Bryce Davis, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior offensive lineman at East Ridge High School and one of the most sought-after prospects in Lake County, has announced his commitment to play NCAA Division I football at Gardner-Webb University.

Bryce is a versatile lineman capable of playing any position on the offensive line. He signed with the FCS Bulldogs after a standout junior season  leading East Ridge’s offense. Known for his quickness, footwork and ability to protect the quarterback, Bryce rarely surrendered sacks and anchored the unit on Friday nights helping East Ridge be one of the more dominant pass heavy offensive units in Lake County.

“It has meant a lot to me to represent my school,” Bryce says. “I am the first football player to commit to a school this year and I take a lot of pride in it.”

Bryce chose Gardner-Webb after building strong relationships during a camp he attended at the Gardner-Webb campus.

“I chose Gardner-Webb since I went to camp there and built a strong relationship with the coaches and enjoyed being on campus,” he says. “I will be taking my Official Visit this weekend so I am very excited for that.”

Diondrae Campbell, the director of football operations at East Ridge, praised Bryce’s work ethic.

“Bryce has earned this opportunity through hard work, dedication, and consistency on and off the field,” Campbell says. “We are excited to see what the future holds as he continues his academic and athletic journey at Gardner-Webb. Congratulations to Bryce, his family, teammates, coaches, and the entire East Ridge football community on this well-deserved accomplishment.”

Head coach Donnie Burchfield highlighted Bryce’s character and leadership.

“Bryce Davis is everything you want in a student-athlete,” Burchfield says. “As a player, he’s tough, coachable, and incredibly consistent. … What makes Bryce special is who he is off the field matches who he is on it. He’s a high-character young man who leads by example.”

Bryce also credited East Ridge assistant Coach Anthony “Sausage” Dicunto but know to players as Coach Sauce, for playing a major role in his recruitment and development.

“ Coach Sauce has impacted me the most at East Ridge High. He has put a lot of energy into getting me recruited and getting me prepared for the next level. He never stopped supporting me and has helped me gain a lot of confidence. He also always reassured me that I will figure it out and get to the next level no matter what it takes. So I really appreciate him for that.”

While football remains Bryce’s passion he also plans to study criminal justice at Gardner-Webb University.

As Bryce comes up on his senior year at East Ridge, he says the most valuable lesson he’s learned from his coaches is perseverance.

“The most valuable thing I have learned from coaches has been that nobody cares how tired you are, keep going and never quit,” Bryce says. “I have stayed true to that and stayed consistent to this game and working on perfecting my craft.”

Along with coach Sauce, Bryce named his parents and his teammates as his role models who’ve helped him reach this point in his life. 

“I look forward to a dominant senior year and will continue to prove myself,” he says. “Thank you to everyone for believing in me.” 

School officials noted that “something special is happening at the Ridge” as the program continues to develop standout student-athletes like Bryce. Many of those young athletes are being scouted by NCAA Division 1 programs with further commitments expected in the coming weeks and months as the season rolls around in early August.