Auburn commit Bryce Cain has made strides to have a special season

For much of Bryce Cain‘s upbringing, baseball has been his sport.

A talented player on the diamond, Cain shined in stints last season, his first playing football. Injuries also sidelined the Mobile (Ala.) Baker High speedster, which delayed the process of getting on the same page with his quarterback.

Cain was new to the game and all the wrinkles playing receiver entailed.

“The biggest thing for Bryce was mental,” Baker High OC Chase Calcagni started. “He’s been a baseball player his whole life. He’s a helluva baseball player, but in baseball, you get streaky … Hot streaks, cold streaks. It’s different when you’re playing football. Being a receiver, you’re gonna have a drop here or there or run the wrong route.

“I stole this from Ted Lasso, but be a goldfish, have a short memory, and move on to the next play. He wanted to do whatever he could to help his teammates, make all the big plays, and help his teammates. He dropped a few balls last year, but it got him. He knew how important some of those were. This year, he’s had some drops, he’s learned how to put it in the past and ask for the ball. That’s when you’ll truly take your talents to the next level. You’ll grow mentally. It’s not just about speed; it’s mental. You can’t harp on mistakes this year he’s done just that.”

He certainly has — to the tune of 29 receptions for 729 yards and 25.1 YPC. Cain, an Auburn commitment, also had 12 touchdowns receiving and a 13th by means of a kickoff return.

Cain’s senior season stat line is telling. Midway through the fall, the speedster has ascended to the No. 37-rated WR in the On300 and sharpened up other areas of his game.

“He had one dropped deep ball, then came back and had three touchdowns. When that moment happened, he bounced back,” Calcagni recounted. “He stuck to the plan and trusted the process, and that’s when I knew this kid is gonna have a special year.”

“It was a mental hurdle to overcome, and I’m still proud of him,” he added. “He doesn’t get fazed, he bounces back, he takes coaching, and he’s done that in a year and a half of football.”

A dozen receiving touchdowns through seven contests doesn’t tell the entire story.

This time last year, his coach said the four-star pass-catcher might not realize that a stick route is a hitch. Remember, he was a .600 hitter as a sophomore and in and out of the lineup in his first year playing the sport.

Cain, who clocked a 10.81 100-meter this spring and a 4.35 40 at Ole Miss in June, is seeing the fruits of his labor this fall.

“He’s a quick learner,” Calcagni said. “He’s different and he scares people. He can go over the top. He’s physically gifted and has unreal speed. He has SEC talent written all over him. He grew each week last year and now, he has the best hands on the team. He’s a special player. He’s a DeVonta Smith type of guy; his work ethic is insane. He’s gone up and caught balls over people; he’s an unreal ball tracker and he’s super competitive as well. When you get that and he’s figured it all out, he’s gonna be a helluva player in college.”

On3 ranks the Auburn commit higher than the rest of the recruiting industry as the No. 193 player in the country.