Wake Forest RB Bryce Love picks Stanford

There was much talk at Wake Forest High running back Bryce Love’s Friday announcement ceremony about not only his accomplishments on the field, but his standing in the classroom as well. When he announced his commitment to play at Stanford next fall, those in attendance agreed it was a good fit on both accounts.

Love, a 5-foot-10, 178-pound four-star recruit, attracted more than 20 offers over his high school career. He sat in the auditorium at Wake Forest with hats from his final picks: Stanford, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, East Carolina – where his brother Chris plays – and Tennessee.

“It was definitely (a tough decision),” Love said. “We definitely put a lot of thought into it. Ultimately we loved every school that was available to us. They each brought different things to the table, but it just came down to where I felt like was the best fit for me, and where I felt like I could grow as a person.”

Love has been a standout for the back-to-back N.C. High School Athletic Association 4AA East regional champion Cougars, which fell to Charlotte Mallard Creek in the state championship the past two seasons. This year’s championship result was the only loss of the season for Wake Forest (15-1, 7-0 Cap Eight).

Love was named the East’s most outstanding offensive player in last month’s final, finishing with 186 yards on 28 carries. He completed the season with 2,304 rushing yards, a school single-season record, according to coach Reggie Lucas, and 38 total touchdowns. Love had a touchdown in all but one of the Cougars’ games this season.

“The thing about Bryce is if you’ve seen him play, you know he has the talent, you know he has the speed,” Lucas said. “What we’ve been able to see is at practice his determination. Him not only being the best player, but him willing to be the first guy at sprints, the last guy to leave the field. The guy who does extra things. So I think he’s going to go up and compete at Stanford and do well.”

Love has a 4.5 grade point average and has expressed interest in studying biology or business. He was deemed an “ambassador” for Wake Forest by running backs coach Glendon Dillard.

“They’re going to get an ambassador to their program,” Dillard said. “He represents and will represent the town of Wake Forest well, and being a native, he makes me very proud.”

Love has been a marquee athlete at the school, culminating in what Lucas said was the first time a Wake Forest player garnered as many offers and attracted the interest to hold an announcement ceremony in the school auditorium.

“It’s definitely been a blessing to say the least,” Love said. “Everything that I’ve been able to accomplish, definitely being able to have the type of people around me that I do, it’s definitely a really great feeling.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2015 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Wake Forest RB Bryce Love picks Stanford."