By Erik Harris
CLAY – The reigning Class 6A Back of the Year award winner – Clay-Chalkville rising senior quarterback Ty Pigrome – has some major thinking to do.
Pigrome’s mailbox has seen a steady flow of letters written by college football coaches from across the South. That’s what usually happens after one accumulates 61 touchdowns over the course of one season.
Many of those college scholarship offers are open invitations to come in and start competing as a quarterback. Two of the offers, including the most recent one from Missouri on Tuesday, have been extended to him as an ‘athlete’.
That’s where Pigrome has to weigh his options. Does he want to continue playing quarterback at a program like Middle Tennessee State or Troy, or would he rather play as a defensive back at a bigger program like Missouri?
Before the Tigers extended their offer, Pigrome already held offers from Troy, Middle Tennessee State, Southern Miss, Alcorn State, Georgia Southern, Arkansas State, Georgia State and South Alabama, among others.
The state championship winning signal caller, who holds a 15-0 mark as the starting quarterback for the Cougars, was “surprised” to receive an offer from coach Gary Pinkel and Missouri.
“It feels good, but it’s was a surprising offer, though,” said Pigrome. “They came to one practice, but I think they were out there for our running back.”
According to Pigrome, the Tigers aren’t closed off to him playing quarterback, but would also like to see how he looks as a defensive back in the South Eastern Conference.
Although the colors he wears and the position he plays in college are unsure at this point, Pigrome will have many hats to choose from on National Signing Day.
As a first-year starting quarterback in 2014, the righty went 157-for-234 through the air for 2,692 yards and 36 touchdowns to go along with seven interceptions.
College coaches love his speed, which helped him churn out 1,254 rushing yards on 145 carries for 24 scores last season.
With two college bound receivers – T.J. Simmons (Alabama pledge) and Nico Collins (holds offers from Alabama, Georgia and Florida) – split out wide, Pigrome’s numbers aren’t expected to drop next year.
Collins has also received an offer from Missouri. The incoming junior brought in 39 receptions for 805 yards and 15 touchdowns as a first-year varsity starter last season.