Four-star WR Zion Kearney locks in first official visit, other spring plans

Fort Bend (Texas) Hightower four-star wide receiver Zion Kearney has emerged as one of the most recruited players at his position in the state of Texas over the course of the last six months.

After hauling in 39 receptions for 765 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, Kearney has seen a healthy amount of recruiting attention come his way this offseason as he gears up for a busy spring and summer of visits.

"Junior year went pretty good, could've went better," Kearney said. "It was a new team from last year, so we had to step into some different roles. We did pretty good as a team. I got hurt in the last game of the regular season and I was still playing with it. After the season, they had said that I broke it."

Kearney has been cleared from that wrist injury as he gears up for track season and his busy spring of college visits. Kearney will see Houston on March 2, LSU on March 4, Nebraska on April 7 and Oklahoma on April 22 for the Sooners' spring game.

The Houston-area product also has his first official visit locked in to Arkansas on June 2 as wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton has been able to make a strong early impact.

"They wanted to be first," he said about the Razorbacks. "I went to Arkansas for junior day. I like the coaching staff, everybody is country but they're cool. Coach G is from Houston so we were able to connect real fast. That's what it is for me."

LSU has been a dream school of Kearney's since he was a kid, and the communication and love from wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton has only furthered the Tigers' into the mix.

"As soon as Coach Hankton was able to, he shot me a text," he said. "LSU was the school that I always wanted to go to when I was little, so I always have an open heart for LSU. The game visit was maybe my number-one experience. It's different in Death Valley, everybody is all in."

Houston's proximity to home and its performance through the air in 2022 has Kearney keeping a close eye on the Cougars ahead of their move to the Big 12 this summer.

"It's right here, it's home," he said. "I like what they did with Tank Dell and they throw the ball. They had Matt Golden breaking records as a freshman with two other star receivers. It feels like they know what they're doing when they put the ball in the air."

Texas A&M is another program that has stood out to Kearney during his recruitment as the Aggies have built a strong relationship on the back of assistant coach Dameyune Craig.

"Coach Craig has been locked in since day one," he said. "He's a real cool dude and a genuine person. He knows a lot and has just been here the whole time. It's a real nice school and it's down the street, not too far from home."

The plan for Kearney is to take at least three official visits during the summer before coming to a decision either by the end of the summer or sometime during the fall.

"I'm gonna try to commit before the season starts," he said. "That's the plan right now. If not, I'll take probably two more official visits during the season and then decide where's home."

At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Kearney is ranked as the No. 128 recruit in the country for the class of 2024, according to Rivals. He is the No. 16 wide receiver in the country and the No. 20 recruit from the state of Texas.