Gilmer’s LaMarcus Morton Picks Up Offer From Indiana

A new conference has entered the mix for LaMarcus Morton's services.

Indiana, a Big Ten school, reached out to the junior Gilmer receiver Wednesday evening with a college football scholarship opportunity. Morton first announced the news through his personal Twitter account.

The Hoosiers' offer will certainly be evaluated by their league rivals, which means Morton's notoriety has moved north. He also has interest from within the Big 12 Conference from Texas Tech in addition to other standing offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and Tulsa.

Morton (6-2, 175) is Indiana's first East Texas target toward its 2017 signing class and the third local player to have any Big Ten interest. Fellow receiver Trestan Ebner owns an offer from Illinois and Bullard tight end Major Tennison, a Texas verbal commitment, is being recruited by Michigan.

Led by head coach Kevin Wilson in his fifth year, Indiana snapped a seven-year bowl game drought last season with a 6-6 regular season record. It reached the Pinstripe Bowl before falling to Duke by a field goal in an offensive shootout.

Wilson's squad defeated Maryland and Purdue in the final two weeks of the regular season to achieve bowl eligibility. Those games helped the program to a 2-6 record against Big Ten competition and a fifth-place finish in an East Division also featuring Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers.

Indiana has produced seven consensus All-Americans and won Big Ten titles in 1945 and 1967.

Morton recorded 589 yards and seven touchdowns during his junior campaign.

Gilmer’s ball distribution was wild last season with 17 players on the team catching at least one pass. Of those 17 players, 10 of them caught for at least 100 yards while the offense put up an additional 3,158 rushing yards en route to the Class 4A Division II state semifinals.

Morton led all of Gilmer’s pass catchers by 118 yards.

Gilmer’s loss one game shy of the state championship snapped a 31-game winning streak dating back to Week 1 of the 2014 season.

Morton, like all high school football prospects currently in their junior year, will become eligible to sign with any program that offers him in February.

2017 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Judah Bell, Tyler Bishop Gorman, WR, 6-3, 180 — offers from Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Houston, Kansas, Navy, North Texas, SMU, ULL, UTSA (9)
• Lagaryonn Carson, Liberty-Eylau, DE, 6-4, 261 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, North Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M (9)
• Trestan Ebner, Henderson, WR, 5-11, 180 — offers from Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, North Texas, SMU, Syracuse, UTSA, TCU, Tulsa (9)
• Montrell Estell, Hooks, WR/DB, 6-2, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Notre Dame, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane (12)
• Octavius Evans, Center, WR, 6-2, 186 — offers from Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas State, ULL (6)
• Jordan Johnson, Hooks, ATH, 6-0, 195 — committed to Air Force (1)
• Kayce Medlock, Arp, ATH, 5-9, 186 — offers from Army, Colorado, SMU, Tulane, ULL (5)
• Damion Miller, John Tyler, WR, 6-1, 189 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Houston, Kansas, North Texas, Oklahoma State; Ole Miss; SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (9)
• LaMarcus Morton, Gilmer, WR, 6-2, 175 — offer from Arkansas State, Indiana, Texas Tech, Tulsa, ULL, ULM (6)
• Javontavius Mosley, John Tyler, CB, 6-1, 170 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston, North Texas, SMU, Texas State, ULL, ULM, UTSA (8)
• Dhailon Phillips, Lufkin, WR, 6-3, 195 — offer from Texas State (1)
• Kordell Rodgers, Lufkin, QB/ATH, 5-10, 165 — offer from Texas State (1)
• Bryson Smith, John Tyler, QB/ATH, 5-11, 160 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Houston, New Mexico, North Texas, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL, ULM, UTSA (11)
• Major Tennison, Bullard, TE, 6-6, 248 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas Tech (11)
• Josh Thompson, Nacogdoches, CB, 6-0, 180 — offered by Louisiana Tech, Ohio, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, UTSA (6)