Pittsburg’s Keontae Burns Offered By Arkansas + Texas State
Two new Division I FBS scholarship offers arrived Wednesday for Pittsburg's Keontae Burns, tying him for the lead in East Texas' 2019 recruiting class with six offers.
Burns (6-3, 182) reported via Twitter that both Arkansas and Texas State have officially made him a target.
The Pirates' two-way playmaker also holds opportunities from Iowa State, North Texas, SMU, and Southern Miss.
Lufkin defensive tackle Carl Williams also holds six FBS offers.
Burns shined on both sides of the ball in 2017 for Pittsburg. He caught 34 passes for a team-best 631 yards and added five touchdown receptions, and on defense he had one interception, broke up seven passes, forced a fumble, and had a recovery.
New Arkansas coach Chad Morris, a Texas native and former high school coach in the Lone Star State, spent the previous three seasons at SMU. He inherited a program that finished 1-11 in 2014, and guided the Mustangs to a 7-5 record this year and their first bowl-game appearance since 2012.
Before SMU, Morris served as the offensive coordinator at Tulsa (2010) and Clemson (2011-13). His high school coaching career in Texas included stops at Eustace (1994-97), Elysian Fields (1998-99), Bay City (2000-02), Stephenville (2003-07), and Lake Travis (2008-09).
Arkansas has had modest success recruiting East Texas in recent years, but that is expected to increase with Morris in Fayetteville.
Ex-Gilmer High School head coach and Texas and SMU assistant Jeff Traylor will join Morris' staff at Arkansas. Traylor was hired by Morris before the 2017 season to serve as running backs coach and associate head coach after Charlie Strong's departure from Texas.
Arkansas has signed just two East Texas products since 2013 -- former Newton defensive back D.J. Dean and ex-Marshall defensive back Micahh Smith.
The Razorbacks were 4-8 in 2017, the last of five seasons at Arkansas for head coach Bret Bielema.
Texas State plays in the Sun Belt Conference, and is coming off a 2-10 season under second-year head coach Everett Withers.
Burns, like all juniors, will first become eligible to sign with any Division I program that offers him in December of 2019.
2019 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers
- Jade Ashalintubbi, Elysian Fields, OL, 6-6, 331 —offers from Tulsa, ULM (2)
- Darwin Barlow, Newton, RB, 5-11, 195 -- offer from Baylor (1)
- Chance Billington, John Tyler, OL, 6-3, 301 — committed to SMU; additional offer from Texas State (2)
- Tamauzia Brown, Newton, WR/ATH, 6-1, 170 -- offers from Baylor, Oklahoma State (2)
- Keontae Burns, Pittsburg, ATH, 6-3, 182 — offers from Arkansas, Iowa State, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State (6)
- Cameron Cantrell, Whitehouse, WR, 6-1, 180 -- committed to Texas Tech (1)
- Coltin Clack, Texas High, QB, 6-3, 202 — offers from Florida Atlantic, SMU, Southern Miss (3)
- Christian Hood, Marshall, OL, 6-2, 290 — offer from Southern Miss (1)
- T.Q. Jackson, Jefferson, WR, 6-2, 175 — offers from Arkansas, SMU, Southern Miss (3)
- Beaux Limmer, Tyler Lee, OL, 6-5, 250 -- offer from Texas State (1)
- Darius Richardson, West Rusk, DL, 6-3, 288 -- offer from Texas State (1)
- Keivie Rose, Henderson, DE, 6-4, 220 — offers from Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane (5)
- Ke'Andre Street, John Tyler, WR, 6-4, 190 -- offers from Houston, Syracuse (2)
- Carl Williams, Lufkin, DT, 6-3, 275 — offers from Arkansas, Houston, Oklahoma, SMU, TCU, Tulsa (6)
- Marcus Williams, Longview, OL, 6-6, 250 — offers from Baylor, Houston, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State (5)
- Keshon Williams, Pine Tree, ATH, 6-4, 230 — offer from Texas State (1)