SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Bryce Ford-Wheaton

Ahead of Saturday's Senior Day festivities, take a look back at the career of WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton.

Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Fuquay-Varina, N.C.) joined the Mountaineer football team as a true freshman in 2018. Since that year, he's compiled 34 games (20 starts) in the gold and blue, during which he nabbed 127 receptions for 1,632 yards and 13 touchdowns. Defensively, he also has six tackles to his name.

He began 2022 as a member of the Preseason All-Big 12 Conference First Team (Athlon Sports). Since, he's had 58 receptions for 641 yards and seven touchdowns. Week 2's Kansas game, Ford-Wheaton pulled down 152 yards-worth, a career high, on 11 connections.

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

2021 (r-So.)

• Played in 12 games at wide receiver and started nine
• Tied for No. 2 on the team with 42 catches for 575 yards, second on the team, and three touchdowns, tied for No. 3 on the team
• All-Big 12 Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• Missed Kansas game due to lower-leg injury
• Has recorded two career 100-yard receiving performances
• Had three catches for 58 yards with a long of 31 against Texas
• Had a team-high 67 yards on five catches at Kansas State
• Big day against Iowa State included six catches for had career highs with 106 yards and two touchdowns
• Led team with six catches at TCU, totaling 65 yards
• Had four catches for 45 yards at Baylor
• Caught eight passes for 93 yards at Oklahoma; his eight grabs tied a career high
• Lone catch against Virginia Tech was a 29-yard touchdown
• Finished with three catches for 54 yards against LIU, including a long of 27
• Began season with three catches for 43 yards at Maryland with a long of 19
• First player in WVU history to wear No. 0

2020 (COVID)

• Started all nine games in which he played at wide receiver
• Recorded 27 catches, fourth-best on the team and 416 yards and three touchdowns, both second-most on the team
• Concluded campaign with a four-catch, 51-yard performance against Army in the Liberty Bowl
• Finished with a career-high six catches for 55 yards at Texas
• WVU Offensive Player of the Week: Kansas
• Caught three passes for a career-high 104 yards against Kansas State, which included a career-long 58-yarder
• Found the end zone against Kansas, finishing with five catches for 89 yards and the score
• Caught three passes for 28 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown in overtime, against Baylor
• Earned the start against Eastern Kentucky, hauling in four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown
• First player in WVU history to wear No. 0
• Iron Mountaineer Award winner

2019 (r-Fr.)

• Added depth at wide receiver
• Played in 11 games and started two
• Saw action on 254 plays, including 222 offensive snaps
• Used on 15 or more plays in nine games, including a season-high 31 offensive plays against Texas Tech
• Finished the season with 12 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns with a long reception of 50 yards
• Didn’t see action at TCU due to a foot injury
• Hauled in one catch for 20 yards against Oklahoma State
• Posted the second touchdown of his career on career long, 50-yard game-winning catch at Kansas State
• Logged three catches for 39 yards against Texas Tech
• Caught a career-high three passes for 23 yards, with a long of 10 yards, at Baylor
• Earned his first career start against Iowa State
• Found the end zone for the first time in his career on a 12-yard score against Texas
• Also tallied a career long, 31-yard catch vs. the Longhorns
• Tallied his first career reception against James Madison

2018 (Fr.)

• Redshirted
• Saw action against Baylor

High School

• Played for coach Robert Furth at Holly Springs High
• All-SWAC selection as a senior
• Selected to the 2017 Shrine Bowl for Team North Carolina
• Team offensive MVP as a senior despite missing six games due to a shoulder injury
• Three-year starter for Holly Springs
• Three-star ranking by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports
• 247Sports ranks him the No. 27 best prospect in North Carolina and the No. 135 wide receiver overall
• ESPN ranks him No. 23 in the state and No. 144 nationally at his position
• Rivals lists him as the No. 34 best recruit in North Carolina
• Second-team South Wake All-Conference selection
• Also played defensive back and ran track for Holly Springs
• Sophomore and junior totals combined were 42 catches for 479 yards with a long reception of 66 yards
• Averaged 11.4 yards per catch in those two years with six touchdowns
• Also as a sophomore and junior totaled 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns with an average of 11.5 yards per carry

Personal

• Son of Keith Wheaton and Tracie Ford
• One of three children (1 brother, 1 sister)
• Third generation Mountaineer behind grandfather Garrett Ford Sr. and uncle Garrett Ford Jr., who were standout running backs at West Virginia
• Grandfather was also longtime athletics administrator at WVU
• Graduated in December 2021 with his bachelor's degree in sport management
• Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
• Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

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