Arkansas scoops up Texas QB Lucas Coley

The decision is in.

Three-star San Antonio (Texas) Cornerstone Christian quarterback Lucas Coley committed to Arkansas on Thursday. Washington State, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech were other finalists for the Lone Star State dual-threat quarterback, who captured MVP honors at the Rivals Camp Series stop in Houston back in February.

Coley was originally planning to announce his decision on May 5, but elected to hold off amid new interests from college programs and new offers continuing to roll in. Clemson, Tennessee, USC, Missouri and Ole Miss were among the notable Power 5 teams in contact with the 2021 quarterback.

Coley is the second quarterback to commit to Arkansas in the 2021 class, joining in-state three-star Landon Rogers. Coley is the 10th addition to the Razorbacks' current recruiting class, which entered the day ranked No. 46 in the country, according to the Rivals team rankings.

Coley is the third Texan in the fold and the 10th three-star for first-year coach Sam Pittman.

Additionally, Coley is a "Tykes" alum and recently caught up with Rivals about his experience in the spotlight and how it impacted his recruiting process today.

"For me, it was about feeling solid about where I wanted to go. I didn't want to wait and today, I'm blessed to finally have a clear decision. I didn't feel the need to wait anymore and a lot of prayers went into it. I made sure every box was checked and I was going to a place I could live for four or five years, going into an offense where I can be productive and a place I could go in and compete, and to a place that can build me as a person. The proof was in the pudding."

"I felt like Arkansas was a family environment and they recruited me not just as a player, but a person. They found out what made me tick, how I am as a competitor. Coach (Kendal) Briles and I get along perfectly. It's just crazy to see how much of a competitor I am and he's the same way. We clicked right off the bat when we got on the phone and one thing is I know Coach (Sam) Pittman takes care of his players. He earned the respect of his new players already and that was big for me."

"Coach Briles was real genuine from the jump. He never did things sideways; this is how it is. That's how I am -- a straight-up person that's not gonna lie. If you don't like the truth, then whatever. I like that about him. We stayed in touch and he never rushed me throughout the process. He wanted me to be sure that I wanted to go to Arkansas so that we can build the top class in the country. A lot of schools were trying to rush me to get a guy and that swayed me away."

"Lucas Coley in Fayetteville ... I'll be a leader. I'm coming in with the mindset to get myself and my teammates 1-percent better every day. I'm building a family, not just a team, and we'll be bonding on and off the field. This new class we have together, we're doing that, and I'm just super excited about that and they are getting a championship quarterback ... I promise that."

Coley was the Quarterback MVP at the Rivals Camp Series stop in Houston earlier this year. The dual-threat quarterback is coming off a breakout campaign after transferring from San Antonio powerhouse Converse (Texas) Judson and taking over at Cornerstone Christian in 2019.

Last season, Coley led Cornerstone Christian to a 7-3 record following a perfect 6-0 start to the season, which included a 26-23 victory Dallas-area TAPPS power Bishop Dunne.

Coley is a physically gifted signal-caller that brings a ton of potential to the table. He possesses a college-ready frame at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. He recorded a 25.4-second 200-meter time, showing how dangerous he is to wrangle when he takes off in space.

Coley brings a gunslinger mentality to the field. He does not shy away from dangerous throws and is willing to take chances with his big arm and mobility. He is very accustomed to throwing on the run, using his legs to buy time and extend plays and move in, around and outside the pocket, and has come up with several big plays downfield when throwing on the move.

However, Coley is at his best when he's protected in the pocket. He has excellent accuracy throwing short and intermediate routes, particularly between the hashes, but has plenty of arm strength to continue to develop throwing downfield. Coley has enough arm strength to launch passes 45 to 50 yards downfield, though his accuracy diminishes a bit when he's on the move throwing outside the numbers. He is a little bit more dangerous throwing in the middle of the field.

Coley is still developing from a mechanics standpoint and thus far, the results are encouraging. When he has time to set his feet, Coley is at his best, and he has shown as much even under duress.

As a runner, Coley is a true home-run threat. He brings plenty of speed to the quarterback position, but he's also a physical runner with elusiveness and escapability, and more often than not, a missed tackle could result in an easy score.

Moving forward, Kendal Briles will be charged with continuing to shore up Coley's mechanics, including setting his feet and maintaining accuracy as he attempts longer passes downfield. Coley was very productive in his first season as Cornerstone Christian's starter and his potential is very easy to realize.