Bryce Baker
| North Carolina Tar Heels | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Class | Freshman |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College | North Carolina (2025–present) |
| High school | Walkertown (Forsyth County, North Carolina) East Forsyth (Kernersville, North Carolina) |
Bryce Baker is an American football quarterback for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Early life
[edit]Baker is from Kernersville, North Carolina.[1] He attended Walkertown High School before later transferring to East Forsyth High School, and in high school, he played football, basketball, and competed in track and field.[2] As a sophomore at Walkertown, he helped lead the team to an 8–3 record while throwing for 1,823 yards and 20 touchdowns.[3] He then started at quarterback for East Forsyth as a junior in 2023, passing for 3,082 yards and 39 touchdowns with only three interceptions while leading the team to the second round of the state playoffs.[4]
Prior to his senior season, Baker was invited to the finals of the Elite 11 quarterback competition.[5] He also competed at the Manning Passing Academy.[6] As a senior in 2024, Baker threw for 3,523 yards and 40 touchdowns with just five interceptions while completing 74.8% of his passes.[7] He helped the team compile an overall record of 13–1 that year.[8] Baker, an all-county selection, led East Forsyth to two conference championships and a record of 23–3 in his two years there, having thrown for 6,605 yards and 79 touchdowns along with 536 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.[2]
Baker committed to play college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels in June 2023.[7] He stayed committed to them and signed with the Tar Heels in December 2024 under new head coach Bill Belichick.[9] He was a four-star recruit and was ranked the eighth-best quarterback recruit in the class of 2025 by 247Sports, as well as the 80th-best player overall in the nation.[7]
College career
[edit]Baker entered North Carolina in January 2025 as an early enrollee.[2][10]
References
[edit]- ^ Baxley, Rodd (December 14, 2024). "Bryce Baker sticks with UNC football as first recruit to join Bill Belichick's Tar Heels". The Fayetteville Observer.
- ^ a b c "Bryce Baker". North Carolina Tar Heels.
- ^ Pruitt, Marc (June 28, 2023). "4-star QB Bryce Baker of East Forsyth commits to UNC". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Stamps, Brayden (June 5, 2024). "Highlights: East Forsyth High School star quarterback Bryce Baker committed to UNC". WGHP.
- ^ Pruitt, Marc (June 18, 2024). "On the road to a breakout season". Winston-Salem Journal. p. B1, B3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Raynor, Grace (April 29, 2024). "Bryce Baker, with assist from Drake Maye, in line to be next great in-state QB at UNC?". The Athletic.
- ^ a b c Raynor, Grace (December 14, 2024). "Bill Belichick's first recruiting win: Top-100 QB Bryce Baker reaffirms commitment to UNC". The Athletic.
- ^ Lederman, Eli (December 14, 2024). "QB Bryce Baker sticks with UNC, praises Belichick's NFL style". ESPN.
- ^ Stamps, Brayden (December 16, 2024). "Star East Forsyth High School quarterback affirms commitment to UNC Chapel Hill after Bill Belichick hire". WGHP.
- ^ "QB recruit Bryce Baker talks with Bill Belichick, stays with UNC". Reuters. December 14, 2024.