The state of Texas has a promising crop of young quarterbacks in the next few classes, but few have grabbed the kind of early attention that Dallas-Parish Episcopal passer Preston Stone has.

Stone’s popularity really made a positive move in mid-February when TCU and Texas Tech sparked a mini-run of offers that followed that included North Texas, SMU and Tulsa thereafter. While there is certainly a long way to go with his recruitment, the offer from the Horned Frogs was an early head-turner.

“I grew up in Southlake, so I watched a lot of Kenny Hill when he was playing out there,” he said. “So to see what he was able to do at TCU was something that I really kept track of.”

Although the expectation might be that the Power Five variety schools might have the early lead with Stone, he said that he’s planning to visit as many of his offered programs as he can in the coming months.

“Any school that has shown me interest, that means something to me no matter how big they are,” he said. “The fact that they’re offering me now gives me a special feeling.”

More on TCU

“Getting that offer was really special to me,” he said. “I’ve always grown up watching [TCU] and it’s great - especially having seen all the success that they’ve had in the past and watching them continue to build - it’s really awesome.”

“I still have highlights of Kenny Hill and Trevone Boykin saved on my computer,” he said. “I’ve always liked how the QB’s in that offense have been setup to be successful.”

On Texas Tech

“They actually called my coach to offer me on a day when I was home sick,” he said. “But with Coach (Kliff) Kingsbury there and the success they’ve had on offense, that means something for them to have offered. It seems like they always have a Top 10 offense, so of course that’s something I think about when it comes to them.”

On North Texas

“I was out there [last week] and went to see Coach (Graham) Harrell and he’s a legend in Texas High School Football,” he said. “I’ve always been a fan and he’s been having success turning that program around. Coach (Seth) Littrell has been really great to get to know.”

At this point, it’s a safe assumption that teams that recruit nationally will continue to seek out Stone. While that will likely squeeze North Texas out, Littrell could be one of those coaches in the next few years that finds himself as a top replacement candidate for a bigger program. With Stone being a 2021 prospect, the relationship the two build could come into play should that be the case.

“In all honesty, if they are going to go somewhere else, getting to know and meet with them now is something that I know is important,” Stone said.