Waskom senior athlete Chan Amie committed to SMU on Monday. (Rob Graham, ETSN.fm)
Waskom senior athlete Chan Amie committed to SMU on Monday. (Rob Graham, ETSN.fm)
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SMU liked its first player from Waskom so much that the staff is open for more.

Senior fullback and linebacker Chan Amie committed to the Mustangs program Monday after several months of discussions. Waskom head coach Whitney Keeling first reported the news.

Amie (5-11, 176) will join up with once-and-future teammate Kevin Johnson on the Hilltop after graduating high school in May. Johnson played defensive back and returned kicks during his true freshman season, one year removed from helping Waskom win the 2014 Class 3A Division II state championship.

The ETSN.fm East Texas Football Super Team's first-team utility player, just like Johnson, was a two-way star on the field for Waskom. In fact, the newest SMU pledge won the 2014 title game's Defensive Most Valuable Player award only to follow it up with an offensive Most Valuable Player award in the 2015 Class 3A Division II state championship game.

Waskom ended the past season on a 31-game winning streak that dates back to Week 2 of the 2014 season. It's the best active streak within East Texas.

SMU hopes some of Waskom's success will ultimately rub off on it. The Mustangs targeted Amie in the midst of a 2-10 season under first-year head coach Chad Morris.

Despite the bad record, the season was a one-game improvement compared to its 2014 campaign.

Morris and his staff have not been hindered much in the recruiting game. The group locked up Van running back Aphonso Thomas in November.

Thomas enrolled at the university two months later.

Morris' East Texas roots run deep. He attended Edgewood High School and began his head coaching career at Eustace in 1994 before coaching at Elysian Fields for the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

The coach then advanced to stops at Baytown and Stephenville before closing his high school career with back-to-back state championships at Lake Travis.

Morris was hired away from Lake Travis by the University of Tulsa in 2010 to serve as the program's offensive coordinator. He joined Clemson in the same capacity a year later.

With 16 games to work with, Amie led all East Texas runners in total yardage and rushing scores. He supplanted Alto quarterback Keenen Johnson's 2,669 yards by three yards on his finally high school carry.

The run went for an 8-yard touchdown, Amie's 39th ground score of the year.

Amie also ranked second regionally in tackles. He recorded 201 takedowns, including 52 for negative yardage.

The battle to lead Waskom in defense was fierce. Fellow senior linebacker Mike Reason had 189 tackles through the year while senior defensive lineman Keileon Johnson's 55 tackles for negative yardage led the area.

Amie, like all seniors with football scholarship offers, will become eligible to sign with any program that offers him Wednesday.

2016 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

  • Chan Amie, ATH, Waskom, 5-11, 176 — committed to SMU (1)
  • Austin Anderson, OL, Mineola, 6-4, 280 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Auburn, California, Cincinnati, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Vanderbilt (27)
  • Riley Anderson, OL, Mineola, 6-5, 280 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arizona State, Arkansas State, Auburn, California, Cincinnati, Houston, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, North Carolina, North Texas, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, Vanderbilt (27)
  • Demarco Boyd, LB, Gilmer, 6-0, 215 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Baylor, Florida State, Texas A&M (4)
  • Gabe Foster, ATH, Newton, 6-1, 175 — committed to McNeese State (FCS); additional FBS offers from Arkansas State, Purdue, Texas State, ULL, ULM (5)
  • Ke’Mon Freeman, ATH, Liberty-Eylau, 6-0, 205 — committed to SFA (FCS); additional FBS offers from Arkansas State, North Texas, SMU (3)
  • Travon Fuller, CB, Texas A&M, 6-0, 155 — committed to Texas A&M (1)
  • Alex Gregory, WR, Nacogdoches, 5-11, 175 — committed to SFA (FCS); additional FBS offers from Texas State, ULM (2)
  • Zach Hall, ATH, Tyler Lee, 5-10, 165 — committed to SFA (FCS); additional FBS offers from Baylor, Missouri, Texas Tech, ULM (4)
  • La’Darius Hamilton, LB, Corrigan-Camden, 6-1, 220 — offers from North Texas, Texas State, ULL (3)
  • Adrian Harris, OL, John Tyler, 6-3, 289 — committed to Southern Arkansas (Division II); additional FBS offer from ULM (1)
  • Tanner Holmes, LB, Newton, 6-2, 220 — committed to ULL (1)
  • Jerrod Johnson, OL, Lufkin, 6-2, 288 — committed to Tyler JC; additional FBS offer from ULM (1)
  • Keenen Johnson, ATH, Alto, 6-0, 186 — committed to Tulsa; additional offers from North Texas, SMU, ULL (4)
  • Brandon Jones, S, Nacogdoches, 6-0, 190 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Boise State, California, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, South Carolina, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulsa, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington State (42)
  • Braylon Jones, OG/DT, John Tyler, 6-3, 275 — committed to Houston; additional offers from Air Force, Army, Colorado State, Navy, TCU (6)
  • Corey Lane, CB, Nacogdoches, 5-11, 168 — committed to Trinity Valley CC; additional FBS offer from Louisiana Tech (1)
  • Bronson Massie, DE, Lufkin, 6-3, 215 — committed to Kansas State; additional offers from Cal, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Texas State, Washington
  • Jarrod McLin, Carthage, DE, Carthage, 6-3, 215 — committed to UTSA; additional offer from ULL (2)
  • Denzel Mims, Daingerfield, WR, 6-4, 175 — committed to Baylor; additional offers from Arkansas State, North Texas, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa (6)
  • Cody Mitchell, Jasper, TE, 6-5, 225 — committed to ULL; additional offers from Florida, Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Missouri, Nebraska, North Texas, SMU, Texas State (9)
  • Jordan Morales, Tyler Bishop Gorman, DT, 6-3, 275 — offer from UTEP (1)
  • Thurman Morbley, Liberty-Eylau, WR, 5-10, 160 — committed to Texas State (1)
  • Reshawn Parker, Hooks, LB, 6-2, 210 — offers from Oklahoma State, Texas State (2)
  • Kendrick Rogers, Frankston, WR, 6-5, 190 — committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Mississippi State, North Texas, SMU, ULL, ULM (11)
  • Micahh Smith, Marshall, S, 5-11, 185 — committed to Arkansas; additional offer from Texas State (2)
  • Aphonso Thomas, Van, RB, 5-10, 180 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Colorado State, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, Texas State (6)
  • Jeremy West, Chapel Hill, OL, 6-3, 297 — committed to Northwestern State (FCS); additional FBS offer from ULL (1)
  • Andre Wiley Jr., Liberty-Eylau, S, 5-9, 170 — committed to Navy; additional offers from Arkansas State, Army, Louisiana Tech, Texas State, Wyoming (6)

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