2021 QB Behren Morton: 'I always wanted to be a Red Raider'

One of the top signal-callers in a loaded crop of 2021 quarterbacks in Texas is off the board.

On Tuesday, Behren Morton followed fellow juniors Jalen Milroe and Eli Stowers and publicly committed to Texas Tech, giving the Red Raiders a talented dual-threat prospect to build their 2021 class around.

Morton currently ranks just outside the top-50 prospects in the Lone Star State in next year's recruiting cycle and is a top-10 dual-threat quarterback nationally.

Morton has long been connected to Texas Tech, which was the first Power 5 team to offer the quarterback who resides about an hour outside of campus. After a handful of visits to Lubbock, Morton drew offers and interests from Texas A&M, Southern Cal and Alabama, among others, and picked Texas Tech over Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State in the end.

The interesting twist here: Morton was in Waco over the weekend taking in Baylor's win over the Red Raiders. That game eventually convinced the junior quarterback his heart was in Lubbock.

"I took a lot of visits over the summer and after that, I was getting a little worried about where I was gonna go. A lot of kids in my class started to commit, so I knew I had to buckle down and figure out where I wanted to go."

"I took visits to Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, TCU and to Baylor, which were the schools recruiting me hardest. After this last week and this last visit to Baylor, I sat down with my family. We talked about it and we've been talking about it, and I'm committed to Texas Tech."

"I felt like I was at home in Lubbock. I was born in Lubbock and I lived in Lubbock for eight years of my life. I've gotten to see football games in Lubbock and I always wanted to be a Red Raider growing up. It felt like home. The coaches at Texas Tech are phenomenal. Coach (David) Yost, Coach (Matt) Wells and Coach (Joel) Filani, the whole offensive staff and even the defensive staff were texting me, wishing me good luck before games. It's really comforting. I wanted to make this commitment for a while and I knew it was right after visiting other schools."

"I took visits in the spring, too, so I got familiar with all the offenses. I sat down with all of the offensive coordinators to talk about the offense, and at the end of the day, the best fit for me was Texas Tech. As much as I could learn in the springtime helped me to become more familiar with what I'm gonna be doing while I'm there. I felt like Texas Tech was the right kind of offense for me to fit in. They definitely throw the ball a lot. So does all the other schools, but the relationships I have with the coaches at Texas Tech felt like the best relationships."

"When Sept. 1 came around, probably 20 new schools started texting me. I was encouraged by Texas Tech because they stayed consistent. They didn't pressure me or send me more edits; they didn't go over the top. When I would go down to visit Texas Tech, it wasn't all about football. They'd ask about my family, how they were doing, ask about my sister or send my sister a text to wish her good luck because she's going to Stephen F. Austin to throw discus. They text her, 'Congratulations' and Coach Yost is real personable. Coach Wells is the same way Coach Filani would text me after each commitment and tell me they're gonna have some dogs for me to throw to, which was really encouraging. They're good recruiters and know they're doing, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Morton is an interesting quarterback prospect with a big arm and the ability to extend or create plays due to his mobility. He thrives throwing downfield with fantastic arm strength and great touch on the long ball. That accuracy on vertical passes will lead to big plays with Morton behind center.

At 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, Morton has a pro quarterback frame. He's clocked a 40 time in the 4.7-second range and while he isn't exactly a dynamic runner in space, his toughness cannot be questioned as he's willing to move the sticks and take hits on runs.

Morton's biggest obstacle will be improving on throws in the short and intermediate-range. At times, Morton can be a bit indecisive and struggles with accuracy on more difficult throws. He lacks top-end arm strength to rifle throws into extremely tight windows and often throws with a sidearm delivery, especially when under duress.

Through five games as a junior, Morton has 1,462 yards through in the air to go along with 15 touchdowns and has Eastland (Texas) High School marching on at 5-0. Morton has been a bit more decisive as a junior, getting rid of the ball quickly and being smart as a decision-maker.