Bryce Oliver (born May 19, 2000) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and Youngstown State Penguins.
| No. 80 – Tennessee Titans | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 19, 2000 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 214 lb (97 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) |
| College: | Kentucky (2018–2020) Youngstown State (2021–2023) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Active |
Early life
editOliver was born on May 19, 2000, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[1] He attended Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale and competed in football and basketball, winning consecutive state championships in the latter.[2] He had 76 receptions for 1,112 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, but suffered a knee injury as a senior which led to a significant drop in attention as a recruit.[2] A three-star prospect, he committed to play college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, the only program to continue to show interest in him after his injury.[2]
College career
editOliver redshirted as a freshman at Kentucky in 2018.[3] He appeared in 12 games during the 2019 season, posting six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.[4] He battled injuries in 2020, playing six games while having two catches for 14 yards.[4] He entered the NCAA transfer portal following the season.[5]
Oliver transferred to the Youngstown State Penguins in 2021, playing nine games that year, six as a starter, and finishing second on the team with 24 receptions for 266 yards and a team-leading eight touchdowns.[6] In 2022, he caught 59 passes for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns, being named first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) while having the most single-season receiving touchdowns for a Youngstown State player since 1983.[7] As a senior in 2023, he broke the school record for career receiving touchdowns with 26 and finished the season with 64 receptions for 978 yards and eight touchdowns.[8][9]
Professional career
editAfter going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Oliver signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent.[9] In preseason, he caught eight passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns.[10] He was released at the final roster cuts, on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad the following day.[11] He was signed to the active roster on November 2, 2024, prior to the team's Week 9 game against the New England Patriots.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Bryce Oliver". Tennessee Titans.
- ^ a b c Hale, Jon (August 19, 2019). "Meet Kentucky football's 'freak machine' and breakout candidate WR Bryce Oliver". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ Moore, Josh (April 12, 2019). "'I have the best swag on the team.' UK freshman impresses with big receiving night". Lexington Herald-Leader.
- ^ a b Leach, Chris (March 16, 2021). "Bryce Oliver enters transfer portal". 247Sports.
- ^ Hope, Willie (March 16, 2021). "UK wide receiver Bryce Oliver enters the transfer portal". WYMT-TV.
- ^ "Bryce Oliver". Youngstown State Penguins.
- ^ "Youngstown State's Bryce Oliver named Preseason Third-Team All-American by Stats Perform". MahoningMatters.com. August 3, 2023.
- ^ Yauger, Brian (November 26, 2023). "Oliver enters YSU record books with 26th receiving touchdown". The Vindicator.
- ^ a b Pugh, Chris (April 28, 2024). "Former YSU wide receiver Bryce Oliver signs with Tennessee Titans". MahoningMatters.com.
- ^ Krispinsky, Chad (August 25, 2024). "Former YSU wideout shines in Titans' preseason finale". WKBN-TV.
- ^ Burks, Serena (August 28, 2024). "Titans' 2024 practice squad: Tracking the additions". USA Today.
- ^ Wyatt, Jim (November 2, 2024). "Titans Make a Flurry of Roster Moves Ahead of Sunday's Game vs the Patriots". TennesseeTitans.com.