UAB Fall Camp Snapshot: Day One
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - July 28, 2025
UAB Fall Camp Snapshot
UAB opened fall camp on Monday afternoon to begin preparation for the 2025 season opener against Alabama State on Aug. 28 at Protective Stadium. During camp, we will check in with UAB coaches, players and staff to talk about the fall camp process.
The first conversation comes with safety Sirad Bryant, who stopped by to talk with reporters following Monday’s practice. The redshirt senior from Cordele, Georgia, who began his college career at Georgia Tech, is the lone returning defensive starter for the Blazers. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Bryant was third on the team last year with 60 tackles. Bryant is the leader of a secondary that seems to be filled with talented options.
On getting on the same page with all the new faces: "I would say, we work with each other all the time. Like sometimes off the field, we have to get together and work some things out especially when it comes to calls and different adjustments that we have. Coach also does a good job of subbing us in with each other because you've got to feel how other guys play because everyone brings something different. When we are in the game, I know how to play with this guy, I know he's going to do this, I know he's going to take the outside, different things of that nature."
On a different mentality from the new defensive staff: "The way I study my film, the way I come into practice every day, I'm really intentional about everything I do so I can reach my fullest potential. With the new staff coming in they're bringing in a lot of NFL experience, and I want to go to the NFL one day so I'm taking all of it in and trying to maximize my opportunities and trying to be the best me."
On having shorter practices this fall camp: “We get in, get good work, be very intentional, try to make sure guys are dialed in at all times so we don't miss any reps. Like there are guys on the sidelines not getting many reps, but everybody needs to be paying attention so we can all maximize our potential. Like Coach Dilfer mentioned in his reference to squeezing water out of the towel with our potential being the water. He's just trying to maximize our potential so we can be the best team all together and win this conference."
On being a team leader and trying to help raise the level of the defense: "I want to connect with all the guys so I can have a bond with them on the field and off the field so they know that I am always going to be there for them, and I am going to be the best leader I can be. For me, when I was at Georgia Tech there were a lot of older guys that took me in and taught me the way. They were actually trying to get to know me so that I could feel comfortable when I was around them and when we got on the field it was the same way. I'm trying to take what I learned from Georgia Tech and apply it here."
On having a lot of talent in the secondary: "We got a lot of guys. It's very crowded because everyone's got to compete at the same time. Then sometimes guys go down and in the secondary so we need a lot of guys. We've got a lot of corners, a lot of safeties, a lot of nickels, just to see who's the best and who's going to be our depth players and things of that nature. Everybody came in and is doing real good right now, and I'm looking forward to competing the rest of fall camp."
On singling out any newcomers thus far: “I can name one, I would say Pierre (Royster). It's a lot of guys (who jumped out) though. But Pierre, he really jumped out to me. After practice or after workouts, we get a little extra work in. Y'all probably didn't see him much today because he had (his ankle) rolled up. So, they wanted to sit him out of practice so he won't get hurt. But yeah, I'd say Pierre. He does a good job actually, you know, being an older guy. He’s one of the older guys that just came here. He knows like different schemes from the offense. Sometimes he helped me out, anticipating the plays from the offense. I would say Pierre was a big addition as well.”