Four-star safety Marquis Bryant has committed to Kentucky after previously being a North Carolina commit. His visit to Lexington this spring influenced his decision.
Key points
Marquis Bryant is a four-star safety.
He previously committed to North Carolina.
Bryant visited Kentucky and changed his commitment.
He is ranked as the No. 27 safety in the country.
Kentucky's new staff re-offered him.
Mentioned in this story
KentuckyNorth CarolinaRolesville
Marquis Bryant
Marquis Bryant has made his decision. The one-time North Carolina commit visited Lexington one time earlier this spring, and the four-star safety out of Rolesville (N.C.) has committed to Kentucky.
âThey came back in when the new staff got there and re-offered me,â Bryant told Rivals. âThey told me to come up there with an open mind, and thatâs what I did.â
The first trip to Lexington earlier this month changed everything.
âThey blew me away,â he said. âMe and my family loved it. It had everything we were looking for. They checked all the boxes.
âThe overall environment stood out immediately. The way the staff and players treat each other â itâs all one. Thereâs no division in the building or outside of it.â
That culture, paired with the opportunity in the SEC, helped solidify the decision.
âI want to play at the highest level,â he said. âGoing against the best in the SEC, thatâs what Iâm looking for. I saw the environment, I loved the coaches, and there was no reason to wait. Kentucky is a great place for me. They checked all of my boxes.â
Q&A
Why did Marquis Bryant choose Kentucky over North Carolina?
Marquis Bryant chose Kentucky because they re-offered him after the new coaching staff arrived and encouraged him to visit with an open mind.
What is Marquis Bryant's ranking among safety prospects?
Marquis Bryant is ranked as the No. 27 safety in the country and the No. 284 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Where is Marquis Bryant from?
Marquis Bryant is from Rolesville, North Carolina.
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The staff played a big role in Bryantâs decision
Development also played a major role, especially with defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.
âHis resume is crazy,â Bryant said. âThe players heâs coached, the defenses heâs run, the connections he has â that stood out.â
Bryant leaned heavily on that relationship.
âThe knowledge he has really carried weight with me,â he said. âCoach Bateman was at North Carolina, then Texas A&M, before he got to Kentucky, so I have known him at both of those schools. We have been talking for a while, so that relationship meant a lot in this decision.â
Head coach Will Stein also made a strong impression with his vision for the program.
âHe knows what heâs doing,â Bryant said. âWhat he did at Oregon, running that offense â that showed me a lot.
âHe and his staff have a plan to change the program. I think we can do something special.â
Now committed, Bryant is locked in on helping build that vision.