College coaches look for speed and Bentonville sophomore linebacker Cole Joyce definitely possesses it.
Joyce, 6-0, 205 pounds, helped lead the Tigers to a 7-4 record in 2018 and 7-0 in conference play with 80 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, a sack and 3 pass breakups last season.
Bentonville coach Jody Grant has coached former Tigers linebackers Joe Britton and Andrew Griffith, who are currently at Missouri and Ole Miss as walk-ons. He believes Joyce is better than Britton and Griffith at younger age.
“We’ve had some good ones here ... and he’s better than any one of those as a senior and he’s a sophomore,” Grant said.
Joyce recorded 10.89 seconds in the 100 meters last year as a freshman at the Class 7A junior high conference meet at Springdale Har-Ber. The second place finisher was timed at 11.33 seconds.
“Obviously, speed is his strength,” Grant said. “He’s running these times at 205 pounds. He tackles good, he’s good in space. Toward the end of the year we started building our scheme defensively where he could just be a free hitter. The guy made a lot of plays.”
Grant is somewhat baffled by the lack interest from larger schools.
“Some of the big schools are already coming in on these 2021 kids. I’m a little surprise that people aren’t already coming in on him,” Grant said.
Joyce was a big help to the Tigers in the class 7A state track meet last year.
“He got fifth in the 100, 4th in the 200 and he anchored the 4x100 and they got 4th,” Grant said.
Grant believes Joyce is still growing.
“His sister, who just graduated and was a volleyball player here, she’s 6-1, 6-2, so I think he’ll maybe get to 6-2,” Grant said.
Joyce, who visited Arkansas for the LSU game last fall, is drawing interest from Memphis, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Tulsa and Missouri.
“All these guys are supposed to come watch him in the spring,” Grant said. ”There are a few others reaching out and asking about him.”