As a senior at Akron Firestone High School, University of Toledo center Bryce Harris looked up to former Rockets star offensive lineman Greg Mancz.
“Greg Mancz had a big impact on me,” Harris said. “Just watching his film and the way he led guys, that helped me out a lot.”
After serving as a utility man of sorts on the offensive line his first two seasons at Toledo, Harris has had a chance to settle in full time as a junior.
With Toledo losing three members of last year’s offensive line, Harris has taken over the center position and, like Mancz, has gotten the opportunity to be the leader of the offensive line. For his efforts this season, Harris was named second-team All-Mid-American Conference.
WATCH: Toledo center Bryce Harris
“He’s bounced around and played a lot of different positions on the offensive line for us,” UT coach Jason Candle said. “For him now to get his opportunity to be the full-time center each and every day, it’s been really fun to watch his maturation and his growth into that. It’s hard for young players to lead others until they are able to lead themselves ... He has the ability to not only raise his game to the level he wants to, but also has the ability to bring others along with him and I think that is really cool.”
When offensive line coach Mike Hallett arrived at Toledo, Harris was at the end of his first semester as a freshman.
“Even then, he was a guy who was going to be redshirted, but he was working in the two-deep and was really developing at a quick pace,” Hallett said. “Going through spring ball, he was the guy I really thought had a breakout spring. The difference now compared to Bryce as a freshman is he’s done a really good job with his body. I think that freshman year he was a little heavy. He went through spring ball at about 305 [pounds]. He’s consistently more about 285. I think that allows him to move better. He hasn’t sacrificed strength to drop those extra pounds.”
In 2017, Harris started six games at right guard, four at center, and one at left guard. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, he played in 11 games, including six as the starting center.
That experience in his first two seasons has allowed Harris to get a good feel of all three interior offensive line positions.
“Having that versatility playing left guard, center, and right guard helps out a lot,” Harris said. “But when you have the ability to focus on one position every day and every rep of your practices, that helps out in your development at that position. Playing guard last year, the biggest thing it did was help me to understand the perspective of the guys next to me. If we are doing a double team or some type of block like that, I understand what they are capable of as well as myself.”
Hallett says Harris’ movement and athleticism really set him apart at the center position.
“I think Bryce has worked really hard at developing a skill set that makes him a premier player in our conference,” Hallett said. “He’s very athletic, whether that is him zone blocking or reaching a guy or we have a lot of plays with the opportunity to pull him and get him to a linebacker or corner or safety. His athleticism really shows on those plays and gives our offense another dimension because he is so good at getting to the second level and capturing a second-level defender.”
The knowledge of the entire offensive line has helped Harris with his pre-snap reads and getting the line in the correct pass protection.
“It’s basically like the inside general of the offense,” Harris said of the position.
He has come a long way throughout his career, but he knows there is room for more growth.
“I’ve gotten a lot stronger and my technique has gotten better, but I still have so much to get better at,” Harris said. “There are so many little things that I could write a whole list about what I can get better at as a leader, as a man, and as a football player here.”
Hallett said the second-team All-MAC honor was a good reward for Harris this season, but he believes he is capable of even more.
“We have a lot of good players in this conference and a number of good centers,” Hallett said. “But I’ll put Bryce up against any of them. None of the first-team players were underclassmen. They were all seniors. So being a junior and being named to an all-conference team is really good, and I would expect even greater things from him next year.”
First Published December 13, 2018, 6:50 p.m.
