Photos By Andy Tolbert
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Fort Bend Marshall has been a hot-bed for high-level recruits over the past five years with the likes of Devon Achane, Malik Hornsby, Christian Williams and most recently Zachary Chapman, Trent Thomas and Ja’koby Banks.
The Buff’s look loaded with DI talent again this Fall and are led by one of the top defensive backs in the country.
Class of 2024 three-star defensive back Joshua Lair is one of the most sought-after recruits in the country and has a big decision coming before his senior year.
VYPE recently caught up with Lair about his recruitment and more.
Lair really exploded on the recruiting scene last Fall and now has amassed 28 offers from schools like LSU, Texas, Auburn, Florida, Baylor, Miami, Michigan, Texas A&M, Oregon, Oklahoma and others.
So what’s the recruiting process been like so far?
“Honestly, it has been hectic,” Lair said, “I just embrace it, though. This is my dream and it’s coming true, so I just embrace it.”
Lair had just taken an official visit to LSU and had nothing but good things to say about Baton Rouge.
“Man, it was amazing. I got there, talked with the players and talked with the coaching staff," he said. "I had a great time. It was just an amazing experience overall.”
LSU was just the first trip for Lair in June as he visited Baylor, Texas and Washington shortly after with a visit to Texas A&M planned at the end of the month.
“LSU, Baylor, Texas, Washington and Texas A&M,” he said. “I plan on visiting them all in the month of June with some more OV’s during the season. Those are the schools who have been talking to me the most lately.”
The month of June will be a big one for the Marshall DB as he also mentioned a commitment coming before the start of his senior year in August.
While there’s still some time until the talented DB makes his commitment in August, he did mention the biggest contenders as of now are LSU, Texas and Washington out of the schools he will be taking official visits.
As far as his senior year goes, Lair has big expectations.
“I expect us to have a strong season. The backend is strong, the offense is strong," he said. "Even though we’re young, we’re solid. I’m looking forward to having a long long season, deep in the playoffs and State.
"I want people to look back and remember me as a leader. Somebody who works hard and helps others out when they’re struggling."
TCU reach is now a brand as they reached the 2023 College Football National Championship. The Frogs are now a brand, which makes their pitch to high school athletes incrementally easier.
Class of 2024 Hightower four-star running back Jeremy Payne is one of the top running back recruits in the state, who dropped a Top 12 back in March consisting of Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oregon, TCU, Auburn, Houston, Michigan State, Penn State, Oregon State, Kansas and Duke.
This past weekend the elite running back took an official visit to TCU and decided to pledge his commitment to the Horned Frogs.
VYPE caught up with Payne about the commitment and more.
“TCU felt like home because the coaches kept everything real with me and I like the environment,” Payne said. “The strength and conditioning coach played a major part in my decision. Above all, the offensive staff made me a priority.”
TCU competes in the Big 12 and with the addition of new teams into the conference, there will be big-time games week in and week out.
“I know it is going to be competitive playing against other Big 12 teams,” he said. “It’s always been my dream to play big college ball against other good teams.”
Though TCU did play for the National Championship last fall, it didn’t play a major factor in Payne’s decision but the relationships built meant the most. He mentioned the relationships with Coach Dykes, Coach Jones, Coach Hodges, Coach Kaz and Coach Briles really made the decision an easy one.
With the decision made to commit to the Horned Frogs, Payne also plans on recruiting others in the area to join him in Fort Worth saying, “I want to play with the best”.
Now that the decision is made, Payne is also ready to look forward to his senior season for Hightower.
“I’m looking forward to trying to win the State Title for my last year of high school and ball out with my teammates,” he said.
Though the main focus is his senior year, but he running back does have a message for TCU fans.
“The Class of 2024 is going to be great," he said. "I’m ready to get to Fort Worth and work. Go Frogs!”
With the End of the Baseball season comes the VYPE HOU Public School Baseball Player of the Year Fan Poll presented by Sun and Ski Sports. VYPE HOU sorted through all of the stats from around H-town this season and has narrowed it down to some of the top athletes in the area. Be sure to vote for your favorite athlete out of the ones listed below!
Voting closes Friday, June 23rd at 11:59 p.m. CST
Please note that the use of voting software or bots will result in a deletion of votes and a potential DQ from the contest. PLEASE try to keep this fair and fun for all involved!
All athlete polls and their content are only associated and created by VYPE Media and its staff. The content is not created or voted on by any corporate sponsor or marketing partner. Please contact VYPE Media directly if you have any questions, comments, or concerns around our Fan Polls.
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