Metea Valley’s 2018 OT Bryce Effner now holds 4 FBS offers and has a lot of interest from other schools. We talked his offseason training to improve next season, a few of his teammates with big time ability, other schools that have not offered showing serious interest in him.

You can find Bryce on Twitter @b_effner.

Bryce Effner

Offensive Tackle
Metea Valley
Aurora, IL

Ht: 6’5″
Wt: 275 lbs
Class: 2018

Commitment status: Undecided

LPI: Now that your season is over it’s already time to get ready for next season. What are you going to do to take your game to the next level this offseason?

BE: Ever since my coach put me on varsity sophomore year, I always put 100% into my training. This off-season is no different. Four days of the week I do weight training at my school or my personal trainer’s facility Academy of Human Performance. This allows me to get all my core lifts in and still get Two days of Agility work and One day for Recovery. This Off-season though, my trainer has connected me with an Offensive Lineman Training for the NFL at his facility and I will work with him throughout the week after training.

LPI: You currently have FBS offers from Bowling Green, Toledo, Ball State and Central Michigan. What skill set can you bring to the table for a college football program?

BE: I bring Effort, Attitude, and Enthusiasm to anything I want to win. I pride myself on being able to walk on to a field and know that my coaches and teammates trust me to complete my job and rely on me to stay positive and calm in any situation. High level programs such as BGSU, Toledo, Ball State and CMU demand that kind of mindset in order to succeed and play proficiently. Some of the things I could provide any college program are my positive attitude, my work ethic towards winning, and my belief that no task on or off the football field is too much for me to handle.

LPI: Besides the schools that have offered you, which schools have shown serious interest in you?

BE: I currently have 3 BIG 10 schools, (Northwestern, Illinois, and Penn State) interested in me. Northwestern has shown the most interest with invites to their playoff practices, Illinois has sent me a lot of mail and unofficial game invites, Penn State has sent a coach down to watch my weight training and invited me to their summer camp. Other schools interested would be NIU, Miami of Ohio, Colorado State, Western Michigan. Their contact has either been coaches visiting my school or soon to visit.

LPI: Where have you visited most recently and do you have any planned visits or college camps coming up?

BE: I have not visited any schools yet but have junior day invites from Ball State, Central Michigan University, Miami of Ohio, and NIU. For camps this summer, I plan to go to THE OPENING sponsored by Nike in which I was just invited to. Also, I am currently unsure about any other camp invites, but since Penn state was one of the first I would most definitely consider going to theirs.

LPI: On or off the field, how do you demonstrate leadership?

BE: Leadership is set by example, period. Nobody can expect another to do something they themselves are not willing to do. My leadership strategies are simply that, the best way to help my team is to become the best player I can possibly be. Off the field, is taking myself out of harmful situations in order to influence others to follow, this includes doing all my school work and not participating in activities that put my future at risk. I feel that my teammates are more than capable of making decisions for themselves, but it helps to have someone you respect doing all of those right decisions with you.

LPI: Who are some of your teammates that you believe can play at the next level, but have gone overlooked by college coaches?

BE:

Jayden Reed: This guy has more than what it takes to play D1 football. Not only does he already have a scholarship offer from Central Michigan University, but he is also talking to a lot of other schools such as Miami of Ohio and Ball State. His footwork is crazy fast and won HUDL’s play of the month. Jayden is definitely a player to keep an eye out for.

Payton Throne: Payton is a 3 sport varsity athlete in Baseball, Basketball, and Football all in his sophomore year. He can throw a ball farther and more accurate than I’ve ever seen at the high school level and has 2 more years to perfect his skills. Payton is more than ready to prove to his team and any college interests he can play D1 football.