Jacquez Suggs

For Jacquez Suggs, choosing between football and basketball has never been the plan.

The senior has spent the past two years helping Bryant win championships in both sports, learning success isn’t defined entirely by the end result but also by the work put in long before kickoff or the opening tip.

For Suggs, that work has already produced impressive results.

Before taking the field for his final high school football season, Suggs has helped Bryant capture three state championships, one for football in 2025 and two for basketball in 2024 and 2025.

Now, as one of Arkansas’s top defensive line recruits, he enters his last year with a chance to help lead a Hornets team expecting to compete for another 7A football state title.

It’s a role that looked far from certain just a few years ago.

“I’ve played basketball my whole life,” Suggs said. “I really didn’t play football.”

That all changed when he returned to the gridiron a year ago, a transition that wasn’t easy. Football demanded a different kind of commitment, one built around power, physical contact, and hours in the weight room.

“It was crazy,” Suggs said. “Football is more about strength, and I had to spend a lot more time getting caught up because I came from basketball.”

But the payoff for Jacquez came quickly.

He became a key piece of Bryant’s state championship defense, using his length, athleticism, and speed to wreak havoc on opposing offenses as an edge rusher. Although still relatively new to the position, he showed enough promise to attract preseason honors and the attention from college recruiters across the region.

Bryant head coach Quad Sanders believes Suggs’ upside is still just beginning.

“He took so long off from football and then came back and made an impact,” Sanders said. “Anytime you can get a big guy who can play basketball and football, you’ve got something special.

“At first he was a basketball kid playing football,” he added. “Now he’s turned into a football kid playing basketball. He’s fallen in love with the game all over again.”

That renewed passion has transformed his outlook, and while college football programs are certainly taking notice of that potential, Suggs refuses to be seen as a one-sport athlete. “I’d actually like to play both, and think I can if I keep working.”

Balancing two championship-caliber sports isn’t always easy. 

“It’s tough, for sure,” Suggs said. “You’ve got early football workouts, then you’ve got basketball workouts. But I’ve been doing it for the past two years now.”

Instead of viewing the sports’ differences as obstacles, though, Suggs believes each sport makes him better in the other. And that combination has helped elevate Bryant’s defense while giving others a glimpse of a player whose best seasons may still be ahead of him. 

Coach Sanders points to Suggs’ willingness to embrace coaching, seize opportunities, and continue learning a sport he didn’t grow up playing.

“He’s just beginning to learn football and his position,” Sanders said. “He understands that he can’t rely only on his athletic talents. There’s a way he has to approach his work, and I’m glad to see him doing that.”

Suggs is quick to credit the Hornet coaching staff who have helped accelerate his learning curve.

“I really didn’t know anything about football like that,” Suggs said. “Coach Sanders and Coach [B.J.] Schuller helped me understand my position and what I was supposed to do.”

Just as important were Suggs’ teammates who welcomed him into the Hornet family. Winning last year’s state championship alongside an experienced class provided lessons he’ll carry into his final season.

“It was great learning from those guys,” Suggs said. “They helped me grow as a player and a leader, and I really appreciate them.”

Now the responsibility shifts, and instead of following veteran leaders, Suggs is now one of them.

Bryant enters the season replacing key offensive playmakers while relying on experienced defensive leaders to maintain the standard synonymous with Bryant football. Sanders believes Suggs and fellow standout Sam Nelson complement each other in ways that make both players better.

“They’ve always supported each other,” he said. “They really make each other go.”

Although Bryant enters the season as the defending champs, neither Suggs nor Sanders believes the Hornets can afford to rest on the laurels of that success.

“We always have to be the hunter,” Sanders said. “The minute you start trying to relax on top, that’s when you get complacent.”

Suggs agrees but also knows a lot of eyes will be watching him and the Hornet defense this season. And as one of Arkansas’ top-ranked defensive prospects, he knows opponents will be eager to measure themselves against him.

“A lot of people want to take my spot,” he said. “They talk trash on the field, but we’re going to keep our heads on straight and take care of business.”

While his confidence has become one of his defining traits, Suggs knows you don’t get to multiple state titles alone. “It takes people who want to work every day and get better,” he said. “People who listen to their coaches and feed off their teammates.”

For him, those lessons extend beyond football and basketball. They’ve become the foundation of who he is off the field or court.

And whether he’s taking down an opposing quarterback on Friday night or battling in the post come spring, the goal remains unchanged.

Keep working. Keep getting better.

And keep helping Bryant chase state titles, one season—and one sport—at a time.