NC State CB commit Jivan Baly’s big play ability stems from tireless work ethic
Jivan Baly took over a starting role for Norcross (Ga.) Meadowcreek High around the midpoint of his freshman season. He blew up a screen play, laid out a wide receiver and, from that point on, Bryant Harrison knew the cornerback would be special.
The former Meadowcreek High football and track coach, who now coaches for Central Gwinnett High, worked with Baly in both sports for three years, watching him grow as a person and an athlete. In that time, the cornerback received 30 Division-I offers and committed to NC State Sunday evening.
Harrison described Baly as a dependable, high-character kid with an impressive football IQ and a high motor.
“He’s the kind of kid that a lot of coaches would love to have,” Harrison said.
Over the past couple of years, he said Baly has put in a ton of work to improve his speed in both sports and contribute to winning teams in any way possible. That includes everything from running the 400-meter dash, which Harrison described as the most challenging race in track, to playing in kickoff coverage for Meadowcreek High.
Baly’s time on track has helped him make strides as an all-around athlete. Harrison said the rising senior posted a 49-second split in the 400-meter relay and a 21.5-second split in the 4×200-meter race.
“Running the 4×4 has improved him as a football player as well because you have got to have that dog in you to be able to finish and go out and compete at a high level, the same thing as you do on a football field on Friday nights,” Harrison said.
Meadowcreek’s 4×400 squad finished No. 7 at the 2023 Georgia 7A state championships this spring.
Those track times are the products of consistent improvement under Harrison’s coaching.
“He’s a very hard worker,” Harrison said. “I think it comes from the success. Most kids, they see, if they work hard some and they start seeing some success, of course they’re going to keep working harder at it.”
While putting in that effort on the track and the gridiron, NC State steadily ramped up its interest in the cornerback. Cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell and director of scouting Jatavis Sanders both consistently reached out to Baly and built a very strong bond.
Those relationships and conversations, which often went beyond football to discuss school and life in general, helped make the difference in the rising senior’s recruitment.
“It really felt like home [to Baly],” Harrison said.
When Baly was on campus, he told Harrison he could walk into Mitchells office or a meeting room, sit down and feel completely comfortable.
The cornerback has a knack for making big plays in the Meadowcreek secondary, and his former coach said he hopes to see a few more of them this fall from afar.
“I really want to see if he can get a few more pick-sixes this season,” Harrison said.
Harrison was super complementary of Baly’s work ethic and said his dedication to film study leads to those huge plays.
“It’s kind of similar to what Kobe Bryant used to do when he used to watch his opponent,” Harrison said. “He wanted to know everything about that guy. He wanted to know what makes him strong, what makes him weak, so it’s like he knows what’s going to happen before that guy actually does it.
“And that’s what JB does. JB is always going to make sure he is in the right place at the right time.”
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