Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Chirs Moore 

Special to the News 

The early part of the year is always a busy time for college coaches trying to build their recruiting board. Fresh off a National Championship game, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was in Port Arthur to get a look at highly sought-after linebacker Tai’Yion “Tank” King.

This time of year is also busy for the high school coaches trying to pitch their players and build rapport with college coaches. Memorial head coach Brian Morgan said high school coaches are heavily pitching up-and-coming prospects as well as lesser-known talented players.

Memorial defensive lineman Taevon Chapman committed to Houston Christian University on Wednesday.

The advanced recruiting doesn’t always only apply to their own high schools. College coaches and recruiters will often ask high school coaches what they think about potential recruits at nearby schools. Morgan said giving feedback often helps the recruiters and builds a bridge for future communication. 

“I like to let coaches know that if you come here, I have a pretty good feeling for the area,” Morgan said. “It’s not just our kids. I will tell them that some school has a pretty good kid that they might not have seen or maybe wouldn’t go to otherwise. Our coaches do a good job of knowing the area.”

Morgan said it helps recruiting to have talented kids. Another line of help comes straight from the Memorial pipeline. Former Titans running back Kam Martin has spent a lot of time in the college coaching ranks and is now at Tulsa as a running backs coach. Former Memorial defensive back Morgan Ford landed back with Lamar University and is considered one of the area’s best local recruiters, helping the Cardinals land one of their better local recruiting classes in several years.

“The college coaching turnover rate is so high, but they typically recruit the same area even if it is for another school,” Morgan said. “…They know some of the kids here personally. That always helps, too.”

Morgan said that players’ families also do a good job of helping shine a light on younger players.

“For instance, Tank is highly recruited and super talented,” Morgan said. “Him and his family, when they go places, they often bring a kid that is a couple of grades behind that is going to be good but isn’t known yet. People believe in the kids from here.”