Texas Tech Offers John Tyler Sophomore Receiver Damion Miller

John Tyler's Damion Miller is the first sophomore in East Texas to pick up a Division I college football offer.

Lions' head coach Ricklan Holmes reported Texas Tech gave the receiver a scholarship opportunity on Wednesday via his Twitter account.

Miller (6-2, 185) has really emerged during the playoff run. He caught two touchdown passes, including an 83-yard score, and had a team-high 131 receiving yards in last week's 64-40 Class 5A Division I regional final win against McKinney North.

He has a team-best eight receiving touchdowns and is the team's third-leading receiver this season with 567 yards on 26 catches.

Texas Tech is coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign, but it saved arguably its best performance for last. It fell 48-46 against a Cotton Bowl bound Baylor team, the No. 5 team in the county.

Former Whitehouse quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Red Raiders in that game and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week afterward.

If Miller ultimately commits to Texas Tech, he could catch Mahomes for the quarterback's senior season.

The Red Raider coaching staff could be extremely active in East Texas this winter. It has no bowl game to prepare for.

Texas Tech just graduated an East Texan in kicker Ryan Bustin from Kilgore. Former Whitehouse receiver Dylan Cantrell, a rising junior, joins Mahomes and former Longview linebacker Pete Robertson as active East Texans on the roster. Longview offensive lineman Broderick Washington will enroll in Lubbock after graduation in May and is expected to play defensive tackle.

Miller has a long way to go in his recruiting process. He has two more seasons to play at John Tyler and cannot sign with a program until February, 2017.

The Lions will battle Aledo at 2 p.m. Saturday inside Mesquite's E.H. Hanby Stadium. If Miller and company win that game, they will play in the Class 5A Division I State Championship Game on Dec. 20.