Christian Morgan’s Decision: Baylor, Florida State, Arkansas Or Ole Miss For Texas TE?

There were many impressive prospects at the Jimbo Fisher Football Camp. But one of the most impressive recruits in attendance, Christian Morgan, didn’t work out. The talented Plano (TX) Prestonwood Christian School tight end immediately stood out physically. He was on an official visit to Florida State for the weekend, and FSU’s coaches made sure to show him a lot of attention. Morgan holds offers from Arkansas, Baylor, both Arizona schools, Cal, Miami, Missouri, Florida State, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Washington. He is rated three or four stars, depending on service.

Recently, he narrowed his list to Baylor, Florida State, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

SB Nation recruiting chatted briefly with Morgan during the camp, but waited until after his visit concluded to catch up with the 6’5, 250-pound Morgan.

“It was an awesome place. Great visit,” Morgan said of Florida State. “I had been to Florida before on vacation, but never to the Northern part of the state,” he added.

The Florida State coaching staff made a big impression on Morgan.

“It was awesome hanging out with the staff. Coach Fisher, Coley, they are all great Christian men and coaches. My mom and I really felt that we can trust them,” he said.

Florida State’s coaches showed Morgan how he would fit into the Seminoles’ offense.

“They are a pro-style offense and play multiple tight ends. I like that they get you NFL ready and will play their tight ends both with their hand in the dirt (as an in-line tight end) and move them around (as a flexed tight end),” he said.

Morgan is a bright kid and will graduate early from high school, making him eligible to enroll early for the 2013 spring semester. Academics are important to him, and Florida State made sure to showcase that side of the school as well.

“I met with the associate dean of the business school and they had a plan for me to earn my MBA during my four years to Florida State,” he said.

As a Christian man, religion is important to Morgan. He mentioned that meeting and hanging out with Florida State chaplain Clint Purvis was a positive of the trip for him and his mom.

Speaking of his mother, Morgan allowed that distance was a big factor for him and his mother before the trip. After?

“It’s not a big issue anymore. Making the trip helped a lot. We can trust the coaches and Tallahassee is not that far. We felt completely at home. The people made the difference,” Morgan said.

The conversation then shifted to the other three schools in his top four.

“With Baylor, it’s close to home, and there are a lot of Baylor people here,” Morgan said. “I trust the coaches there just like I do at Florida State,” he added. “I’m comfortable there, and I trust the people at Baylor,” he said.

Baylor and Florida State run markedly different offenses, and I asked Morgan about the importance of the offensive scheme in his decision.

“It matters, but it’s not huge,” he said. “Baylor runs a spread, but coach Bryles said he uses what they have. He said if I ball out they’ll get me the ball a lot,” Morgan added.

I asked Morgan if Baylor being a Baptist school gave the Bears a leg up on the competition.

“No, that doesn’t matter. It’s more about the people I’ll be around, like the coaching staff,” he said.

Arkansas is another strong contender for Morgan.

“Arkansas has been on me from the beginning. I like coach Paul Petrino and coach Henry, and I like their offense,” he said of the school he has visited three times.

The draw for Morgan at Ole Miss is the campus and the coaches.

“They have a beautiful Southern campus and their coaches are strong Christian men. I like coach Allen and coach Harris,” he said.

Morgan knows when he wants to make his decision.

“I think I’m ready. I’ll probably announce in a week or so,” said Morgan, who knows who he expects to pick but would not reveal his lean. “I’ll pray about it and talk about it with my mom and the people I trust,” he said.

As for the thought that Morgan is a package deal with teammate Mike Mitchell, Morgan denied those reports.

“No, not at all. I do try to sway him sometimes and I think it works,” he texted after the interview.

Analysis: Morgan profiles as a balanced or blocking tight end. Already huge as a rising senior, Morgan may show up at 260 pounds come January. He has the potential to provide an instant impact with his blocking. Some see Morgan as a tackle prospect, but the common thread of all the teams recruiting him is that they all want him as a tight end. With more and more defenses using bigger defensive ends, there is a place for jumbo tight ends in the college game. A 230-pound tight end simply won’t get the job done against a 270-pound 6-technique.

For more on Hogs football, visit Arkansas blog Arkansas Expats, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.

For more on Bears football, visit Baylor blog Our Daily Bears, plus SB Nation Dallas.

For more on FSU football, visit Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation and SB Nation Tampa Bay.

For more on Rebels football, visit Ole Miss blog Red Cup Rebellion, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.