Jarrell Brantley 2019 Draft Profile
Deseret News — Utah Jazz two-way player Jarrell Brantley hasn’t stopped working or smiling behind the scenes
NBAScoutingLive — Jarrell Brantley
Nagasaki Velca — ブラントリージャレル | 長崎ヴェルカ