Kids become household names in recruiting literally overnight.
After a breakout sophomore season, Klein Cain's Jaydon Blue is now considered the No. 1 running back in the state of Texas for the Class of 2022.
"Jaydon is a generational talent," Cain coach James Clancy said. "What makes these type of guys special is that they are 15-years-old playing varsity for the first time and are called on to carry a big load. He just has tremendous natural ability, he's hungry, he's great in the classroom and he's congenial with his coaches and teammates."
Blue had over 1,600 yards as a sophomore and was named the District 15-6A Newcomer of the Year, leading the Hurricane's to school history by reaching the postseason in the second year of varsity play.
"After beating The Woodlands, we really put the district on notice last year," he laughed. "With me, Matthew (Golden) and Carson (Roper) coming back as juniors, this should be a big year for Cain. We've been waiting for this time. We are kind of a dynamic trio."
"I want to double what I did last year in yards and touchdowns," he said. "That seems like a lot but we are going to go deep in the playoffs and play more games."
Upon receiving the news of being the No. 1 back in the Lone Star State, Blue seems to be even hungrier to improve.
"I was pretty surprised when the rankings came out that I was the No. 7 running back in the nation," he said. "It's great and all but I'm still improving. I'm getting bigger, stronger and faster. I'm also working on ball-security."
"I'm not rushing anything as it relates to recruiting. I'm not worried about all the offers, I was really focusing on track before the virus hit."
His work on the track was really the trigger for much of the recruiting interest at the end of his freshman year, after running a 10.6 in the 100-meters in the Regional Track Meet last season.
"I was on the track at four-years-old," he said. "I have a passion for it and really feel like it helps me in football."
"After posting that time, when college recruiters started coming in last spring that's the first thing they were asking about," Clancy said.
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Arizona State was first to offer followed by the University of Texas – then the flood gates opened.
He's waiting on the call from the National Champion LSU Tigers.
"Growing up, LSU was always my childhood team," he said. "I have family still over there."
Who does he watch film of?
"My favorite player is Le'veon Bell," he said. "I feel like I can do it all on the field like him -- run, block and catch. I see myself in the NFL in 10 years if I keep working at it and keep my head on the prize."
"His ability to start and stop is unbelievable," Clancy said. "He can get back to full speed after a jump or lateral cut and turn a four-year gain into a 40-yard gain. He's really fun to coach. This year, teams are going to try and key on him and he knows that. We are going to find other ways to get him the ball in space."
In the first-round of the postseason, Cain faced Westfield – who had a plan for Blue.
"Westfield has one of the best defensive lines in the state of Texas," he said. "Before the game, people thought they were going to throw us around. We had a great first half, but they shut us down in the second half. It gave us experience going into this year."
As the recruiting process heats up, the bulls-eye gets bigger and the expectations become heavier, it's important for player and coach to have a good working relationship and trust.
"Coach Clancy is one of the greatest men I know," Blue said. "I remember him coming over in the 8 th grade to our junior high school to talk with us. We've build a great relationship and I'm closer to him than any other coach I've had."
The feeling is mutual.
"He's handled all this well," Clancy said. "We are proud of what he's done and we are proud that it's him to be representing Klein Cain. He's going to be pulled a lot of different directions and we will work together. I'm excited to see where the road takes him."