Henderson’s Lakendrick VanZandt Picks Up Offer From Baylor

Baylor's new football coaching staff is beginning to get settled in Waco, so the offers are begin to roll out within East Texas and across the state at large.

The Bears program reached out to Henderson running back Lakendrick VanZandt on Saturday and granted him a college football scholarship opportunity. It is hoping to peel him off a five-month commitment to Big 12 Conference rival TCU.

VanZandt (6-1, 196) reported Baylor's offer through his personal Twitter account.

If getting the senior to break his commitment isn't enough of a challenge, the Bears also will be fighting against VanZandt's teammate Trestan Ebner.

Ebner and VanZandt committed to TCU on the same day, and Ebner does not hold an offer from Baylor at the present time.

VanZandt had a big senior season for a Henderson squad that tied for the District 9-4A Division II championship alongside Kilgore and went on to finish the year with an 11-2 record after losing to eventual state champion and district mate Carthage in the regional semifinal round. He ran for 1,582 yards and scored 22 touchdowns on 154 carries.

The running back also caught 21 passes for 336 yards and two scores.

Baylor, which offered John Tyler senior quarterback Bryson Smith on Thursday, is transitioning from the remnants of Art Briles' coaching staff to a new regime under Matt Rhule. Briles was fired by the university ahead of the 2016 season for allegedly covering up off-the-field player misconduct, most notably sexual assault.

Jim Grobe was hired from retirement to replace Briles and guide Briles' staff for the 2016 season. Grobe helped the Bears to a 6-6 regular season record and will coach the program a final time in the upcoming Motel 6 Cactus Bowl against Boise State before retiring once again.

Rhule joined the program from a very successful four-year stint at Temple. He inherited one of the worst performing programs in the country and left the school after two consecutive 10-win regular seasons.

Baylor is making an effort to bolster its connections to Texas with Rhule's relative lack of in-state recruiting experience. It has hired Cedar Hill High School head coach Joey McGuire and Round Rock Cedar Ridge High School head coach Shawn Bell to be positional coaches.

San Antonio Regan High School head coach David Wetzel has been hired for an off-field position.

Like all college football prospects currently in their senior year of high school, VanZandt will become eligible to sign with any school that offers him in February.

2017 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Tristan Allen, Atlanta, LB, 6-3, 206 — committed to Louisiana Tech; additional offer from UTEP (2)
• Judah Bell, Tyler Bishop Gorman, WR, 6-3, 180 — committed to Navy; additional offers from Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Houston, Kansas, Memphis, New Mexico, North Texas, SMU, ULL, ULM, UTSA, Wyoming (13)
• Noah Bush, Athens, LB, 6-1, 216 — offers from Air Force, Army (2)
• 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)
• Terrell Cooper, Lindale, DE, 6-3, 240 — offers from Arkansas State, Memphis, North Texas, Texas State (4)
• Trestan Ebner, Henderson, WR, 5-11, 180 — committed to TCU; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Colorado State, Houston, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Texas, Ole Miss, SMU, Syracuse, UTSA, Texas A&M, Tulsa (18)
• Montrell Estell, Hooks, WR/DB, 6-2, 180 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Notre Dame, SMU, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane (12)
• Octavius Evans, Center, WR, 6-2, 186 — offers from Indiana, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas State, ULL (7)
• Ted Fuller, Harleton, RB, 5-11, 195 — offers from ULM, Wyoming (2)
• Tre Gatlin, Carthage, DE, 6-6, 210 —offer from Wyoming (1)
• Quan Hampton, Texas High, WR, 5-8, 165 — committed to Texas State; additional offer from Kansas (2)
• Austin Hawley, Gladewater, DB, 6-1, 200 — committed to ULM (1)
• Kollin Hurt, Gilmer, DB, 6-3, 175 — committed to Louisiana Tech; additional offers from ULM, UTSA (3)
• Jordan Johnson, Hooks, ATH, 6-0, 195 — offer from Air Force, Army (2)
• Kayce Medlock, Arp, ATH, 5-10, 186 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Army, Colorado, Navy, Tulane, ULL, UTSA (7)
• Damion Miller, John Tyler, WR, 6-1, 189 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Missouri, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (11)
• LaMarcus Morton, Gilmer, WR, 6-2, 175 — committed to Oklahoma State; additional offers from Arkansas State, Colorado State, Houston, Indiana, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, New Mexico State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, ULL, ULM, UTSA (13)
• Javonta Mosley, John Tyler, CB, 6-1, 170 — committed to UTSA; additional offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Memphis, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULL, ULM (10)
• Cade Pearson, Texas High, QB, 6-3, 193 — committed to North Texas; additional offer from Wyoming (2)
• Dhailon Phillips, Lufkin, WR, 6-3, 195 — committed to Texas State; additional offers from Air Force, Army (3)
• Dez Robinson, Atlanta, LB, 6-3, 210 — offers from UTEP, Wyoming (2)  
• Kordell Rodgers, Lufkin, QB/ATH, 5-10, 165 — committed to Texas State; additional offers from Arkansas State, ULM (3)
• Makyle Sanders, Tyler Lee, S, 6-1, 177 — committed to North Texas; additional offers from Air Force, Memphis, Navy (4)
• Bryson Smith, John Tyler, QB/ATH, 6-0, 170 — committed to Houston; additional offers from Air Force, Arkansas State, Baylor, Bowling Green, Memphis, New Mexico, North Texas, Purdue, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas, Texas State, Tulane, Tulsa, ULL, ULM, UTSA (18)
• D’Torian Smith, Tatum, DE/LB, 6-3, 225 — committed to Air Force; additional offers from ULM, UTEP (3)
• Major Tennison, Bullard, TE, 6-6, 248 — committed to Alabama; additional offers from Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon, SMU, Texas, Texas Tech, UCLA (14)
• Josh Thompson, Nacogdoches, CB, 6-0, 182 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, Missouri, North Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Penn State, SMU, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, UCLA, ULM, Utah, UTSA, Washington State, Wyoming (28)
• Lakendrick VanZandt, Henderson, S, 6-1, 196 — committed to TCU; additional offers from Arkansas State, Baylor, Houston, Memphis, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Tulane, Tulsa (9)
• Traveion Webster, Longview, S, 6-0, 197 — offer from ULM (1)