If you are a younger sibling, you typically get most of the attention from your family. But what if your older brother was a top NFL Draft pick? That is the situation Bryce Lance finds himself in at NDSU, with the San Francisco 49ers selecting older brother Trey third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Can Bryce follow in his brother’s college football footsteps and pave his own path to the NFL?
Who is Bryce Lance?
First, let’s give the younger Lance a proper introduction. Hailing from Marshall, Minnesota, Bryce shined at Marshall High School. He was a legitimate two-way player, starring at receiver and defensive back. “Starring” is the operative word here, as he set school records for receiving yards in a game (199), season (873), and career (1,766). Additionally, he rewrote the record books for career receptions (68) and interceptions (12).
As a junior in 2019, Lance brought home his first piece of hardware with District Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. He shared the award with Marshall teammate and current NDSU lineman Trey Steinbach. In a seven-game senior campaign, Lance caught 30 passes for 631 yards and 8 touchdowns, earning District Offensive Player of the Year. And don’t get it twisted — Trey graduated in 2018, so Bryce had his best years without his elder sibling throwing him the ball.
However, the Marshall native didn’t just thrive on the gridiron. On the hardwood, Lance was an All-Conference basketball player, leading his team to a section championship victory in 2020. Despite the accolades and success as a two-sport athlete, Lance received little fanfare as a three-star recruit.
Although he was the 10th-ranked player in the state, he only received offers to play football from South Dakota State, Columbia, Dartmouth, Princeton, and, of course, North Dakota State. But let’s not glance over the three Ivy League schools. Ivy league programs have an average acceptance rate of 5.4% and typically require a GPA of 4.0 or higher for admission. So, yea, I don’t think Bryce is lacking above the shoulder pads.
Will Bryce follow in Trey Lance’s footsteps at NDSU?
And now we get to the million-dollar (literally) question. Let’s put Trey’s meteoric rise from the FCS to the NFL in perspective. He redshirted his true freshman season in 2018 — though he did dress for all 15 games, completing his lone pass for 12 yards and taking 8 carries for 82 yards and 2 scores.
Then, 2019 happened. And oh BOY, was it a sight to behold. Lance completed 67% of his passes for 2,786 yards, 28 TDs, and 0 INTs. Let me repeat that — *clears throat* — Trey Lance threw 28 TDs to 0 INTs as a redshirt freshman. Interceptions? Zero, nada, zilch. This is not to mention his dynamism on the ground, rushing 169 times for 1,100 and 14 touchdowns. Thus, he pulled in all the awards imaginable, including Freshman, Newcomer, and Offensive Player of the Year in the conference.
The first-round buzz was louder than Mike Breen yelling “BANG!” as your favorite NBA player drains it from distance. Lance’s explosive arm and uber-athletic build (6’3″, 221 pounds) had #DraftTwitter scouts ablaze.
We can quickly brush over Lance’s 2020 performance — due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NDSU played just one standalone game vs. Central Arkansas. He went 15-of-30 passing for 149 yards, 2 scores, and 1 pick. Yet, Lance once again showcased his rushing ability, gaining 161 yards and 2 TDs on 13 carries.
The younger Lance can build his own bridge
Trey’s unbelievable 2019 campaign propelled him to the pros. However, he is a quarterback, and Bryce is a receiver. Thus, Bryce is reliant on his QB getting him the ball. Not only is that a factor, but the Bison are a run-heavy program, making Lance’s opportunities to display his talent limited.
Rocking Trey’s No. 5 jersey, Bryce hasn’t recorded any stats this season or seemingly played any snaps. But he spent this year working on his frame, and the results are already showing. Entering NDSU as a 6’2″ and 160-pound WR, Lance has grown and bulked up to 6’3″, 193. From his high school tape, it is evident he has the speed, ball skills, and awareness to produce at the FCS level.
Four of NDSU’s top six passing options are seniors, led by Christian Watson — who has his own NFL potential in the 2022 class. So, Lance should see opportunities as early as next season. Bryce’s path to the NFL is far less traveled than Trey’s. Prior to the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bison sent their previous two starting QBs to the league — Carson Wentz was the second overall pick in 2016, and Easton Stick was a fifth-rounder in 2019.
How many wideouts has NDSU shipped to the NFL? Five from 1966 to 1985 and none since. Needless to say, Bryce has his work cut out for him. It is too soon to speculate on his NFL prospects, but he has the pedigree, frame, and smarts to parlay his time with NDSU into an opportunity to go pro.