John Tyler Quarterback Bryson Smith Gets Offer From Air Force

Regardless of where Bryson Smith opts to play his college football, Wednesday will go down as a memorable one.

The United States Air Force Academy became the third school in a 12-hour span to offer the John Tyler quarterback a scholarship opportunity. John Tyler football's Twitter account, overseen by head coach Ricklan Holmes, first announced the news.

Air Force, a United States armed forces academy, is the 14th FBS school to reach out to Smith (6-0, 170). With the offer, the current junior jumped into a tie with Nacogdoches defensive back Josh Thompson and only trails Henderson receiver Trestan Ebner and his 16 FBS colleges choices within the region.

Incarnate Word and Southern Mississippi were the other schools to begin actively recruiting Smith during the day.

Smith threw for 2,416 yards and 20 touchdowns to six interceptions last year while simultaneously leading the team with 1,421 rushing yards and 21 scores. He helped the team to an 8-4 overall record and a Class 5A Division I area round appearance against the ultimate state runner-up, Mansfield Lake Ridge.

The quarterback started as a receiver his sophomore year on a team that reached the Class 5A Division I state semifinals.

John Tyler will make a move to Class 6A for the upcoming two seasons due to a growing student population. Longview, Mesquite, Mesquite Horn, North Mesquite, Rockwall, Rockwall-Heath and Tyler Lee make up the team's District 11-6A schedule.

Smith will attend the ETSN + APEC Football Recruiting Combine on Sunday alongside six other John Tyler players.

Air Force reached the Mountain West Conference championship game last year following an 8-4 regular season. A loss in the conference title game sent the team to the Armed Services Bowl in Fort Worth, where it fell to California.

A successful Air Force season is measured in part by how it does against the other Division I armed forces schools. Air Force defeated Army, 20-3, and lost to Navy, 33-11.

Head coach Troy Calhoun will be in Colorado Springs for a 10th consecutive year. He has a 67-50 overall record with the program.

Calhoun, who started his career as an Air Force graduate assistant and junior varsity coach after playing quarterback at Air Force, spent his intermediary time as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Ohio and Wake Forest before jumping to the NFL.

The Denver Broncos hired Calhoun away from Wake Forest to be an assistant coach in 2003 and the Houston Texans hired him as their offensive coordinator for the 2006 season, the year before he returned to Air Force as head coach.

Air Force students, naturally, are usually absorbed into the United States Air Force or other branches of the military upon graduation.

Hooks athlete Jordan Johnson also holds an offer from Air Force and is currently committed to the program.

Arp athlete Kayce Medlock owns offers from Army and Navy, Athens linebacker Noah Bush has an Army offer and Bishop Gorman receiver Judah Bell is being recruited by Navy. They round out all local players with armed forces attention.

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

2017 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Judah Bell, Tyler Bishop Gorman, WR, 6-3, 180 — offers from Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Houston, Kansas, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, SMU, ULL, ULM, UTSA, Wyoming (12)
• Noah Bush, Athens, LB, 6-2, 225 — offer from Army (1)
• Lagaryonn Carson, Liberty-Eylau, DE, 6-4, 261 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, North Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M (9)
• Trestan Ebner, Henderson, WR, 5-11, 180 — offers from Arkansas, Arkansas State, Colorado State, Houston, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Texas, Ole Miss, SMU, Syracuse, UTSA, TCU, Tulsa (16)
• Montrell Estell, Hooks, WR/DB, 6-2, 180 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Notre Dame, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane (12)
• Octavius Evans, Center, WR, 6-2, 186 — offers from Indiana, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Texas State, ULL (7)
• Ted Fuller, Harleton, RB, 5-11, 195 — offer from ULM (1)
• Austin Hawley, Gladewater, DB, 6-1, 200 — offer from ULM (1)
• Kollin Hurt, Gilmer, DB, 6-3, 175 — offer from ULM (1)
• Jordan Johnson, Hooks, ATH, 6-0, 195 — committed to Air Force (1)
• Kayce Medlock, Arp, ATH, 5-9, 186 — offers from Army, Colorado, Navy, SMU, Tulane, ULL (6)
• Damion Miller, John Tyler, WR, 6-1, 189 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Missouri, North Texas, Oklahoma State; Ole Miss; SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (11)
• LaMarcus Morton, Gilmer, WR, 6-2, 175 — offers from Arkansas State, Colorado State, Indiana, Texas Tech, Tulsa, ULL, ULM, UTSA (8)
• Javontavius Mosley, John Tyler, CB, 6-1, 170 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULL, ULM, UTSA (9)
• Dhailon Phillips, Lufkin, WR, 6-3, 195 — offer from Texas State (1)
• Kordell Rodgers, Lufkin, QB/ATH, 5-10, 165 — offers from Texas State, ULM (2)
• Bryson Smith, John Tyler, QB/ATH, 6-0, 170 — offers from Air Force, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Houston, New Mexico, North Texas, Purdue, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Tulane, ULL, ULM, UTSA (14)
• Major Tennison, Bullard, TE, 6-6, 248 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas Tech (12)
• Josh Thompson, Nacogdoches, CB, 6-0, 180 — offered by Arkansas State, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, North Texas, Ohio, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULM, Utah, UTSA, Washington State, Wyoming (14)
• Traveion Webster, Longview, S, 6-0, 197 — offered by ULM (1)