Riddle me this.
Round Rock High School won the 2023 7-on-7 DI State Championship a few weeks back in College Station, Texas… as a running team.
Wait, what?
Yes, the Dragons won the title that is usually dominated by flashy, passing teams. Not this year.
Much of their success had to do with senior-to-be Mason Cochran. At 6-foot-3, 215-pounds, Cochran is a football “dude”. He has rushed for over 1,000 yards the past two seasons at QB and is a beast at linebacker. He also threw for over 1,000 yards and accounted for over 30 TDs. He was all over the 7-on-7 fields and will dominate under the Friday Night Lights this Fall.
“Winning in College Station was big for the guys and really bonded us,” he said. “I think a lot of people were surprised because of our usually style of play, but we weren’t. Look, in today’s generation if you have motivation and drive, you can do anything. There is an opportunity for anyone and anything to happen with hard work.”
He is being recruited by some as a QB and others as a LB. His natural position looks to be on the defensive side of the ball.
“At QB, I can control the game and really help lead the team, but on defense… I just like hitting people,” the first-team, all-district selection laughed. “It gets everyone fired up and we rally around hitting on defense.”
Cochran has been on the camp circuit this Summer with stops at Texas State, TCU, OU and Nebraska. He has grown up a Cornhusker fan and also roots for his parents’ alma mater – BYU.
When he’s not putting on the pads, Cochran is listening to music, reading or on the hardwood. He plays basketball for his high school team and was an all-district selection.
“Basketball is incredible for my conditioning,” he said. “You just never stop running. You have to have great footwork as well.”
As college continue to court the dual-sport, multi-position athlete like the Naval Academy, Austin Peay, TCU, OU and Texas State, among others, Cochran has some unfinished business at Round Rock.
“Our first goal is a district championship,” he said. “We have to do that. Then we just have to be peaking going into the playoffs to make a deep run. We are a band of brothers over here and play for each other. I know it sounds corny but we are a family and work for each other.”
This guy is right off of Hollywood’s central casting. He's “that guy” on his Texas High School football team.