Greg Bryant: The Running Back You Need to Know About

Leo Paciga

bryant

Editor’s Note: This article is a Dynasty Scouts exclusive. Remember, our new Dynasty Scouts section focuses on the stars of tomorrow, with a laser focus on High School recruits and College players who look to have the talent to be future assets in dynasty leagues and have value today in devy leagues.

What if I told you there was a player out there in college America, a running back with a tantalizing combination of power, explosiveness and fluidity just waiting to storm onto the national stage and hold your attention hostage?  Would the hairs on the back of your neck stand up?  Would you get that itch most dynasty owners feel whenever there’s a diamond in the rough hidden just below the nation’s consciousness waiting to be uncovered?  I’m willing to bet that is the very reason why you’re here.  In fact, I bet you can’t wait to get an edge on the next best thing before other folks even realize it’s a “thing” at all.  Buckle up my devy aficionados because we’re taking a closer look at a running back you need to know about – Notre Dame’s Greg Bryant.

The Back Story 

Greg Bryant arrived at Notre Dame as a five star recruit from Delray Beach, Florida.  He landed in South Bend in 2013 with a suitcase full of glowing accolades and lofty expectations having been ranked as a top 15 running back by most scouting publications. Unfortunately, Bryant’s first year with the Irish never really got on track as knee tendinitis brought his freshman season to an abrupt halt after just a few games and 14 total yards on the ground. Bryant was allowed to redshirt the remainder of the season and focus on getting ready for 2014.

The Skills

[inlinead]Oh boy, are we talking about a nice combination of strength and explosiveness with this particular tailback.  Granted, Bryant’s body of work at the college level may be relatively limited, but there’s nothing “limited” about the way this 5’10” 205 lb. jack hammer busts through the line of scrimmage.  Bryant seems to have all the necessary instincts to use his power effectively and he keeps his pad level/center of gravity low while his legs continue to drive forward after initial contact.  Another impressive aspect to Bryant’s game is his overall agility, something that usually compliments his power, but can also get him into trouble periodically when he jukes too much.  What I really like about Bryant’s agility is it doesn’t take away from the functionality of his power.  Some running backs tend to lose strength and energy as they transition through angles and cut moves, but Bryant appears to sustain the majority of his explosiveness through most changes in direction.  More simply, his hips stay fluid when changing direction, creating a powerful smoothness to his game, especially in traffic.  Another aspect of Bryant’s game I find impressive is his overall vision.  He tends to see (and anticipate) holes and cutback lanes before they fully develop and he also notices second level defenders approaching in his periphery.  The one facet missing from Bryant’s game is high end speed and the threat of taking it the distance on every single play.  I believe, however, that he’s more than fast enough to get to the second level of defenders before they’re in position to effectively take on his power and tenacity.  Oh yeah, I almost forgot….his receiving skills are pretty solid, too.

What Does the Future Hold?

So, I’ve spent the majority of this article waxing poetically and spewing pleasantries about Greg Bryant and the skills he brings to the football field.  Apparently his coaches are pretty impressed with Bryant’s play so far this spring as well.  According to an article on FootballNation.com in April, Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock was quoted as saying this about Greg Bryant,

“Just an incredibly explosive athlete, very powerful kid. The power he can bring running the football inside the tackles and still having that quickness to get to the perimeter to make things happen is a pretty good thing to have.”

Certainly the path to stardom is not without obstacles for the main character of this article.  Sophomore running back Tarean Folston wrapped up his freshman season with an impressive finish, including a 140 yard performance against Navy in week nine.  Folston’s game has a level of electricity that will most likely lock up the top spot on the depth chart to open the 2014 season.  The thunder to Folston’s lightning last season was Cam McDaniel – a dependable, consistent junior whose job was to get north and south as quickly as possible and protect the football at all costs. McDaniel is not the same type of athlete as Greg Bryant (it’s not even close) so while McDaniel may be the returning senior, I expect Bryant to relegate Mr. Dependable to short yardage and spot duty.

The wonderful thing about developmental leagues is you can do the investigating work yourself before the “group think” mentality sets in and assigns a value.  Obviously no one has a crystal ball or road map on how the future will unfold for players still honing their skills in college, but if you do your due diligence, you’ll hit on players far more often than you’ll miss.  Greg Bryant is a perfect example of a player with talent, upside and opportunity who has yet to really flash those skills before a national audience.  I personally can’t wait to watch him hit the field in 2014 and I hope after reading this article, you’ll be watching closely as well.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me here at DLF or on Twitter @FFHoudini.

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leo paciga