Texas Tech received the commitment of Behren Morton yesterday morning after a long recruitment process. Morton, a native of Eastland, Texas, was scoped out and offered a scholarship by Texas Tech in July of 2018 - under the Kingsbury staff. But after Texas Tech and Kingsbury parted ways in November things were a little ambiguous between Morton and Tech.
Schools like Tulsa, Texas A&M, USC, Wisconsin, Baylor, and TCU swooped in throughout the first half of 2019 with offers and visits. Texas Tech invited Morton to visit in April, but didn’t have much action until the QB visited camp on June 13 (a day after visiting Oklahoma State’s camp) wherein the twenty-four hours after his visit Tech re-offered Morton a scholarship. The race didn’t finish there, however, as Morton tacked on more interest from Washington State and Alabama.
The final school on his schedule to visit was Baylor on October 12. Baylor had offered Morton a scholarship earlier this year in May, and no doubt intended on impressing the Eastland QB with a rah-rah homecoming show against rival-party Texas Tech. Yet in the double-overtime victory that Baylor celebrated, Morton saw something better in Texas Tech. Whether it was the fire from Coach Wells late in the game, the fight from the players throughout, the surprising number of Tech fans in the stands, or even the strong possibility of moving to QB1 - Morton knew his heart resided in Lubbock.
BREAKING NEWS....Eastland quarterback Behren Morton has announced that he will be going to Texas Tech. #BigCountryPreps #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/vMT62P5ihB
— Evan Ren (@BigCountrySport) October 15, 2019
In an interview Morton said that “what attracted (him) to Texas Tech was the relationships (he) had with all the coaches. It was something special that (he) didn’t have any other school.” In his visit to Texas Tech Morton commented that the atmosphere at Texas Tech was incomparable to other programs he had seen; something magical and promising. In addition to the feel of the city and venue, Morton said the current coaching staff at Tech is overwhelmingly positive. “Almost every coach from the Texas Tech staff has a relationship with me,” Morton continued, “my strong relationships are coach Wells, coach Yost, coach Udy, coach Filani, coach Farmer, and many more.”
Behren Morton a QB from Eastland Tx has committed to Texas Tech. My friend from Eastland, Jim Moylan(was All-SWC at TTU) told me this kid is one of the greatest high school players he has ever seen. He also said Behren Morton is even a better person. Great recruiting!!
— Kent R. Hance (@KentRHance) October 16, 2019
Morton has confirmed that he intends to graduate early and enroll in the 2021 spring semester to get a head start on developing. Per his own assessment, Morton believes his strongest pro as a quarterback coming in is his athleticism. Additionally he has a lot of confidence with his accuracy, saying “I can change my arm angle and fit the ball into tight places where other quarterbacks can’t.” Something Texas Tech fans were equally dazzled by in Patrick Mahomes’ career in the scarlet and black.
The numbers speak for themselves this year. In six games, Morton has led Eastland High school to an impressive 6-0 start with an even more impressive stat line: 92 completions out of 140 attempts (65.7%), 1609 yards (17.5 yards/completion) with 16 touchdowns and a lone interception. Then, showcasing his running ability, Morton has 20 carries thus far with 65 yards and 4 touchdowns. Per 247Sports’ composite Morton is ranked no. 7 nationally among the 2021 dual-threat quarterbacks, no. 40 overall in the state of Texas for 2021 recruits.
Congrats to Behren Morton on making his commitment to Texas Tech! They just nabbed a huge one. Morton was being recruited by TCU, USC, Wisconsin, and Baylor to name a few. Superstar talent and a great kid, I look forward to seeing what he can do at the next level. #txhsfb https://t.co/k1Nps8rIsw
— Dusty Baker (@DustyBakerTV) October 15, 2019
Matt Wells bolstered his recruiting abilities with Morton’s commitment. Holding twelve offers from a dealers-choice of quality programs, Morton decided to commit to the future of Texas Tech. He is the second best quarterback recruit in school history behind a recognizable Graham Harrell who committed to Tech in 2003. Wreck em!