Four years of starting every game, both ways: 2027 lineman Troy Waddell already has Bryant's attention

Durability doesn't show up in a testing column, but every line coach recruits it. Troy Waddell has four years of proof.

The 2027 offensive and defensive lineman at Rutherford High School (Rutherford, NJ) has started every game since his freshman season — both ways. That's a lineman who has never come off the field for four fall seasons, in a North Jersey league that plays physical football.

The senior production

This fall on defense: 18 tackles, 12 solo, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. The forced fumbles are the stat to circle — a lineman who strips the ball is one who gets to it with intent, and two of them in a partial season says it isn't luck.

The frame

At 6'3" and 275 pounds, Waddell already carries a college offensive-line frame, and the two-way workload tells a staff what the conditioning looks like. Interior linemen who can play a full game on both sides in high school tend to handle the jump to a college practice schedule without a transition year.

The offer

Bryant University offered in June, so the FCS market has already spoken. With a 3.2 GPA and a full senior season of two-way starts on film, Waddell is the kind of Northeast lineman that fills out an FCS or high-D2 class in December — and the first offer rarely stays alone once the senior film circulates.

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