Tinook Hines Spring Dekaney (6522) was one of the many speedy footballers in the state of Texas
This year Texas emphasized it's track and field prowess as it executed dominance over the rest of the country in the sprint and jump events. Both individual and relay events left no mistake in everyone's minds how much of an impact Texas high school boys school boys have in track and field.
Track and field is best in Texas because it's big in Texas. However, there is no confusion on what the biggest sport in the Lone Star State is - - football.
A big part of the reason every track and field season is good is because the best and consistently most successful football programs allow their athletes to fairly compete in both sports.
We are accustomed to seeing some of Texas' best individual football athletes also shine on the track and in the field. For example, track speedsters like Marquise Goodwin,Robert Griffin III,Jamaal Charles, Brenen Thompson, Devin Duvernay, and Devon Achane are just a few names to have graced Texas on Friday nights as well as in the spring track seasons.
Below, we attempt to identify who some of the fastest in Texas this year were who are also big time recruits in football.
Jelani Watkins (Humble Atascocita)
Per 247Sports, The LSU signee is a legit 4-star wide receiver with a No. 19 class rank in the state of Texas and 36th ranked nationally at his position.
After transferring from Klein Forest following his junior year, Watkins continued to dazzle on the track. He won two UIL 6A state titles in the 200m at KF and helped lead them to the team state title in 2023. A year later, he assisted in propelling Atascocita to the state title. He continued to add value in the 200m as he won his third consecutive individual title, but he also improved his short sprinting by running 6.67 in the 60m indoors. That continued outdoors as he ran 10.19 wind legal to win the UIL 6A 100m state title.
Watkins anchored Atascocita's national record breaking 4x100 relay.
Ernest Campbell (Refugio)
Campbell is a consensus three-star wide receiver that is headed to College Station to play for the Aggies. He has a 89 rating on 247Sports and was the No. 74 player in the state of Texas.
The Refugio senior finalized a feat that not many people can do in any individual sport let alone in Texas track and field. He capped off his high school career running 10.49 at the 2024 UIL 2A state meet. He also won the long jump state title with a 23-0.75 jump. As a junior, Campbell ran wind legal 10.26 and ran 20.92.
Alijah Cason (Dallas First Baptist Academy)
The TAPPS senior helped lead the First Baptist football team to a 13-0 record. He totaled 81 receptions for 1708 yards - and 35 touchdowns.
On the track and the field, he helped First Baptist to back-to-back TAPPS 2A State titles, along the way earning 2A Male Athlete of the meet accolades. He won the 100 (11.01), 200 (22.61), and Long Jump (23-03.25.)
Will Henderson (Gilmer)
Henderson had a 88 score on 247Sports and was the No. 75 ranked player in Texas. The East Texas star turned in 37 touchdowns and 2,737 yards to lead Gilmer to the state title.
On the track, Henderson captured his second straight UIL 4A 100m state title going 10.28 wind legal also going 21.51 in the 200m. He also anchored Gilmer to a 40.56 in the 4x100 relay for another state title.
Jordan Elie-Stuart (Houston Christian)
Another TAPPS gridiron star, Elie-Stuart was the TAPPS 2024 Defensive Back of the Year.
On the track, the senior had an absolutely outstanding season! He dropped elite runs in all three sprint events at the SPC State Championships. Earning four gold medals he went: 10.61 100 and 20.93 200 - both wind legal, a 47.31 400, and he anchored a 3:17.78 4x400, the fastest state 4x400 by any private school in history.
Tanook Hines (Spring Dekaney)
Hines is one of the fastest rising wide receivers in the country. He has a 247Sports rating of 90 and is a legit four-star. Based on film, he is difficult to cover, hard to tackle, and almost impossible to catch. Over the last two years, he accumulated 85 receptions, 1,343 yards, and 12 touchdowns.
On the track, Hines had an exceptional junior season. He ran a 10.45 personal best in the 100m this year and his slowest time of the year was a 10.68 in early March.
In the 200m, Hines produced two sub 21.0 second runs. He won the difficult Region 2-6A championships and was runner-up at state in 20.71.
Karson Gordon (Houston Episcopal)
Gordon is a three-star quarterback and UCLA signee. With a 247Sports rating of 89, he completed 158 passes on 250 attempts for 2,157 yards and 28 touchdowns. He used his legs for 699 yards and eight additional touchdowns. Gordon led Episcopal to the SPC 4A state title.
On the track, Gordon has personal bests of 21.72 in the 200m and 49.63 in the 400m. The thing that stands out the most is his ability to jump. Gordon was the 2023 Gatorade Texas Track Player of the Year.
He won the Nike Outdoor Nationals in the triple jump with a 51-4.25 jump. In 2024, he lept a Texas Relays meet record of 53-1.50 and long jumped 23-0.
Jhase McMillan (Katy Tompkins)
Montana State signee Jhase McMillan has a 87 247Sports rating and is a three-star cornerback/running back. McMillan had a total of 95 tackles, nine interceptions, and one pick-six over his last two seasons.
In his senior track season, McMillan was brilliant. He ran a 10.45 personal best in the 100m and a 20.69 (w) best in the 200m.
McMillan earned a bronze medal at the UIL 6A state track meet in the 200m and helped Tompkins' 4x100 relay run 39.85 and the US No. 2 all-time 4x200 relay with a time of 1:22.72.
Christopher Barnes (North Shore)
Barnes has been listed on his track profile as CJ Barnes, but it is same guy and he is the truth! He tallied over 1,000 yards as a junior and this past fall hecaught 47 passes for 807 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Washington State signee helped North Shore to back-to-back runner-up team finishes in 6A.
On the track, he has also displayed how legit his jets are. He had a 10.29 time on record, but also went 10.65 FAT and hs a 22.28 in the 200m back in 2021. Barnes helped North Shore's 4x100 relay become the US No. 5 all-time team with their 39.79 performance.
Xavier Warren (Georgetown)
As a three-star wide receiver on 247Sports, Warren caught 20 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns for a whopping 22.4 yards per catch average. He is ranked No. 36 in the state of Texas for the class of 2026.
On the track, Warren ran 10.52 and 21.86 marks as a freshman followed up by 10.32 and 21.26. Legitimately, he has gone 10.79 (w) with FAT and anemometer read races.
Caden Durham (Duncanville)
Durham has plenty of exhibits of his speed both on the track and on the field. His 247Sports ranking has him with a 94 rating for the sixth best running back in the country and a four-star rating.
Durham is so explosive, he had 212 yards on 10 carries in the state title game against the fifth ranked nationally team North Shore last December....that was the first half only.
He totalled 72 touchdowns and 3,987 yards in his final two seasons alone at Duncanville to help lead them to back-to-back state titles. Already on campus in Baton Rouge, the LSU signee was named the Dallas Morning News Offensive Player of the Year in DFW.
On the track, Durham may have quietly been one of the state's most important runners. He anchored Duncanville's No. 3 all-time 4x100 relay and ran a leg on their 4x200 national record setting quartet.
He finished his career with runs of 10.28 and 21.4 along with two third place individual finishes in the UIL 6A 100m and led Duncanville to two runner-up team finishes.
Cordial Vann (Frisco Heritage)
Vann is listed as a three-star safety with a 87 rate. Per 247Sports, Vann had 48 tackles, 4 TFL (tackles for losses), and one interception in his sophom*ore year. Last season as a junior, added 27 tackes and one interception in only eight games.
Vann had an interesting track season; indoors, he won the Nike Indoor Nationals 60m title with a time of 6.73 and won the Texas Relays 100m title with a 10.46.
Vann was unable to compete for Heritage after the Texas Relays due to UIL transfer rules, but did compete at the TTFCA Meet of Champions where he ran 10.23 (+2.2) to win the 100m and jumped a wind legal 25-1.5 for the win; he was runner-up in the UIL 5A long jump as a sophom*ore.
Tyler Brown (Aubrey)
With a 86 rating, Brown is a three-star WR/athlete on 247Sports. The junior was the district MVP and led Aubrey to the third-round of the playoffs.
On the track, Brown has succeeded going back to his freshman year when he ran 48.71 in the 400m and was seventh at the UIL 3A state track meet.
He was fourth this last year in the 200m at state and won the state title as a junior with a PR of 20.72. Brown anchored Aubrey's 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams and helped them win the team state title.
Tory Blaylock (Atascocita)
Oklahoma commit Blaylock is a four-star 90 rated running back from Atascocita with a huge family background in the sport.
His father was an NFL running back for six years and he has two older brothers who are defensive backs at the collegiate level.
Blaylock runs well between the tackles and when hitting the outside with his size and speed. Last year, he had 89 carries for 616 yards and 11 touchdowns. he also had 19 receptions for 268 yards and another three touchdowns.
Despite a late start to the track season because of injury, Blaylock ran a 10.56 (w) PR in the 100m this year and has a 22.55 best in the 200m. Blaylock was the leadoff leg for Atascocita's national record breaking 38.92 4x100 relay.
Corbin Glasco (Denton Guyer)
Glasco checks in with a 87 rating for a high three-star wide receiver on 247Sports. Glasco excelled in the fall going for 600 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns.
The Denton Guyer sophom*ore caught 41 passes for 484 yards and 6 TDs, while rushing 12 times for 116 yards and 2 TDs. Shows good return game capabilities.
On the track, he has enjoyed a very good youth career and that has led to a best mark of 10.33. Legitimately, he has a 10.95 FAT wind legal performance.
Devin Sanchez (North Shore)
Sanchez is a five-star cornerback with a 98 rating on 247Sports. The junior is top rated nationally, has a future NFL first round projection, and is already committed to Ohio State.
Per 247, Sanchez is above average in skill, instinct, and athleticism. All of that could be due to his mother Deetra Sanchez who was a sprinter at UTEP and his father Daniel Sanchez who played football at UTEP. Over the last two years, Sanchez has 57 tackles, 29 pass breakups, and nine interceptions.
On the track, Sanchez can run it all; he has PRs of 10.69 in the 100m, 21.73 in the 200m, and 49.45 in the 400m. North Shore finished the season well in the 4x100 relay with four sub 40 second runs. Sanchez was crucial to being the No. 5 fastest team ever in US high school history at 39.79.
Quinton Brown (Argyle Liberty Christian)
Boise State verbal commit Quinton Brown has the luxury of being coached by professionals in both sports at Liberty Christian. His head football coach is Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten and has Olympian Jeremy Wariner guiding him on the track.
As a junior, Brown notched a three-star rating of 85 from 247Sport and is the 182 class of 2025 ranked player in Texas. The 2022 season was a breakout sophom*ore season that saw 53 catches for 593 yards, 10 touchdowns, and a kickoff return TD.
In 2023, he finished the junior season with 51 receptions for 745 yards, 16 touchdowns, and again added 2 punt return touchdowns and 1 kickoff return touchdown.
During the indoor track season, he ran 6.84 and 22.09 at theGreat Southwest Indoors. Outside, he ran season bests of 10.35 and 21.16 individually. He also helped Liberty Christian to a 41.03 season best 4x100 relay.
DaKorien Moore (Duncanville)
On 247Sports, Moore has a 98 rating and is a five-star wide receiver; he is the top WR in the country. He has all of the tools and can do-it-all with first round NFL draft projections.
Moore helped Duncanville to their second consecutive 6A D-II title. His production as junior was of 71 catches for 1,523 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He is fully aware of how his game is based on speed and his jumping ability. He has PRs of 10.40 in the 100m, 21.38 (w) in the 200m, and 24-7 in the long jump.
Moore helped Duncanville's sprint relays run US No. 3 all-time 39.47 in the 4x100 relay, a 4x200 relay national record 1:22.25, and a US No. 3:11.51 in the 4x400 relay. In his three years, Duncanville placed runner-up as a team every season at the UIL 6A state track meet.
Caleb Holmes (DeSoto)
DeSoto enjoyed a fantastic season last fall and Holmes was a good part of the reason. As a junior, the three-star cornerback product helped the Eagles go undefeated and win the 6A D-II state championship by racking up39 tackles, one tackle for loss, and an interception.
On the track, Holmes is one of those old school and complete sprinters with his ability to run from the 100m to the quarter.
He has a 10.35 recorded run, but a 10.81 FAT performance in the 100m, 21.81 in the 200m from his sophom*ore year, and he just missed out on qualifying for the state meet by dropping a 48.01 in the 400m.
Dorian Brew (Conroe)
Brew has it all . . . . the size, the speed, and the DNA. Brew has the height and build making him look like a dude looking for contact. He is also hard to run away from with his ability to run.
The four-star cornerback was fortunate to have amazing genetics passed down from Conroe's track coach and LSU All-American and Olympic gold medalist Derrick Brew. His Mother Donica Merriman also ran D-I track at Ohio State and is in the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame. It's no wonder Brew has a 94 rating.
Despite his stature, Brew's familial success in track and field shows in his capability on the oval. He has PRs of 10.75, and 21.79. He helped lead Conroe to a 40.75 4x100 relay school record.
Jayden Warren (Iowa Colony)
Warren checks in with a 89 rating on 247Sports for three-stars. The 6-2 wide receiver.Only a sophom*ore, played five games notching seven passes for 140 yards and four touchdowns.
On the track, Warren won two bronze medals at the UIL 4A state meet going 10.59 and 21.07. Warren helped Iowa Colony's 4x100 relay run 40.97 for second at the state meet where they won the team title.
Caleb Smith (Allen)
Allen three-star wide receiver Caleb Smith has a 247Sports 87 rating and is the No. 50 wide receiver in the state of Texas. Overall, the sophom*ore logged 577 yards from scrimmage with six touchdowns.
From the outside, he caught 43 passes for 398 yards for three touchdowns. With 20 carries, he ran for 179 yards and three touchdowns.
On the track, Smith has been on Allen's 40.x 4x100 relay and ran a 10.35 mark. Although wind aided, he has a legit FAT 10.61 21.93, and has a 6.90 indoor 60m.
Charles Ross (North Shore)
Ross is a four-star linebacker with legit speed. Per 247Sports, he has a whopping 93 rating and is the 12th best linebacker in the country.
The LSU commit helped North Shore finish second in two straight season at the UIL 6A D-I title game. He has 71 tackes, six sacks, two interceptions and two pass break ups this past year.
On the track Ross was just as fabulous. He ran a 10.36 wind-aided PR at the Region 3-6A. He finished fifth at the UIL 6A state meet in the 100m with a 10.56 performance and helped lead North Shore to become the US No. 5 all-time 4x100 relay with their 39.79.
Mason Dossett (Fort Bend Ridge Point)
Dossett was listed as a three-star safety on 247Sports with a 87 rating, but was very versatile as he had over 600 receiving yards, rushed the ball, and had 15 kickoff returns in his junior year.
Dossett is already enrolled at Baylor for football and track, which is where his father competed in both sports before playing in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers.
On the track, Dossett ran out of his mind this past spring. He was consistent throughout the season and went undefeated on the year.
Not only was he good and consistent, but Dossett was fast and pretty much legendary. He won the Texas Relays 110H race with a wind legal 13.27 run making him the fastest hurdler in Texas history and US No. 7 all-time. He also won the UIL 6A state title.
Camden Capehart (Winnsboro)
Capehart is another sophom*ore with a strong showing on the field. He finished the season with 39 receptions for a total of 1,022 yards. That was for an unbelievable 26.2 yards per catch and 17 scores.
In his first trip to the state track meet, ran away with the UIL 3A 100m state title in 10.44 and had a 10.37 PR. He also ran 22.34 and long jumped 21-6.
Daniel Bray (Abilene Cooper)
Bray is a three-star running back with a 88 rate on 247Sports. As most high schoolers, he had his breakout sophom*ore season with 731 yards and 10 touchdowns; he engineered a 6.65 yards per carry. Bray also caught 22 passes for 303 yards and another TD.
As a junior, he rushed for another 1,359 yards and 22 touchdowns on 8.82 yards per carry. Through the air, he added 7 receptions for 26 yards. At the running back position, Bray starts behind the OL and DL with the linebackers in front of him. However, in his film, you often see him being chased by everyone who he quickly puts behind him.
On the track, he had a 10.38 best mark. Wind legal FAT runs he has 10.78 and 10.83 runs.
Ayson Theus (Duncanville)
Theus finished his sophom*ore season with three-stars, but a solid 88 rating on 247Sports. For a guy with four and five-star players at skill positions ahead of him, Theus was a very productive option behind them.
He played receiver and kick returner as a sophom*ore for a Duncanville squad that finished with a second consecutive Texas 6A D-I state championship. It was almost like he had a built in GPS system to the ball and the end zone as both a returner and WR. Theus caught 43 passes for 613 yards and two touchdowns.
On the track, he was an integral piece to the Panthers' third straight runner-up finish at the UIL 6A state meet. He ran a 10.71 personal best in the 100m and important legs on the legendary 4x100 relay and the national record breaking 4x200 relay.
Cole Dauper (McKinney)
It's always interesting to see a kicker tackle on punt and kick off returns, however Dauper would be the one who chased a returner down.
He has 10.45 100m speed, which isn't found in many positions on the football field let alone kicker.
Lincoln Dunn (Melissa)
Army commit Dunn didn't have any stars or ratings on 247Sports, but his film shows how difficult it was to keep up with the speedy and shifty receiver. He excelled in catching balls out in the flat.
The 10.36 speed is what made Dunn electric on both the track and on the field.
Kade Phillips (Fort Bend Hightower)
Phillips is a four-star cornerback with a 90 rating on 247Sports. From watching Phillips' film, it is evident he has good size, he's very physical, has a nose for the ball, and is very athletic.
We see some of the same qualities on the track. Phillips is versatile with his ability to run the 200m and 400m well along with his jumping capabilities. He went 21.5 and 21.74 to go with his 24-7.50 long jump PR. He was third at the UIL 6A state meet going 23-11.50.
Jaylon Hawkins (Argyle Liberty Christian)
Like his other Liberty Christian teammates, the junior wide receiver plays for a former NFL legend in Jason Witten and runs track for an Olympic gold medalist in Jeremy Wariner.
While he doesn't have any stars nor does he have a rating on 247Sports, he has a boat load of offers for football.
Hawkins was a big part of Liberty Christian's highly successful three sprint relays this past fall. He also was superb in his individual 200m and 400m races. He ran 21.71 and 47.51 to show he is taking to Wariner's training in just the first year under his tutelage.
Daylon Singleton (DeSoto)
Singleton checks in as a four-star wide receiver on 247Sports with a 90 rating. He brought in 56 passes for 1,211 yards and 17 touchdowns with 21.6 yards per reception this season. That was crucial to DeSoto's undefeated season en route to their second UIL 6A D-II state title.
The SMU commit doesn't just shine on the field, he was a 200m specialist this spring during the track season. He won his districe with a 21.13, won the area meet over several Duncanville top sprinters and wnt 21.26 for third at Region 2-6A.
Ashton Bethel-Roman (Fort Bend Ridge Point)
Texas A&M signee Bethel-Roman was key to Ridge Point's success over the past several years.
The 94 rated four-star wide receiver had a breakout his junior season when he had 37 catches for 892 yards and eight touchdowns. That helped lead Ridge Point to a 10-3 record and third round in the playoffs.
With NFL projections and capabilities, Roman has a ceiling reminiscent to his father Mark Roman who played football at LSU prior to his 10-year NFL career where he played for the Bengals, 49ers, and the Packers.
On the track, Roman was mostly a 200m specialist and long jumper. He had a 23-3 long jump PR and didn't run over 21.88 in his last two years(21.17 PR). Ran on Ridge Point's 40.68 and 1:24.04 sprint relays.
Zayden Sharp (Austin Anderson)
Sharp doesn't have any stars on his 247Sports profile, but the wide receiver is one of the best in the Austin area.
Sharp has the track speed that could make him dangerous on the football field. He ran 10.40 (w), but also went 10.61 (w) at Texas Relays with a legit timing system. Long jumped 23-0.
Keelon Russell (Duncanville)
While Russell isn't well versed on the track, he is established on the football field. The recent Alabama commit is a full four-star QB with a 94 rating on 247Sports.
He is the No. 6 quarterback in the country and helped lead Duncanville to back-to-back 6A D-II state titles. He completed 189 psses for a 72.1%, 3,483 yards, 38 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Russell is an elite playmakers and his legs are a big reason; he ran for 361 yards and six touchdowns last year.
In his first year running track in 2024, Russell was able to make the varsity squad on one of the best teams in the nation. He ran 50.29 in his second open 400m race. Russell turned into the lead off leg on the US No.3 4x400 relay at 3:11.51.
