STANFORD – It appeared like nothing might cease Stanford huge receiver Brycen Tremayne from discovering the top zone.
As a redshirt freshman in 2019, Tremayne had extra touchdowns (4) than receptions (three) – all three of his catches went for scores, and he recovered a blocked punt ultimately zone.
Final season, he scored a landing in every of the Cardinal’s first 5 video games. However that’s when Tremayne’s storybook run from walk-on to scoring machine took a devastating flip. Within the fifth sport, at dwelling towards Oregon, the Los Angeles product suffered a damaged fibula and dislocated ankle, placing his Stanford profession in jeopardy.
However Tremayne slowly regained his footing over the subsequent 12 months, and final week reached the top zone twice in Stanford’s 28-27 loss to Oregon State.
Tremayne’s resurgence ought to give the Cardinal hope as they journey to Notre Dame on Saturday (4:30 p.m., NBC) looking for to interrupt an 11-game dropping streak towards FBS competitors – a streak that started proper after Tremayne’s damage.
“It’s simply when that ball goes up. I simply wish to catch it so unhealthy,” Tremayne mentioned. “It doesn’t matter if the ball’s behind me, in entrance of me, going into the DB’s again. I’m simply doing no matter I can do to catch the ball.”
Although he’s now a fifth-year senior, this shall be Tremayne’s first journey to South Bend, a reminder of his journey to get up to now. He was a member of the scout group who didn’t journey to street video games in his first yr on The Farm, when Stanford final went to Notre Dame (the 2020 sport was canceled because of the pandemic).
Tremayne then performed virtually solely on particular groups as a sophomore, however he did make three catches for a mixed 22 yards – all for TDs, together with one on the opening drive towards Notre Dame. Tremayne is now on scholarship and has gone from function participant to starter, however makes use of these first years as motivation.
“I hold that chip on my shoulder on daily basis realizing that I used to be strolling on, I needed to work that a lot more durable to only get myself on the group,” Tremayne mentioned.
By final season, he was named preseason all-Pac-12 second group by Phil Steele and appeared poised to interrupt out. He was the group’s main receiver with 5 touchdowns and 240 yards via 5 video games earlier than struggling the season-ending damage.
His grueling restoration course of started with strolling, then jogging, then operating, then going full pace. However he mentioned the final 10% was the toughest – blocking drills with unpredictable motions, or onerous chopping.
He didn’t take part in contact drills throughout coaching camp, so the primary time he was tackled was truly within the season opener towards Colgate. He began slowly, with 4 catches for 42 yards in Stanford’s first three video games towards FBS competitors.
“Clearly I needed to get ultimately zone each week,” Tremayne mentioned. “However I used to be speaking to my mother and father they usually simply instructed me to remain optimistic, that the extra video games I'm going with no landing, the extra doubtless the subsequent sport I’m going to get one, so I simply needed to hold that mindset.”
That point got here final Saturday when Tremayne exploded for six catches for 82 yards and two TDs – all profession highs – towards the Beavers. The primary TD was an acrobatic 21-yard catch over defensive again Alex Austin with 58 seconds left within the first half.
“Simply felt like final yr, similar feelings being introduced again,” Tremayne mentioned. “My teammates clearly have been hyping me up and all the pieces. So it was only a nice feeling to be again ultimately zone.”
He was greeted on the sideline by coach David Shaw, who reminded him to not take his helmet off on the sector – after which congratulated him on an ideal catch.
“Brycen is a particular, particular expertise,” Shaw mentioned. “These downfield balls, the sideline catches, he’s been doing it for 3 years, simply superb. He has such uncanny physique management and talent to make these catches with guys throughout him. We’re going to wish much more of that going ahead. However proud to see him getting back from his damage, being again to the place he was earlier than.”
Tremayne’s storybook return was ruined when Oregon State had its personal highlight-reel 56-yard TD reception with 13 seconds left. Tremayne mentioned his touchdowns have been overshadowed in his thoughts by a catch he didn’t make within the fourth quarter and a few poor blocks. However he’s enthusiastic about what his efficiency might imply for the remainder of the yr.
“It positively took me a bit bit to seek out my groove this season, getting a couple of catches right here and there,” Tremayne mentioned. “However I really feel like getting ultimately zone lastly, I used to be identical to, ‘I’m right here, I’m again.’ In order that was superior and I really feel nice.”