Husky Roster Review: Bryant Gets Career Off to Promising Start
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Edefuan Ulofoshio once was described as the nation's top returning college linebacker. Ralen Goforth started parts of three seasons for USC. Alphonzo Tuputala opened all 13 games last fall for the University of Washington. Carson Bruener is a Husky legacy player.
Amid all of this highly decorated talent was Deven Bryant, a freshman linebacker from Carson, California, and the St. John Bosco High School football powerhouse.
While an accredited player in his own right, the 6-foot-1, 217-pound Bryant admittedly went through an adjustment period once he enrolled early and took part in 15 UW spring practices.
"I was a little nervous," he said. "Emotions were everywhere. I was trying to get the playbook down and get closer to the guys. Just grinding."
Going down the roster from No. 0 to 99, Bryant, who wears No. 17 all to himself, is next up in a series of profiles about each of the Huskies' scholarship players and assorted walk-ons, summing up their spring football performances and surmising what might come next for them.
NEXT GEN BACKER
From the outset, the coaches gave Bryant a chance to show what he could do. They put him alongside all of those aforementioned veteran names in scrimmage series, even rotating him in with the No. 1 defense alongside Ulofoshio for a long look.
If he was a little unnerved by the next level of football, Bryant didn't let on. He ran well and played physical at all times.
On consecutive plays, Bryant loudly stuck his helmet into offensive players, sending co-defensive coordinator William Inge running up to him with effusive praise and back slaps.
The youngster was paired with just about every linebacker at some point, in particular spending time with Goforth, the former Trojan, which provided a custom Southern California duo.
Bryant was one of nine UW freshmen who participated in spring ball and he might have been second-most impressive newcomer of the bunch, with only running back Tybo Rogers possibly topping him for his readiness to compete.
After helping St. John Bosco to a 13-1 record and a CIF Open Division championship, Bryant earned some heady credentials himself. He was named Los Angeles Times Back of the Year, an honor that typically goes to an offensive player. Yet similar to the Seahawks' Bobby Wagner, another Southern California native, he was the heart and soul of his defense and rewarded for it.
While Bryant got his college career off to a promising start, he most likely will be groomed as a Husky linebacker of the future. He understands the drill, which is all about preparation.
"This offseason, I'm just going to dive into that playbook more and know the checks, know the ins and outs, know everything," he said. "I'm going to dive into the weight room and get bigger, get stronger and get faster, and work on my flexibility."
Don't be surprised to see Bryant get on the field early and often this fall.
DEVEN BRYANT FILE
Service: Bryant has 15 Husky practices under his belt and, by all accounts, everything went well. He needs more size, but he has linebacker talent as advertised.
Stats: He comes off a three-year St. John Bosco career in which he piled up 213 tackles, including 96 this past season. Contact is not an issue.
Role: Bryant likely will get in his free four games this fall if the UW wants to preserve his four seasons of college eligibility, but he might be the kind of player who doesn't redshirt.
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