Leroy Bryant Is No Man of Steel, Yet He's Trying to be a Super Hero

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 2:51 PM ET

Following Saturday night's mock game at Husky Stadium, the University of Washington football players will continue practicing but get a week off from all media interviews, which for certain individuals probably is a welcome thing.

Someone such as Leroy Bryant, the 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore from Fairfield, California, is in such a fierce battle with Rahshawn Clark to become the Huskies' starting nickelback he's grinding and just doesn't have a whole lot to say to outside inquisitors.

Rather let secondary coach John Richardson explain Bryant's current situation and desire to make it work.

"He doesn't like the steel benches," Richardson said. "For him, he wants to play and he didn't come here to sit. I'm just being honest, he came here to play, he wants to prove himself, so his urgency is definitely increasing and he's making plays. We're going to play the best one."

It's only been in the past week or so that this defensive back seemed to make a big move and separate himself from Clark, who was a spring football sensation.

"I'm just attacking every day and making the most of my opportunity," Bryant said.

Whereas Bryant and Clark easily could become the Huskies' 2026 starting corners, replacing seniors Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock, they are le ft to battle each other for the fifth spot in the current secondary lineup.

After a solid season as a UW corner last fall, Thaddeus Dixon apparently wasn't interested in moving to nickel to make room for Davis, an Arizona transfer. The Huskies didn't try to placate him so he left for North Carolina.

"They've got to be complete DBs if they want to get drafted -- it's DBU," Richardson pointed out. "Nobody is going to play just one spot. You've got to be able to play everywhere."

Richardson didn't know that Bryant, a Kalen DeBoer recruit, amazingly has done this in a different manner. As a true freshman two years ago, the defender appeared in seven games and still kept his redshirt status intact -- because three of them were postseason outings.

"It was good for me to preserve my redshirt and have an extra year to learn," Bryant said.

In his career, he's appeared in the 2023 Pac-12 title game against Oregon, the 2024 Sugar Bowl and CFP semifinals against Texas and the 2024 CFP championship game against Michigan, and none of them counted against his eligibility.

Add to that, he was injured and missed the first half of last season before getting six games in, including starting at cornerback ahead of Dixon in the 2024 Sun Bowl against Louisville -- his fourth postseason game in two seasons.

While not big on small talk, he's big-game Bryant, ready for as much spotlight as you can throw at him.

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This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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