The Michigan Panthers continue to bring back key pieces from 2024. We’re told that safety Bryce Torneden has agreed to terms with the Panthers, signing his Letter Of Intent for the 2025 UFL season.
News: The Michigan Panthers re-signed S Bryce Torneden, per source.
Bryce started all 11 games for the @USFLPanthers this year – posting 42 tackles, 3 TFL's, 2 sacks, & 4 PBU's.
Formerly was All-USFL with the @USFLMaulers. Solid retention for Collin Bauer's secondary. #UFL pic.twitter.com/tqCJiqigRI
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) September 11, 2024
For the past few seasons, Bryce Torneden has been one of spring football’s best when it comes to his secondary play. He’s been elite, and has also showcased his versatility playing different positions when needed.
Bryce’s Success In The Spring
Torneden began his spring career in The Spring League, playing with the Sea Lions in 2021. This led to an opportunity with the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2022. That season, Bryce posted 70 tackles, a sack, and an interception. Despite Pittsburgh’s struggles with a 1-9 record, Torneden was named to the 2022 All-USFL Team that year – the only Mauler to be featured.
BREAKING: All-USFL Defensive Player Bryce Torneden re-signed with the @USFLMaulers, per new HC Ray Horton. @BryceTorneden was phenomenal in the #USFL in 2022, racking up 41 tackles and an INT for the Pittsburgh Maulers. They're glad to have him back.pic.twitter.com/9jNIZJfqH8
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) January 17, 2023
Bryce continued his strong play with Pittsburgh in 2023, being one of the leaders for a defense that was statistically the best in the USFL all year. He racked up 48 tackles, a sack, and two PBU’s – starting in all 12 games for Pittsburgh.
BREAKING: The Michigan Panthers selected S Bryce Torneden in the #USFL Dispersal Draft, per source.
Torneden is an excellent pickup for Michigan's secondary. He earned All-USFL honors in 2022, and continued his consistency in 2023 with the top defense in the league. #UFL pic.twitter.com/1pOwQFAz0o
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) January 6, 2024
When the USFL-XFL merger went down, Torneden was left without a team. He ended up being selected by the USFL’s Michigan Panthers in the first Dispersal Draft, finding a new home quickly.
The Michigan Panthers put Bryce to work this year. He started in all 11 games, with 42 tackles, three TFL’s, two sacks, and four pass breakups. Interestingly enough, Bryce was mainly utilized as a slot corner in Collin Bauer’s defense – shaking things up from his usual free safety position that we saw with the Maulers.
BACK-TO-BACK SACKS 🚀@BryceTorneden with the takedown! pic.twitter.com/UGhsHjoiC8
— Michigan Panthers (@USFLPanthers) June 1, 2024
In addition to his elite defensive play, Torneden made an impact on Special Teams throughout the season. He’s a dynamic defensive back who’s one of the smartest defenders in the game, one that coordinators Jarren Horton and Collin Bauer have both spoken very highly of the last few years.
Bryce played his college football at Kansas, totaling 228 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and an interception as a Jayhawk.
Final Thoughts
Interestingly enough, Torneden re-signed with Michigan almost a month ago, and the league just never announced it. General Manager Steve Kazor has been busy re-signing talent from 2024, so there’s a good chance that more Panthers have agreed to return that we don’t quite know about yet.
What are your thoughts on Bryce Torneden coming back to the Michigan Panthers? Let us know down in the comments below, or join the conversation on Discord!
