Molded by 'Tykes,' QB Lucas Coley ready to navigate recruiting process

Athletes across the country sign their national letters of intent every December or February. That signature, the ink scraping across the paper and making their way to fax machine is a metaphorical checkmark on a recruiting process that begins at an early age and usually signals the beginning of the next chapter.

But before then … there are always untold stories.

That, however, is not the case for Lucas Coley. The 2021 San Antonio Cornerstone Christian quarterback is one of the top signal-callers in Texas’ upcoming crop and recently took home MVP honors at the Rivals Camp Series stop in Houston. While Coley is currently in the midst of his own recruiting process, his journey as a quarterback began like most kids — in youth football leagues and with the tutelage of position coaches — but Coley’s was documented for a national audience.

“Friday Night Tykes” was a popular TV program from 2014-17. The reality sports show chronicled the behind-the-scenes development of young prospects as they navigate through youth football and intense training — and some of the extra intensity around that entire process. Coley was featured on the show during its 41-episode run and has credited that experience for teaching him how to handle adversity, pressure and high expectations as he undergoes the recruiting process entering his senior year.

“FNT was a great base for me as an athlete, but even more as a young competitor,” Coley told Rivals. “Competing with the best little league teams in the country has definitely molded me to expect nothing but the best. Being on that show gave me a pretty cool platform with younger kids as well, I can mentor and teach them because they look at me as a person of influence. To this day, I respond to kids (direct messages) every day and try and give them the advice that was once given to me.”

“My time on that show taught me to drown out all the noise and just grind,” he continued. “Getting so much attention or hate as a kid taught me from a young age that people will always have something to say and regardless, who cares.”

That improved aura of maturity is often lost on teenagers as they are injected into a rigorous recruiting process that’s founded on high-intensity training, position-specific development and forging bonds with college coaches all over the country — in addition to the normal peaks and valleys associated with being a 17-year-old kid and all of the regular pressures that come with that territory.

Coley considered himself more prepared for this stage in the process thanks to his time on “Tykes” because it served as his why. If you’re willing to assume these responsibilities and take on these challenges, it’s important to remember the original goals.

“One impact from that show would be when I was in the kitchen at 9 years old watching film on a team … I just think that goes to show that my love for the game developed far before I even realized it,” Coley recalled. “Looking back on the show, it was a blessing to be on it — not for the clout, but for the impact I’m able to make on other people’s lives. To be able to go back to my roots and see that the hard work since 4 years old is paying off is unbelievable.”

Since appearing on the show, Coley, 16, has skipped a grade, so he’s grown accustomed to fierce competition alongside older athletes. He’s also enlisted Yale Vannoy, a quarterbacks coach, to help fine-tune certain aspects of his game to better prepare him for camp settings like the recent Rivals stop in Houston and what lies ahead when he makes visits to colleges across Texas and the neighboring region to make what will ultimately be his biggest decision to date.

Vannoy was grounded by Coley’s passion for football at such a young age and how he’s used his experience on the show to better himself today. Being a quarterback is all about handling the pressure, which Coley has proven to be capable of, his mentor said.

“I liked Lucas right away. I could tell that even at 10 or 11 years old that he was in love with football and he wanted to use it as a vehicle to take him big places. He wasn’t training with me because his parents wanted him to be a great quarterback; he was training with me because he wanted to be a great quarterback,” Vannoy said.

“In my opinion, he’s used this adversity to his advantage. He carries a massive chip on his shoulder that drives him to be the best. Lucas is the type of person that wants you to challenge him. He thrives when he’s put in high -pressured situations. In my experience, these are characteristics of winners because they are always looking for ways to get better and no moment is ever too big for them … The TV show helped him see and learn to deal with the good and bad of celebrity and it’s something that just comes with the territory now with college football and the NFL.”

As we dive into the spring, Coley holds scholarship offers from double-digit schools, but Tennessee, North Texas, New Mexico and Houston are all recruiting the dual-threat quarterback the hardest. He holds an offer from Louisiana-Lafayette as well, where assistant coach Joe Looney has mentioned his time on “Friday Night Tykes” as a way of connecting with Coley and furthering their relationship.

While several schools have and are currently making strong impressions on Coley, the Volunteers may be a team to pay close attention to this spring.