Texas Tech First To Offer Daingerfield’s Denzel Mims

Texas Tech First To Offer Daingerfield’s Denzel Mims

Daingerfield receiver Denzel Mims (right) received his first offer on Tuesday. It came from Texas Tech. (Evan Lewis, ETSN.fm)

Daingerfield's Denzel Mims left the UIL State Track and Field Championships in Austin last weekend a state champion. He began this week with his first Division I FBS offer.

Mims (6-4, 180) tweeted news of a Texas Tech offer on Monday, making the wide receiver the 17th prospect in East Texas' 2016 recruiting class to pick up an FBS offer.

Texas Tech has offers out to five area players in the current cycle. In addition to Mims, the Red Raiders have extended invitations to Mineola offensive linemen and Texas A&M commits Austin and Riley Anderson, Tyler Lee athlete Zach Hall, and Nacogdoches safety Brandon Jones.

Mims is fresh off a gold-medal winning performance in the Class 3A 200 meter dash. His time of 21.30 bested his closest competitor by 11-hundredths of a second. When his 6-foot-4 frame is added to the equation, Mims' upside becomes the major narrative for college recruiters.

The Red Raiders are trying to find their footing under third-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, who starred on the Plains as Texas Tech's quarterback from 1998-2002. After going 8-5 in his first season on the sidelines, the Red Raiders struggled to a 4-8 campaign in 2014.

Kingsbury and Co. are hoping the team can get a lift from a handful of East Texas players currently on the roster, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes (Whitehouse), receivers Dylan Cantrell (Whitehouse) and Reginald Davis (Tenaha).

Texas Tech signed a pair of East Texans last February -- Lufkin receiver Keke Coutee and Longview defensive lineman Broderick Washington.

Mims and Daingerfield experienced an uncharacteristically disappointing season last year. The Tigers, who won three consecutive state championships from 2008-10 and played for another in 2012, stumbled to a 1-9 finish in 2014 -- their worst season since 1964.

Mims finished his junior season with 39 catches for 682 yards and six touchdowns. Defensively, he made 24 tackles with four interceptions and two defensive touchdowns.

Daingerfield opens the 2015 season Aug. 28 at home against Gladewater.

Mims, like all 2016 prospects, will become eligible to sign with any program that awards him a scholarship opportunity on Feb. 3.

2016 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

  • Austin Anderson, OL, Mineola, 6-4, 289 – committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Auburn, California, Cincinnati, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Vanderbilt (27)
  • Riley Anderson, OL, Mineola, 6-5, 287 – committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Auburn, California, Cincinnati, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Vanderbilt (27)
  • Demarco Boyd, RB/LB, Gilmer, 6-0, 215 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Baylor, Florida State, Texas A&M (4)
  • Ke’Mon Freeman, QB/ATH, Liberty-Eylau, 5-11, 188 – offers from Arkansas State, North Texas (2)
  • Travon Fuller, CB, Athens, 6-0, 160 — committed to Texas A&M (1)
  • Zach Hall, ATH, Tyler Lee, 5-11, 170 – offers from Baylor, Texas Tech (2)
  • La’Darius Hamilton, LB, Corrigan-Camden, 6-1, 220 — offer from ULL (1)
  • Keenen Johnson, ATH, Alto, 6-1, 190 – offers from SMU, ULL (2)
  • Brandon Jones, S, Nacogdoches, 6-0, 190 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Boise State, California, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UCLA, USC, Washington State (38)
  • Braylon Jones, DT, John Tyler, 6-3, 285 – offers from Air Force, Army, Houston, Navy (4)
  • Bronson Massie, DE/LB, Lufkin 6-3, 202 – offers from California, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Texas State (4)
  • Denzel Mims, WR, Daingerfield, 6-4, 180 -- offer from Texas Tech (1)
  • Cody Mitchell, TE, Jasper, 6-5, 225 — offers from Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Texas State, ULL (5)
  • Kendrick Rogers, WR, Frankston, 6-6, 207 — offers from Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Mississippi State, North Texas, SMU, ULL, ULM (10)
  • Micahh Smith, DB, Marshall, 5-11, 185 — offer from Texas State (1)
  • Aphonso Thomas, RB, Van, 6-0, 190 — offers from Colorado State, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Texas State (5)
  • Andre Wiley Jr., OLB/S, Liberty-Eylau, 5-10, 170 – offers from Arkansas State, Army, Louisiana Tech, Navy (4)
Filed Under: Daingerfield
Categories: Class 3A, Football, News, Recruiting

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