Lineman Bryant gets offensive

When Jacob Bryant arrived at The Citadel as a defensive lineman in 2004, some Bulldogs were skeptical.

"The offensive linemen all said, 'Yeah, right, he'll be an offensive guard in no time,' " recalled offensive line coach Kevin Olecki.

It took four years and a knee injury, but the 6-0, 275-pound Bryant has finally made the move from defense to offense. He made the switch in spring practice after redshirting last season, and this fall is working as the starting left guard on an experienced offensive line.

"He always hung around the offensive linemen anyway," Olecki said. "His best friend on the team is (center) Clay Muirhead, so he's fit right in."

The offensive line is often the last refuge for big guys who aren't quite quick or athletic enough to play defense. But that tag did not apply to Bryant, who started 10 games on the defensive line as a Citadel freshman in 2004. He was a part-time starter and regular in the rotation as a sophomore and junior before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during spring practice last year.

He tried to return to action last fall to finish out his senior season with his classmates, but in the end was forced to redshirt.

"The goal was to come back and play my senior year on defense," Bryant said. "But the more I worked it out, the more I got tired. You could tell on film I was moving slow and favoring my knee. It was just the best move to redshirt."

In the off-season, head coach Kevin Higgins talked to Bryant about moving from the well-stocked defensive line to offense, which did not have as much depth.

Bryant, who played both ways in high school in Oklahoma and has three older brothers who played offensive line in college, was happy to oblige.

"It's definitely a lot more technique," Bryant said. "On defense, you run to the ball with technique. But offense is a lot more methodical and precise."

And Bryant's years on defense can help, Olecki said. "He's a football guy; he understands the game. And I appealed to the fact that he's been on the other side of the ball and knows what those guys are looking for. That's an advantage."

Notes

Reese sprains ankle: Junior defensive tackle Terrence Reese, the anchor of the Bulldogs' line, suffered a sprained left ankle early in Wednesday morning's practice.

Reese will be out seven to 10 days and will be reevaluated at that time, said director of sports medicine Andy Clawson.

Reese, 6-0 and 275 pounds, made 41 tackles last year, seven for loss, with two sacks and an interception, and was a preseason All-Southern Conference pick. Redshirt freshman Quintin Turner ran with the first team in his absence Wednesday.

Special teams: Coach Kevin Higgins said good progress was made on special teams Wednesday, especially on the punt return team. "We think we have a real threat with Andre Roberts back there," he said. "And if we can get our guys up front to do a better job of technique with their hands and giving him some alleys, we think we have a chance for some big plays.

Dropped balls: Freshman receivers Kevin Hardy and Luke Caldwell still are adjusting to the volume of balls that must be caught in practice every day, Higgins said.

"The biggest challenge for new receivers is that they don't catch enough balls in high school," the coach said. "I think their hands will improve tremendously as they get more reps. Kevin Hardy has great speed, but it's clear he hasn't caught enough balls in the past. He just needs to get caught up like a golfer just needs to swing 100 times to get his stroke back. Caldwell is a little more polished, not as fast as Hardy, but you can tell he has some ability."

Calling all safeties: Safety is another spot where freshmen could see action, with Demontrelle Smith and Kevin Manning getting a close look. Smith (6-1, 180) and Manning (5-11, 175) both are from North Mar-ion HS in Florida. "They are going to have to step up, certainly in a backup role and on special teams," Higgins said.