Tre Allison has made his commitment known, but that has not stopped a handful of other schools from getting into the mix in recent weeks and months.

Texas State reached out to the junior John Tyler linebacker and SMU verbal pledge Monday. It became the sixth overall NCAA Division I FBS program to actively recruit the defender.

Allison (6-0, 200) announced his offer from the Bobcats via Twitter.

The linebacker recorded a team-best 118 tackles in a 13-game junior season. John Tyler was the region's best of four Class 6A teams, as far as playoff advancement, and averaged 24.6 points against per game.

Allison and the defense held opposing teams to two touchdowns or less in six of its 13 games toward a co-district championship with Longview, a regional semifinal appearance in the 6A Division II postseason, and a final record of 11-2.

Teammate Dekalen Goodson, a junior defensive end and linebacker hybrid, holds an offer from Texas State as well. Four other local junior players outside of John Tyler own invitations to join the Bobcats.

Texas State went 2-10 last season under first-year coach and 28-year coaching veteran Everett Withers.

While the Bobcats did not immediately thrive within or outside of Sun Belt Conference competition, their fans see a glimmer of hope on the horizon. James Madison, Withers' former program, won the FCS national championship mostly with players Withers' staff had recruited.

Withers, previously a highly-regarded defensive coordinator, also got a crash course with FBS head coaching duties prior to joining Texas State. He led North Carolina as its interim coach for the full 2011 season after Butch Davis got fired and placed the Tarheels in a bowl game.

Urban Meyer hired Withers after the 2011 season to serve as his first defensive coordinator at Ohio State.

A slow start at Texas State didn't prevent the Bobcats from obtaining one of the region's most explosive quarterbacks. Lufkin signal-caller Kordell Rodgers signed with the program in February and is expected to enroll after high school graduation later this month.

Withers' Texas State staff secured a commitment from a second East Texas prospect in the past cycle, but the prospect ended up signing with a junior college.

Allison, like all college football prospects currently in their junior year of high school, will become eligible to sign with any program that offers him in December. Just Monday, the NCAA announced an early signing period for football players between Dec. 20 and Dec. 22 ahead of the standard February signing window.

2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

  • Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-0, 200 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Texas State, ULL (6)
  • Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Florida, Colorado State, Georgia State, Houston, Iowa State, North Texas, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, ULL, Virginia (14)
  • Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offers from Arkansas State, Army, North Texas, Southern Miss, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, ULL, ULM (9)
  • Drake Centers, Tatum, OL, 6-4, 295 — offer from Texas State (1)
  • Kris Dike, Van, OL, 6-6, 283 — offers from Colorado, Houston, North Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU (6)
  • Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-2, 215 — offers from Houston, Mississippi State, SMU, Texas State, ULL (5)
  • Trae Hall, Henderson, QB/ATH, 6-3, 185 — offer from ULL (1)
  • Conner Henson, Harmony, OL, 6-4, 250 — offers from ULL, ULM (2)
  • Chasen Hines, Marshall, OL, 6-3, 340 — committed to LSU; additional offers from Arizona, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Rice, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech (16)
  • Tevailance Hunt, Texas High, WR, 6-2, 180 — committed to Kansas; additional offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall University, Nevada, North Texas, Southern Miss, Tulsa (10)
  • Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, UTSA (27)
  • Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 5-8, 165 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
  • DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, ATH, 6-4, 196 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, UTSA (30)
  • Jonathan Shepherd, Kilgore, WR, 6-3, 196 — offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Kansas State, ULM, New Mexico, Oregon State, TCU (7)
  • Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — committed to Washington State; additional offers from Kansas, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULL, ULM (6)

 

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