By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine
Bryce Lopez of Captain Shreve is someone who is a legit pass rusher for the next level.
Lopez can do something not a lot of players who play his position can do: he runs a legit 4.59 in the 40 and ran that this spring. Not bad for a kid who stands 6-4, 205 now but will weigh 210 to 215 by September.
Lopez plays on a defensive line that’s so talented we are interviewing two more Class of 2023 upcoming Shreve DL seniors in the coming days.
What I love about Lopez is his upside. Once he gets to 230 or 240 in college, with great feet and speed off the edge, he can become a great player if he chooses football as his college focus. He is also very good in baseball as an all-district pitcher; he’s good in soccer, too.
I think he can be a defensive end/outside linebacker (some call it “Buck” linebacker) in college, a pass rusher in a 4-3 defense or an edge rusher defensive end in a 3-4 defense.
Lopez will go into the 2022 season as a sleeper because he missed the final seven games of the season in 2021 after breaking his arm. Since then he’s been healthy, fully recovered and looking forward to competing again. He also missed the soccer season this past winter.
Defensive line coach Greg Baswell likes the length Lopez gives the Gators on the edge.
“Bryce is a versatile athlete who provides an incredible amount of utility for us on defense by playing multiple positions,” Baswell said. “He has great speed and his height causes problems for quarterbacks. We feel comfortable with Bryce playing the run, off the edge or in space, and covering a slot or wide receiver in the pass game. Lopez will have the opportunity to be one of the best players in the district.”
Notes on Bryce Lopez: His hobbies include “anything that involves being active and being a part of a team.”
What he likes the most about football is the team environment and competitive atmosphere.
Lopez has played on the varsity baseball team four years and was all-district in 2022 as a pitcher. He is a three-year letterman on the varsity soccer team and all-district as a goalie in 2020 and 2021.
As he considers college plans, there’s a tendency to look south along I-10.
“I’ve been an LSU fan for a long time,” said Lopez. “I grew up watching McNeese State play a lot too. I’ve had family members play both football and baseball there.”
Family members who have played sports include his dad, who played baseball for Byrd. Three of his cousins have played baseball or football at McNeese State. He also has a cousin in the Milwaukee Brewers’ system.
Lopez has a 3.79 GPA and 23 ACT.
He plans to major in sports medicine and become a physical therapist.
Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com
