Cleveland’s Glenville Academy used to be the No. 1 stop on college coaches’ spring tour through the Midwest, but the talent pool at the high school program that produced the likes of Ted Ginn and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith has not been as deep lately.
Class of 2017 cornerback Coby Bryant, though, is a reason for college coaches to return to the traditional Midwest power this fall. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Bryant holds six offers, but none from a Power Five school. He is attending camps this summer in hopes of changing that.
“I did just the two – Michigan and Michigan State,” Bryant said. “Michigan, they liked what they seen at the camp. They said they are going to sit down, evaluate my film and get back with me. They didn’t really tell me what I need to work on, but they said they like how I am smooth, they can tell I have been around the game and I play fast.”
Bryant’s older brother is former Ohio State defensive back Christian Bryant. The younger Bryant attended the Buckeye’s Friday Night Lights camp last summer, and plans to return to the annual event when they host it again on July 22.
“I did real well at the Friday Night Lights last year and they liked me, so I will be attending this year,” Bryant said. “Every time I come to camp, Coach (Kerry) Coombs is on me. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing and everything will fall into place.”
Besides the schools he camped with, Bryant is hearing from Syracuse, Purdue, Illinois and Iowa. Coaches from each of those schools were through Glenville this past spring, and Bryant is looking to visit those schools later this summer or fall.
The six schools that have offered Bryant are Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Marshall, Morgan State and Youngstown State.
“I like Buffalo,” Bryant said. “I was supposed to (visit) a couple weeks ago, but I had a practice so I couldn’t make it.”
As a junior Bryant played both cornerback and safety. He finished the season with 50 tackles, five pass break ups and an interception.