Syracuse Offers Tyler Lee Quarterback Chance Amie

Quarterback Chance Amie and Tyler Lee head coach Clayton George might be in for a big year in the recruiting world.

Schools are already beginning to queue up for the junior dual threat coached by a quarterback guru, and the 2016 season wasn't a banner year for Lee to get Amie's name out in the sphere.

Syracuse became the third university to throw its name into the ring Wednesday, Amie reported through his Twitter account. It joins Bowling Green and Iowa State in the early competition.

Amie (6-3, 190) completed 97 of 180 passes for 1,556 yards and 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions in his first full season as a starter. He carried the ball 183 times for a net of 1,265 yards and scored 17 touchdowns.

Lee was plagued for a second consecutive season with an underperforming defense. While Amie turned in decent numbers and sophomore running back Ladarius Wickware had a breakthrough season, Lee lost five games in which the team scored 35 or more points toward a 2-8 overall record.

Two of those losses occurred in spite of the offense scoring more than 50 points. Four losses were decided by one possession.

There are expectations Amie -- and Lee as a whole -- will have a stronger 2017 campaign with George in place for a second season.

George had a good history of producing college quarterbacks in two stints as Southlake Carroll's offensive coordinator prior to being hired by Lee. His alumni include current NFLer Chase Daniel and starting TCU quarterback Kenny Hill.

Between those two headliners, the coach worked with former NFLer Greg McElroy and legendary high school quarterback Riley Dodge at the sub-varsity level. He didn't finish the job with those two because he left Carroll for two successful stints as a high school head coach and then was hired by Todd Dodge as a positional coach at North Texas before returning to Carroll.

George revealed his plans for Amie and the rest of his Lee quarterbacks last month at the Piney Woods Football Clinic in Longview.

Syracuse's most famous modern football alumni is quarterback Donovan McNabb. The school also has a copy of the 1961 Heisman Trophy won by running back Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the award and the subject of the 2008 film 'The Express.'

Davis died of leukemia at 23 years and never to play a regular season down in the NFL. President John F. Kennedy penned a letter that was read at Davis' funeral.

Syracuse has been a humble program in recent years. McNabb won eight or more games in each of his four seasons, but the Orange have only managed eight or more wins three times since that quarterback was drafted in the spring of 1999.

The Orange went 4-8 last season under first-year coach Dino Babers. None of its Atlantic Coast Conference losses were closer than two possessions.

However, Babers had a good track record at his previous two stops as head coach. He took Eastern Illinois to the FCS playoffs in both of his two seasons and immediately afterward led Bowling Green to two bowl games before jumping to Syracuse.

Amie, like all college football prospects currently in their junior year of high school, will become eligible to sign with any school that offers him in February of 2018.

2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-0, 200 — committed to SMU; additional offer from Mississippi State (2)
• Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Bowling Green, Iowa State, Syracuse (3)
• Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offer from ULL (1)
• Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-0, 215 — offer from Mississippi State (1)
• Chasen Hines, Marshall, C, 6-3, 340 — offers from Baylor, Louisiana Tech, LSU, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (11)
• Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, UTSA (19)
• Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 6-0, 170 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
• DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, ATH, 6-4, 196 — offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, Kansas, LSU, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, UTSA (19)
• Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — offer from ULL(1)