45 DAYS TO KICKOFF: Marquel Bryant

#45 Marquel Bryant Redshirt Senior 6-3 | 241 Dallas, Texas Bio

Position: Defensive End Previous College: None Projection: Starter Status: On Scholarship

Marquel Bryant (b. Oct. 29, 1992) is a long, athletic rush end who has played in 30 career games, with starts in the first two contests of 2013. He will compete for a starting nod as a senior and is likely to start opposite Jordan Willis.

After redshirting in 2011, Bryant appeared in five games in 2012, recording one tackle apiece against Missouri State, Texas Tech and West Virginia.

In 2013, he played in 12 games as a sophomore, including starts against North Dakota State and Louisiana, and finished the year with 15 tackles, including three for a loss and two sacks to go along with a pass breakup.

Bryant registered a then-career-high three stops against Baylor and a career-best two sacks at Kansas.

In 2014, he played in all 13 games, setting career highs in tackles (18), tackles for loss (4.0) and sacks (3.0). Bryant carded 12 tackles, and all of his tackles for loss and sacks, over the final four games of last year.

He registered a career-high four tackles against both West Virginia and UCLA, while he also tied his career high with two tackles for loss against the Mountaineers.

Bryant remains a bit of a project, but one with a very promising upside, which any informed observer would expect from a cousin of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant. I expect him finally to be a force as a rush end this fall.