Advertisement

With eyes on NFL, Stephen Decatur football star Brycen Coleman commits to Vanderbilt

One of the Bayside Conference's brightest stars is bound for the SEC when he wraps up his high school career next year.

Stephen Decatur star football player Brycen Coleman announced his verbal commitment to play college football at Vanderbilt University on Saturday. Coleman, who will be a part of the university's 2024 class of recruits, hopes that suiting up for the Commodores will be part of the necessary next steps in a football career that lands him in the NFL.

"I feel like you should create a checklist just for what you want in college and at the next level, and there's been a bunch of schools that check a lot of the boxes of being high academics, good football and treating me good," Coleman said in an interview.

"But I feel like what really separated Vanderbilt from everybody else was just how much I was treated like family already. And how much they really have a vision for me. A lot schools had plans for me, but I didn't feel like they would help my goals of playing in the NFL as much as Vanderbilt will."

A versatile with plenty of college football options

By the time he had decided to make his announcement, Coleman says he had largely narrowed down his options to Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Campbell, Villanova and James Madison.

ADVERTISEMENT

Some of the biggest things that led to the Vanderbilt decision for the versatile Coleman, who has played quarterback and receiver in high school, was Vanderbilt's willingness to be creative with his offensive role, the ability to help rebuild a program from the ground up like he's done in high school, and the exposure that comes with playing big-time SEC Football against the best that college football has to offer.

"I really feel like Vanderbilt being in the SEC is going to get me exposure, but also, coach Lea's vision at Vanderbilt for the program," Coleman said "I want to be a part of turning that program around, just like how my dad, me and a bunch of our guys that are playing Division 1 turned it around at Decatur in the same way. I just feel like that's really cool to be a part of and I really believe that Vanderbilt's going to do that in the SEC."

A star receiver who answered the call to play quarterback when needed

Decatur's Brycen Coleman (9) rushes against Parkside Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Berlin, Maryland. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 28-7.
Decatur's Brycen Coleman (9) rushes against Parkside Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Berlin, Maryland. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 28-7.

If Coleman's high school football career has been any indication of his talent, it comes as no surprise that a few big name schools from Power Five conferences came calling for his services.

An All-Bayside First Team Player during each of his first three years, the 6-foot-5 Coleman thrived as a wide receiver during his freshman and sophomore years as the Decatur football team reached heights that they hadn't in many years.

And when his team needed a new quarterback as he entered into his junior season, he became arguably the Bayside Conference's best QB, and led the Seahawks all the way to the Class 2A state semifinals, falling just one touchdown short in a high-scoring battle to eventual State Champions Milford Mill.

More: Perfect games and walk-off home-runs highlight this week's Player of the Week nominees

More: 'Jimmy's just a competitor': Delmar's Adkins overcomes challenges to be SU pitching ace

This marks the second player in the last two years from the Stephen Decatur football program to commit to a Power Five school, as fellow Seahawk star Luke Mergott committed to Duke and enrolled early after he wrapped up his senior season.

And a lot of football talent has come out of Maryland's Eastern Shore and the Bayside Conference in the last few years, committing to play Division 1 football, including Easton's Kevin O'Connor, who is set to join Mergott as a Blue Devil.

Coleman said he hopes that he and his peers represent the Eastern Shore at the highest levels, much like they've done during their high school careers when competing against teams on the Western Shore. And hopefully it can open doors for the untapped talent pool in the Bayside Conference.

"I talked to Ben Tate about it, because he went to Auburn and he's also from Decatur. And we just expressed the same feeling of how cool it is that we're from the Eastern Shore and making it big places," Coleman said. "But even the guys like Ben Tate, they still come back. They don't feel shame in playing for the a team on the Eastern Shore, and we think we're just as talented as the West."

An Eastern Shore coaching community that boosts all players

Decatur head football coach Jake Coleman talks to his team after their 38-12 win over Parkside Friday, March 5, 2021, at Wicomico County Stadium.
Decatur head football coach Jake Coleman talks to his team after their 38-12 win over Parkside Friday, March 5, 2021, at Wicomico County Stadium.

Jake Coleman, Brycen's father and the head football coach at Stephen Decatur, credits the football community on the Eastern Shore for the growth in the recruiting of its players in recent years. Where some might expect competition amongst local rivals, each coach and program wants the other teams and players in the Bayside to get as much exposure as possible.

"I've got to give credit to guys like (Parkside head coach) Brendan Riley, who was my college teammate and the other coaches, even the ones up in the (Bayside) North and all their support of Brycen," the elder Coleman said.

"There's been a concerted effort to not just to look out for the kids on your own team, but let's really become about the Shore. We hashtag everything #4shore, especially when we see other kids getting exposure ... There's no question about it that more kids are signing Division 1 from this Conference than ever before.

COLLEGE SIGNINGS: Stephen Decatur football players commit to big plans to play in college: PHOTOS

DECATUR BASEBALL: Diamond dominance - Decatur baseball rolls to big win over Snow Hill: PHOTOS

"The recruiters feel like they are finding a gem here on Delmarva, in an area that has talent that maybe has been underexposed. It's exciting to see."

With Coleman on track to head to Vanderbilt after he wraps up his high school career next season, his father is thankful for all of the people who have been a part of Coleman's athletic career, including coaches who have coached him in other sports, rival Bayside coaches and all the support they have gotten in general.

But if you ask him what is one of the biggest things that has brought his son to where he is, he would say his passion and drive to be great, both on the field and in the classroom, has been Brycen's biggest strength.

"The one thing that stands out for me, ever since Brycen was little, was he always believed in himself. And he had a desire to be great, and practice, and the workouts, and the year-round commitments. He's always kind of just done that," Jake Coleman said. "And traveling all over the nation, and going to QB Factory every Sunday, doing all the Rivals Camps. It's never been a problem for him. He's never not been motivated."

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Stephen Decatur football star Brycen Coleman commits Vanderbilt