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Coach Brian Kelly has received his 22nd verbal commitment for the 2013 class today from RB Greg Bryant (Delray Beach, FL - American Heritage Boca/Delray). He is listed at 5'11" and 196 lbs and runs a 4.48 40 yard dash.
Bryant committed to the Irish after an official visit over the weekend. He was at one time committed to play at Oklahoma and chose Notre Dame over several offers including Alabama, Florida, Florida State and USC among others. He will play in the US Army All-American Bowl in January.
Recruiting Service Rankings:
ESPN - 4 star (#7 FL, #2 RB), 87 Grade (27th Overall)
Rivals - 5 star (#3 FL, #2 RB), 6.1 Grade (#16 Overall)
Scout - 4 star (#14 RB, #90 Overall)
247Sports - 4 star (#21 FL, #10 RB), 94 Grade (#130 Overall)
Highlights (click to go to video)
Impact:
Immediate Future:
Even though Bryant joins what appears to be a crowded backfield in 2013, he should compete for touches immediately. The one thing that could limit his contributions as a freshman will be how fast he can pick up the play book and how well he does in pass protection. He is an elite-level back and should help offset the loss of Theo Riddick and likely loss of Cierre Wood next fall.
Long Term/Career:
Bryant is a complete running back and an ideal fit for the single back sets they run most of the time. He is a powerful runner who sheds would-be tacklers with ease. He doesn't shy away from contact and his highlight film shows that the majority of his yards come after contact. He shows a lot of patience in setting up blockers and gets up-field quickly. He also shows some great pass-catching ability out of the backfield.
The one knock on him is that he lacks true break-away speed, but he more than makes up for that with his physical running style and toughness. Watching his highlight film reminded me a lot of Theo Riddick's performance against USC, but his style closely compares to Cierre Wood, though his is about 20 lbs lighter. He should have an excellent career in South Bend.
Welcome to Notre Dame Greg!