SMU + SFA Offer Henderson’s Lakendrick VanZandt

[UPDATED: Sunday, 11:55 p.m.]

Lakendrick VanZandt exploded onto the Division I FBS scene Saturday with six offers. The ripple effect carried to Sunday.

SMU and Stephen F. Austin gave the rising senior Henderson running back and free safety new scholarship opportunities. VanZandt announced the respective offers through his personal Twitter account.

The Mustangs program joined Houston, Memphis, Oklahoma State, TCU, Tulane and Tulsa in the chase. Stephen F. Austin joined fellow Southland Conference foe Incarnate Word as an FCS program interested in the athlete. Division II program Northeastern State also is in the portfolio.

VanZandt (6-1, 196) helped Henderson to a 7-3 finish in 2015, but his squad missed the playoffs due to the combination of games it lost within District 9-4A Division I. However, Henderson closed the year with a bang by defeating a Kilgore team that had already clinched the league championship.

SMU is about to begin its second year of transition with head coach Chad Morris. It went 2-10 with Morris his first year last season, which was a one-game improvement in favor of the 2014 season.

Game-by-game results are not where people on the Hilltop want them to be, but Morris and his staff do have some traction in the recruiting game. Former Van running back Aphonso Thomas and former Liberty-Eylau quarterback Ke'Mon Freeman will be true freshmen on the Mustangs' 2016 team.

Waskom athlete Chan Amie, a two-time state champion and two-time state championship game most valuable player, is expected to join them once the fall semester begins as a late addition to the class.

Stephen F. Austin has been a popular destination for local players since starting its program in 1923.

Brownsboro athlete Tamrick Pace, Tyler Lee quarterback Zach Hall and Nacogdoches receiver Alex Gregory signed with the school in February.

Clint Conque will begin his third season as head coach of the Lumberjacks in September. He has a 12-12 overall record in Nacogdoches and guided the program to an FCS playoffs appearance in 2014.

The Lumberjacks struggled to a 0-5 start last year but seemed to turn a corner midway through the campaign. They won four of their final six games.

Four of seven losses came by eight points or less. One defeat was at the hands of TCU from the Big 12 Conference.

VanZandt, like all high school football prospects preparing for their senior year, will become eligible to sign with any school that offers him in February.

2017 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Tristan Allen, Atlanta, LB, 6-3, 206 — offer from UTEP (1)
• Judah Bell, Tyler Bishop Gorman, WR, 6-3, 180 — offers from Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Houston, Kansas, Memphis, Navy, New Mexico, North Texas, SMU, ULL, ULM, UTSA, Wyoming (13)
• Noah Bush, Athens, LB, 6-1, 216 — offers from Air Force, Army (2)
• 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)
• Terrell Cooper, Lindale, DE, 6-3, 240 — offered by Memphis (1)
• Trestan Ebner, Henderson, WR, 5-11, 180 — offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Colorado State, Houston, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Texas, Ole Miss, SMU, Syracuse, UTSA, TCU, Texas A&M, Tulsa (18)
• Montrell Estell, Hooks, WR/DB, 6-2, 180 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Notre Dame, SMU, 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 — offers from ULM, Wyoming (2)
• Tre Gatlin, Carthage, DE, 6-6, 210 —offer from Wyoming (1)
• Austin Hawley, Gladewater, DB, 6-1, 200 — offer from ULM (1)
• Kollin Hurt, Gilmer, DB, 6-3, 175 — offers from Louisiana Tech, ULM (2)
• Jordan Johnson, Hooks, ATH, 6-0, 195 — committed to Air Force (1)
• Kayce Medlock, Arp, ATH, 5-10, 186 — offers from Army, Colorado, Navy, SMU, Tulane, ULL, UTSA (7)
• 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, Houston, Indiana, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, New Mexico State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, ULL, ULM, UTSA (12)
• Javontavius Mosley, John Tyler, CB, 6-1, 170 — committed to UTSA; additional offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Memphis, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULL, ULM (10)
• Cade Pearson, Texas High, QB, 6-3, 193 — offer from Wyoming (1)
• Dhailon Phillips, Lufkin, WR, 6-3, 195 — offer from Texas State (1)
• Kordell Rodgers, Lufkin, QB/ATH, 5-10, 165 — offers from Arkansas State, Texas State, ULM (3)
• Makyle Sanders, Tyler Lee, S, 6-1, 177 — offers from Memphis, Navy (2)
• Bryson Smith, John Tyler, QB/ATH, 6-0, 170 — committed to Houston; additional offers from Air Force, Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Memphis, New Mexico, North Texas, Purdue, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Tulane, Tulsa, ULL, ULM, UTSA (16)
• D’Torian Smith, Tatum, LB, 6-3, 225 — offers from Air Force, ULM, UTEP (3)
• Major Tennison, Bullard, TE, 6-6, 248 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon, SMU, Texas Tech (13)
• Josh Thompson, Nacogdoches, CB, 6-0, 182 — offered by Arkansas State, Colorado State, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, Missouri, North Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, ULM, Utah, UTSA, Washington State, Wyoming (22)
• Lakendrick VanZandt, Henderson, S, 6-1, 196 — offered by Houston, Memphis, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Tulane, Tulsa (7)
• Traveion Webster, Longview, S, 6-0, 197 — offered by ULM (1)