Local Gunslinger Commits to Red Raiders

Denton Ryan QB might be following in Graham Harrell's footsteps.

Apparently Mike Leach's decision to finally sign a contract extension at Texas Tech has gotten the Red Raiders back into the center of the recruiting trail for the state's top players.

The latest catch for the pirate-loving coach is someone to fill his prized position -- quarterback.

Tech quarterbacks have made a habit out of leading the nation in passing yardage, most recently when Ennis' Graham Harrell led the Red Raiders' high-flying passing offense for three seasons. Now that Harrell's gone, Capt. Leach will be looking for his next great passer, and he might have found it in Denton Ryan's Scotty Young.

Though he still has one more season playing for the Ryan Raiders (nice, convenient transition there), his first season as a varsity quarterback went pretty well last year. Young had two great weapons at receiver in Bud Sasser (who also has an offer from Tech) and former Raider D.J. Beshears, who signed in February with Kansas. He took full advantage, throwing for 4,495 yards and 65 touchdowns in 13 games. His touchdown total was just two shy of Harrell's state record, which was also set in 13 games when he was Ennis.

Jeff Andrews of the Denton Record-Chronicle talked to Young after his commitment on Sunday night, and from what Young told the paper, it seems as though Leach was pressing Young a bit to get the commitment over with as the Red Raiders were only offering one quarterback with a stockpile, including probable 2009 starter Taylor Potts, who will be a junior, sophomore Steven Sheffield and Friendswood's Jacob Karam, who is my pick to start after Potts' career ends in 2010, which would either be Young's freshman or redshirt freshman year.

"They only take one quarterback," Young said. "I'd been leaning toward them for a while. I didn't want the opportunity to get taken by another guy. It's not like I felt pressured or anything. I wanted to do it, so I just went ahead."

Young has an absolute cannon on his right shoulder, as evidenced by the fact that he will be Ryan's ace on the pitching staff this season, and he might even have a future in baseball, where many have predicted he will be drafted by a Major League team. He said he would keep his other (read baseball) options open. But seeing Young in Tech's insane passing offense would be fun to watch.

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Adam Boedeker is a sports writer/blogger for the Denton Record-Chronicle. He wishes the weather would stay warm.

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