It was quite an eventful Thursday for East Texas recruits and the state of Arkansas. Central Arkansas got a commitment and offered two other area prospects, while Southern Arkansas handed another East Texan his first offer.

John Tyler 2015 quarterback Geovari McCollister, just one day after receiving his first offer from Central Arkansas, committed to the Bears, according to head coach Ricklan Holmes.

Central Arkansas, which offered Longview quarterback Dezmond Chumley on Wednesday, dished out two more offers to players from the area Thursday -- Texas High 2015 receiver Jarion Anderson and Gilmer 2015 receiver/athlete Chase Tate.

Gilmer's Chase Tate evades defenders during the Buckeyes' first-round playoff win against Mineola on Nov. 14, 2013, in Tyler. (ETSN.fm)
Gilmer's Chase Tate evades defenders during the Buckeyes' first-round playoff win against Mineola on Nov. 14, 2013, in Tyler. (ETSN.fm)
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Southern Arkansas, a Division II program, gave John Tyler 2015 receiver/athlete Jeremy Wilson his first collegiate offer.

McCollister (6-3, 200) had a stellar debut season as the starting quarterback for John Tyler last year as a junior. He finished the year with 2,615 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions, while rushing for a team-high 852 yards and 10 TDs.

With the JT offense returning mostly intact, expectations have risen not only for McColliser but for the team, which suffered an uncharacteristic first-round exit from the playoffs in 2013.

Anderson (5-9, 167), who plays both receiver and cornerback for Texas High, is attracting college attention on the offensive side of the ball. He received his first FBS offer earlier this week when Tulsa made the Tigers' incoming senior a target.

What Tate (5-5, 150), a three-year varsity member, lacks in size he makes up for in open-field explosiveness for Gilmer's uptempo spread offense. As a junior, Tate caught 39 passes for 603 yards and six touchdowns and averaged 11 yards per carry on 16 rushing attempts.

Wilson (5-7, 160) is a similar player to Tate. He's expected to fill a variety of roles for John Tyler this fall at both running back and receiver. Wilson's versatility was on display last season as he finished the year with 22 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns and 441 yards and seven TD on just 41 rushing attempts -- an average of 10.8 yards per carry.

Central Arkansas, a FCS school that competes in the Southland Conference, went 7-5 overall and 4-3 in league play last season. The Bears will open the 2014 season at Texas Tech on Aug. 30.

Southern Arkansas, a member of the Great American Conference, finished 6-4 last season.

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