West Texas A&M head football coach Josh Lynn made quite the splash during his inaugural signing class of 44 players that was announced on Wednesday afternoon.
During his press conference, Lynn, who was hired as the Buffs new head coach in mid-December, had a big smile on his face when addressing the talent that the 2023 class had to offer.
“When you take over a program you have to find what benefits your school has to lure young players,” Lynn said. “I have to say that West Texas A&M has a lot to offer that gets young men to commit. The stadium, the resources, and the campus all sell itself. We focused on getting bigger at every position and the next step is getting older. We have 90 players that aren’t seniors. So bigger and older is the focus.”
Lynn signed 32 high school seniors and went heavy with 11 transfers including three former Nebraska-Kearney players from his previous school. Lynn and his staff that he’s still building went after offensive and defensive lineman. Out of the 44 players, 17 come from in the trenches. Wide receiver and secondary was also a point signing 11 wide outs and nine defensive backs.
“We really needed offensive and defensive linemen,” Lynn said. “We only had seven total offensive linemen on scholarship coming in. We also wanted to get bigger and more athletic at wide receiver and we needed to get faster and better in the secondary. Six of those nine players are cover corners.”
Another key emphasis for Lynn was keeping Texas Panhandle players in the backyard. Lynn did a great job of getting Amarillo-area talents in – Palo Duro’s Kameron Brown, Triston Moore and Parrion Ware, Canyon’s Javin Cash and Derrek Clements, Panhandle’s Landyn Hack, and Farwell’s Andrew Husted.
“I’m extremely happy with the local talent we signed,” Lynn said. “We have to have a base when you’re building a football program. We need them to enjoy being here and bringing fans to the stands. These are going to be guys that lead. I’m thankful there are great players in the Texas Panhandle that can fill that role. When it comes to the top of the Amarillo-area I think we did sign the top guys.”
Out of those Amarillo-area athletes three were highly touted after tremendous senior seasons in 2023. Hack is a four-year starter that had a masterful career for the Panthers. The two-time district MVP never missed a start over his four-year varsity career playing in 46 career games. Hack’s career numbers are like a video game throwing for 4,658 career yards while rushing for 5,530 yards totaling an amazing 10,188 yards with a combined 147 touchdowns.
“I’m so excited to be at West Texas A&M,” Hack said. “I loved the coaching staff, and they are offering me a spot at quarterback. That was big in my decision.”
Cash was a three-year starter that left it all on the field for the Eagles on both sides of the ball in 2023. Cash was co-defensive player of the year in District 3-4A Division I, leading Canyon’s defense with an eye-popping 187 total tackles, including 29 for losses, along with four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown.
“This is special to me,” Cash said. “I’ve had a lot of support, and this is a big deal. They gave me a great offer and staying close was important. The coaches are hyped up and I can’t wait to get it going.”
Brown has been a tremendous three-year player for the Dons as a key offensive weapon and an aggressive linebacker. During this senior season, Brown made his biggest mark on defense with 55 tackles, including 12 for losses and 11 sacks and had three special teams touchdowns.
“This is a dream come true,” Brown said. “Ever since I started playing football all I’ve wanted to do is play college football. So, to sign that paper really hits home to me. I can’t wait.”
As for some players to watch for in this class, Denison offensive lineman Kanyon Ives is a player Lynn is high on. Ives, 6-foot-4, 275-pounds, played on both sides of the ball for the Yellow Jackets and was a First Team District 7-5A selection. Quarterback Ashton Dubose is another name to remember. The Brennan High School product was touted the District 29-6A Offensive MVP throwing for 3,466 yards with 37 touchdowns and ran for another 17 TDs.
Out of the transfer list, linebacker Jimmy Harrison comes with Lynn from Nebraska-Kearney. Harrison is a tenacious linebacker has 117 career tackles.
For a look at the complete 2023 West Texas A&M signing class, please visit https://gobuffsgo.com/news/2023/2/1/2023-wt-football-signing-day-central.aspx