Bryce Coleman was a wide receiver for most of his football career.
With his speed, hands and leaping ability, the position seemed to suit him perfectly.
But prior to his junior season at Shadow Creek High School in Pearland, Texas, Coleman took on the challenge of a new position. Apparently, the UL coaching staff liked what it saw after the change.
That new position is tight end, and UL tight ends and associate head coach Jorge Munoz pursued the 6-foot-3, 225-pound prospect. Things went well enough that Coleman committed to the Cajuns in late March.
In June, he made his official visit and it only enhanced his desire to play for the Ragin' Cajuns.
"The visit only made me more excited about it," Coleman said. "Being able to see all of the campus and the full facilities — the weight room and where they study — everything.
"Before I committed, I had already been contacting (Munoz). He's been coming up to my practices and seeing how everything was going. When he finally offered me, I was all excited."
Coleman sort of grew into being a tight end.
"I started gaining weight and started getting bigger," Coleman said. "I still have that twitch. My coach tells me all the time they're going to use my ability to stretch the field and to block as well."
In his first season at tight end, he caught 21 passes for 330 pounds and seven touchdowns.
For many years, UL fans looked for the next Ladarius Green, who caught 149 passes for 2,201 yards and 22 touchdowns from 2008-11 at UL.
These days, the search is for tight ends who make a receiving impact like Terrance Carter, who has 131 catches for 1,568 yards and 12 scores in three seasons — two at UL and one at Texas Tech — with one year of eligibility remaining for the Red Raiders after transferring from UL.
"Oh yeah," Coleman said with a laugh. "He (Munoz) mentioned him. He said he sees some Terrance Carter in me. And I've been watching some film of Terrance."
In some ways, Coleman's physical strengths already outpace Carter. As a track standout, Coleman has a personal-best high jump of 6 feet, 4 inches. In the 200-meter dash, his best time was 22.40.
"I don't want to say a number one necessarily, but I think I can be a player the offense can look to for big plays," Coleman said. "Put the ball in my hands and I'll do something with it."
As for the physical side of the tight end position, Coleman looks forward to putting weight on his frame to be able to compete against bigger defenders.
Coleman isn't waiting for his college career to begin, though.
"I've already started," he said. "I changed my diet completely. I now eat four times a day, and I'm eating the right foods as well. I'm hoping to get up to 240 to be ready for the season."
The plan is to develop even more as a tight end and a teammate during his senior season in high school.
"They're going to use me in a lot of different ways," Coleman said. "I'm going to play a little bit everywhere ... some receiver and H-back and with my hand in the dirt.
"I'm excited about the season. We're trying to make a real difference. We're trying to change the culture. I envision us going very far. Our standard is state."