Stephen F. Austin Lands Its Highest Rated Recruit, Now Up To 16 Commits

Stephen F. Austin’s coaching staff is proving it knows how to grow a recruiting class–and it knows a little something about quality too, not just quantity.

The Lumberjacks just landed their highest-rated recruit out of 16 commitments–do-everything athlete Tamrick Pace, who tells HERO Sports he will likely play wide receiver within SFA’s offensive attack. He is a solid 3-star prospect with 4.55 speed in the 40-yard dash. The Brownsboro, Texas native has had the Texas Longhorns checking him out for months now (though they had not offered yet), and he also held an offer from FCS Northwestern State. Pace (6-2/185) is a huge pickup, and he was accompanied this week in his commitment by offensive lineman Noah Lopez out of Katy, Texas–which gives the class 16 total recruits.

“They run a spread offense like I’m used to running and it’s close to home so my family will be able to watch me play,” Pace told HERO Sports. “The coaches seems like they really wanted me and I think they’ll be able to help me develop as a player. They mean business and they’re trying to win ballgames.”

Oklahoma State has recently stopped by to catch a glimpse of Pace, and Baylor, SMU, TCU and Texas Tech have all kept an eye on him, along with the Longhorns. He played mostly quarterback this past fall for his high school team, throwing for 807 yards and 12 TDs while rushing for 1,325 yards and 12 TDs–proving his offensive playmaking abilities. He also played some safety.

Don’t be surprised if Pace is making huge plays as early as September.

Here’s a look at the Lumberjacks’ 16 recruits–forming one of the top recruiting classes in the nation in FCS: