Attention coming for Boyd
Houston (Texas) Stratford running back Rakeem Boyd quickly caught attention as a freshman on Stratford's varsity, and after earning first-team all-district honors as a sophomore the Rivals250 standout has continued to turn heads.
At 6-foot, 200-pounds, Boyd is easy to spot on the field. He has played some safety and cornerback during 7-on-7 play, but running back is his home when the pads come on. It is where he feels most comfortable, and where he has thrived on the varsity level for the last two years.
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The college attention is already on the way with several coaches stopping through Stratford in the spring. Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Louisville, LSU, and Baylor each stopped through the Houston-area program, but one college has been recruiting him harder than the rest at this point.
"Texas," Boyd said. "They're telling me to call them and catch up every week and just talk to them. They also came by the school. I just give them a call every now and then."
Wide receiver coach Les Koenning is leading the Longhorns' recruiting efforts, and Boyd plans to visit Texas in the fall.
Boyd planned to visit Texas for the Longhorn's Under the Lights camp on July 18, but with his mom out of town he was without transportation ended up going with a friend to the Baylor camp.
The trip to Waco turned out to be a good one, with the Bears making an impression on the running back.
"It was fun at Baylor," Boyd said. "I think I did pretty well. The coach pulled me out to the side and talked to me and told me he would be around the school to watch me. I liked the campus. The campus was pretty nice."
Boyd was not able to get a long look at the Baylor campus, but he did enjoy his time around the players and the coaches.
"The players were on the side helping us out and telling us about the coaches," Boyd said. "The coaches were pretty laid back."
It is still early in the process and Boyd is still working towards his first scholarship offer. Alabama, LSU, and Oklahoma are a few teams who have caught his attention, and as a native of New Orleans, he does admit he grew up a fan of the LSU Tigers.
As a sophomore in 2013, Boyd rushed for 1,621 yards and 19 touchdowns on 190 carries while splitting time with his cousin, district MVP, and Houston Baptist signee Terrance Peters. The duo helped lead the Spartans to a 12-3 overall record and the 4A Division I Semifinals.
Boyd is currently ranks No. 187 in the current Rivals250 and No. 12 among the nation's running backs.