It’s not every year we see a freshman start on varsity level at a Class 6A Texas high school football program.
For the few who get to see the field as freshmen, a special future is ahead of them.
That was the case this year at Waller High School as 2028 quarterback Tristin “TK” Gaines started as a freshman on varsity.
In just his first year on varsity, Gaines threw for 1,990 passing yards with 18 TDs, finishing as a first-team all-district selection and District Newcomer of the Year.
“It was great getting to come in and start as a freshman,” Gaines said. “I had been working for that ever since the summer, dedicating a lot of time and effort to get that opportunity. I’m just grateful to be able to build a brotherhood with my teammates and compete on Friday nights.”
After a big freshman season, many college coaches started taking notice, which led to Gaines picking up his first offer from UTSA.
“I didn’t even know what to say when I talked with coach and heard I got the offer,” he said. “It’s always been my dream to get an offer from a Division I program so it was special but I’m looking to get more so I’m just going to keep working, keeping my head down, and keep going.”
Since the UTSA offer, Gaines has started receiving interest from other top programs like Houston, Michigan State, Baylor, Texas, and Oklahoma, to name a few.
When asked about what camps and schools he plans to go check out this summer, he mentioned Houston, Texas, and Texas A&M as the three schools he plans to camp at and go talk with the coaches.
Now with a big offseason coming, the rising sophomore plans to work on his craft and improve his game going into next fall.
“I’ll be playing baseball in the spring but plan to work on my pocket awareness and movement in the pocket," he said. "I felt like I did a good job at times during a freshman but that’s something I want to improve on for next fall.”
Stay tuned as TK Gaines continues to build on his resume and offer list over the next three seasons.
