STARKVILLE — Brandon Bryant relied on his athleticism in high school.
As a senior at Rosa Fort High, Bryant threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 896 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 22 catches for 339 yards and two touchdowns. On the defense, he made 37 tackles, had two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), broke up five passes, and forced one forced fumble. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
Bryant had to wait to showcase his athleticism when he arrived at Mississippi State in the summer of 2014, and had to watch Jay Hughes, Justin Cox and Market anchor the safety position. The time on the sidelines allowed Bryant to see how the veterans approached the game. The redshirt season helped the 5-foot-11, 205-pounder transition from offense to defense.
“I definitely think it helped me with my ball skills,” Bryant said. “When the ball is in the air, I know how to go get the ball.”
In addition to improving his skills, Bryant learned everyone at MSU and in the Southeastern Conference is athletic, so he realized he had to become a more well-rounded football player. With senior safety Kendrick Market’s season over due to an injury, Bryant will get a chance to show how much he has matured. He will get that chance at 3 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network) when MSU (3-2) plays host to Troy (1-3) at Davis Wade Stadium.
“He’s learning how to become a student of the game, much more detail-oriented than he was at first,” MSU first-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. “Now that he knows where he’s going and he knows what he’s doing, you can see him making strides on the field. Now his athletic attributes can really come out.”
In five games, Bryant has 18 tackles (one tackle for loss) and two pass breakups.
Bryant, the fastest player on the team with a time of 4.25 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has shown his athletic ability and has made several big hits. He had four tackles against LSU. He followed that up with five tackles and a pass breakup against Auburn. Last week against Texas A&M, the Tunica native had three tackles.
“He’s freakish athletic,” junior safety Kivon Coman said. “He’s a very technique guy, so everything he does he does with technique and fundamentals. He always just finds the ball.”
Before Market’s injury, Bryant’s role was on track to increase because he had earned the trust of the coaches. With Market out, Bryant has an opportunity to be the starter at strong safety.
“He was serious and he understood he’s got a more serious role to play now,” MSU safeties coach Tony Hughes said of the first meeting with Bryant after the Bulldogs learned Market was going to be out. “He’s got to step up.
“Once a guy realizes he’s going to have a chance to play in games, he takes it more seriously.”
Games against Troy and Louisiana Tech the next two weeks in Starkville will give Bryant time to adjust to his move to the starting lineup.
“I’ve got to be a big leader with younger kids behind me, like Jamal (Peters) and Mark (McLaurin),” Bryant said. “I feel like an older guy because I’ve developed. I’ve come a long way from where I was last year.”
Peters and McLaurin are freshmen. Coman and Deontay Evans are juniors, so MSU doesn’t have a lot of inexperience at safety. But the players have developed chemistry between the safeties and the cornerbacks because they have become friends off the field. They go to Buffalo Wild Wings as a group a good bit during the week to get away from football and to strengthen their bond. That has helped Bryant become more comfortable.
“It’s just a good time after a long day of practice and stressful day of game-planning,” Bryant said.
Bryant will continue to rely on his athleticism, but the things he has learned and his improved understanding of how to prepare should make him a more dangerous defender in the next couple of seasons.
“He’s going to be outstanding,” Hughes said. “He can run, he can tackle, he’s big, he’s got good size, and he’s got good intellect. He plays really hard, so he’s got a great upsize.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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