Inside The Huskies

New Dawg Report: Leroy Bryant

The Huskies got an exciting playmaker in the Northern California cornerback
Roman Tomashoff|
New Dawg Report: Leroy Bryant
New Dawg Report: Leroy Bryant

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Washington Huskies

Leroy Bryant seems to have a very simple motto whenever the football ends up anywhere near him, "see ball, get ball." Washington's secondary is in need of a makeover, and the product of Angelo Rodriguez High School in Fairfield, California is going to be a sparkplug the moment he steps on the field.

While we can get into the specifics of his tape and what makes him a great scheme fit for Kalen DeBoer's staff, let's talk about the big plays. Bryant is a big play waiting to happen, and owns arguably the craziest highlight you'll ever see at any level of football.

In the video posted below, fast forward to 38 seconds. Bryant is chasing down a ball carrier who has a clear path to the end zone, and the player known as "Peanut" punches the ball out. He then picks up the fumble in the back of the end zone, and returns it 108 yards for a score. Although apparently the play didn't stand due to a penalty, the ability to create big plays like that is unteachable.

In coverage, Bryant is a physical presence who loves to play press coverage and knock a receiver off his spot. The scheme the Washington's staff likes to run in the secondary asks cornerbacks to play on an island a lot, and is going to win those matchups with receivers at the next level.

He also has great ball skills and knows how to make a play when the ball is in the air without committing a penalty. Once Bryant does get the ball in his hands, he knows how to find a seam and give the offense a short field, or take it all the way back to the end zone.

There's going to be a lot of competition among the freshmen in the secondary and Bryant is going to have a lot of opportunities in the summer to make his mark. While he won't be arriving on campus until June, there's a path to playing time early in his Husky career.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Bryant redshirted in 2023, maybe seeing some action on defense late in blowouts, but his quickest path to the field might be in the return game. He sees the field very well with the ball in his hands and would be a threat to flip the field as both a kick and punt returner. 

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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