Arizona State Commit Dylin Bruce Showing Versatility During Senior Season

There aren't many ways Dylin Bruce hasn't found to impact a football game during his senior season.

The Arizona State commit put together one of his biggest performances yet in Huntington Beach's 28-14 victory over Redondo Union, returning two punts and a kickoff for touchdowns as the Oilers improved to 4-0.

The performance resulted in four Huntington Beach school records, according to the program. Bruce set marks for most return touchdowns in a game with three, most punt-return touchdowns with two, most total return yards with 260 and most punt-return yards with 149.

You can see when watching Bruce return below that he knows his way around the football field, seemingly playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. What stands out isn't just his speed, but his patience. He allows blocks to develop, gets defenders moving in one direction and then finds the crease before accelerating into open space.

It's one thing to be the fastest player on the field; it's another to understand how to create the space needed to use that speed. That type of feel comes from repetitions and hours spent on the field and in training.

Bruce's impact hasn't been limited to special teams.

Through four games, the 6-foot, 170-pound athlete has caught 13 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 19.4 yards per reception.

Defensively, Bruce has recorded 18 total tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss.

One of those interceptions became another explosive scoring play. Bruce intercepted a pass against Los Alamitos and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown in Huntington Beach's win, giving him touchdowns this season as a receiver, defensive back and returner. as well as blocking a field goal, causing a fumble. This guy does it all out on the field.

The Sun Devil faithful should be excited about what is coming through the pipeline. We have seen plenty of top high school players excel on both sides of the ball, but many times that production can come against lower-level competition or a softer schedule.

That is one thing that stands out about Bruce and will be worth watching for the rest of the season. He plays in the CIF Southern Section, one of the deepest areas for high school football talent in the country. The fact that he continues to make an impact on offense, defense and special teams against that level of competition makes what he is doing even more impressive.

Bruce Playing Alongside Power Four Recruit

Huntington Beach's offense also features one of the more highly recruited quarterbacks in the 2027 class.

Four-star quarterback Brady Edmunds, an Ohio State commit, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds by 247Sports.

That pairing was on full display in Huntington Beach's season-opening 42-14 victory over Millikan. Edmunds completed 24 of 31 passes for 434 yards and six touchdowns. Bruce caught five passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, including an 82-yard score.

This arguably gives Bruce an advantage over many players around the country. Day in and day out, he is not only practicing with Edmunds but also competing against him. You can't completely mimic game speed in practice, but going against a four-star Power Four quarterback every week has its benefits. Bruce gets consistent reps against a quarterback with the size, arm talent and ability that he'll see more frequently at the next level, while Edmunds gets his own work against a Power Four defensive back.

What Arizona State Is Getting in Dylin Bruce

Bruce committed to Arizona State on June 7th as part of the Sun Devils' 2027 recruiting class.

The 247Sports Composite lists Bruce as a three-star prospect. Rivals rates him as a four-star cornerback. He held offers from programs including Northwestern, Boise State, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Minnesota, Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Fresno State, Oregon State, Washington State, Colorado State, San Diego State and UNLV before choosing the Sun Devils.

Bruce is listed as a cornerback by the major recruiting services, but his high school production shows a player who can do significantly more than play in the secondary.

In 2025, when Bruce was a sophomore at Long Beach Poly, he ran a personal-best 11.00 seconds flat in the 100 meters. That number may not jump off the page in today's world of high school track, but for a sophomore it is legitimate speed. His mark ranked 210th in California that season, and he hasn't competed in track since.

More importantly, you can see that track speed translate to the football field. There is a difference between being fast in a straight line and being able to use that speed with pads on, and Bruce has shown an ability to do the latter. Whether it's accelerating through a crease in the return game, turning an interception into a touchdown or creating separation as a receiver, his speed has shown up in multiple areas.

That versatility could give Bruce an opportunity to make an impact early at Arizona State. He is being recruited as a cornerback, but his experience with the ball in his hands gives the Sun Devils more options than simply lining him up in the secondary. Special teams could be one of the first places that skill set translates at the college level, especially for a young player looking to find his way onto the field.

Senior Season Worth Watching for Sun Devil Fans

Bruce's senior-year production is building on an already productive junior season.

In nine games last year, he caught 31 passes for 434 yards and six touchdowns while recording 22 tackles and two interceptions. Combined with his first four games this fall, Bruce has 44 receptions for 686 yards and nine receiving touchdowns over his past 13 games.

His defensive numbers over that stretch include four interceptions and 40 total tackles.

And his latest performance provided another reminder that kicking him the football can be dangerous, too.

Bruce will continue to give something Arizona State fans to look out for on Friday nights and create excitement of what is to come. He will bring an exciting brand of football to Mountain America Stadium.

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