East Texas 25: No. 16 Keivie Rose, DL, Henderson

Keivie Rose returned just in time last season.

Rose, a defensive end at Henderson, missed eight games in 2017 with a broken fibula. But he was back for the playoffs. The Lions won three games before falling to eventual state champion Carthage in the quarterfinals.

Although they fell short of their goal, they could take solace in the face that player like Rose (6-3, 240) showed flashes of potential in his limited playing time. He gained traction in the offseason with offers from Oklahoma State, Kansas, Boise State and others.

“I was really limited my first game back," Rose said. "It was weird being back out there and going full speed. After I got a feel for it, it started getting better.”

A healthy Rose now looks toward showing why he so far has 14 offers and hopes to acquire more. His motor and his footwork are areas of emphasis this offseason.

"(I'm) trying to stay in the game and being quick across the line," he said. "It plays a big factor in the game. How long you can stay in and how quickly you can get off the line and change your direction.”

He also aims to break the Henderson sack record. He's not only a defensive player, though. Rose also plays tight end for the Lions and said he expects to have a big season offensively as well.

He's already attended camps at Texas A&M Commerce and Texas, and said he might attend another at Louisiana Tech on Sunday. The Bulldogs are one of the teams that have been recruiting him the hardest of late, he said.

When he isn't playing football, he's usually fishing at Martin Lake, just down the road from where he lives. It allows him to reflect and was an oasis of sorts for him during his injury.

"It’s calm," he said. "You’re out by the lake, water is moving, just relaxing. Other things are rushed. It’s just somewhere I can go and calm down.”

Rose said he doesn't plan to make his college decision until after the season, unless something drastically changes. He's content to wait for more offers to come in, offers that might have already arrived had he not been sidelined a year ago.

Whatever the case, he is determined. Scholarships and sack records aren't the only things on his mind.

"I want to get my team to the state championship," he said.