The Can’t Miss Kid
Katy Taylor OL Hayden Conner is the “Next Big Thing”
Matt Malatesta
Mar 21, 2018, 3:42 pm
Katy Taylor’s Hayden Conner is one of Houston’s top prospects in the Class of 2021 Vype
The great thing about high school football is that there is always a “Next Big Thing.”
St. Pius X quarterback Grant Gunnell stole the headlines two years ago as an emerging sophomore, while North Shore running back Zach Evans became a household name as the top sophomore prospect for the Class of 2020.
So who is next?
Katy Taylor big-man Hayden Conner is the top player in Houston for the Class of 2021. The 6-foot-6, 295-pound offensive tackle is college-ready right now.
“During my eighth-grade year, I took a visit to Miami University,” Conner said. “I had no expectations and they offered me. It was the coolest thing ever. Then came Nebraska and Tulane and from there it just blew up.”
It hasn’t stopped since, totaling double-digit offers, including one from Texas A&M.
…
This was the expectation all along.
Conner’s dad played at Sam Houston and his grandfathers played at the University of Houston and UTEP, respectively. He has a pair of cousins who played at Baylor and TCU.
“The first time I played, I fell in love with the sport,” Conner said. “I could sense in the sixth grade that I was going to have a life in football.”
While starting on varsity as a freshman and earning all-district, honorable- mention honors, the honor-roll student has a few other passions.
“The basketball coaches kept me with my class this year because we were pretty set with big- men,” Conner laughs. “But I do plan on making a big contribution for our basketball program in the future.
“I pretty serious about video games like Overwatch and Fortnite. I’m also looking to find a high school robotics team. Our school doesn’t have one.”
Conner helped lead one of the most lethal running attacks in the city with his line-mates Andrew Coker (6-foot-9 junior) and Bryce Foster (6-foot-4, 290-pounds), another super freshman. All three have offers from virtually every major Division I program.
“My first varsity season is not really what I expected,” Conner said. “We had Hurricane Harvey, our coach being dismissed and our leader Max Wright (Texas A&M signee) going out with a season-ending injury. We just had to stay focused. Max taught me so much and I owe a lot of my success to him because of what type of teammate he was.
“Now, I like being in a leadership role and being there for my teammates. I love JJ Watt and he’s been my idol since he’s been in the NFL. I really try and be like him on and off the field from being a good teammate and good person.”
The recruiting process is starting to heat up but Conner has more important things on his plate.
“I have just started driver’s education, so that has me really busy right now,” Conner said. “But on the recruiting front, I have five schools in mind and the order moves around. I think about my future all the time, and honestly, education is the most important part.”
He will do the rounds of the Nike Opening, Rivals Three-Stripe Camp and likely the Under Armour Combine, but school visits will also fill his summer. It’s a tremendous position to be in.
“My parents always tell me to stay humble,” Conner said. “They feel the same way as me, just blessed that I’m getting recruited by these major programs.”
…
Conner has a split family and his parents live in two different school zones, so he had the choice to either go to super-power Katy or Katy Taylor.
“I’ve always wanted to come to Katy Taylor and be a part of something special,” Conner said. “We want to be the team that takes down Katy at some point.”
Enter new coach Chad Simmons, who has been at Cinco Ranch for 18 seasons as the defensive coordinator. Simmons is the new boss at Katy Taylor and there is a culture change in motion.
“I thought it was going to be a little bumpy with a new coach, but it’s been really smooth,” Conner said. “There is a new energy and things are being taken about 10 times more seriously. The intensity is what we have needed.”
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As the Astros and their fans wait on Alex Bregman to pick his next team, reports continue to surface about what it will take financially to seal the deal.
The Blue Jays reportedly have a 6-year deal on the table for Breggy, as well as the 'Stros. Bregman's agent Scott Boras has reportedly told teams that Houston's offer isn't enough to get a deal done, claiming the offer requires Alex to take a pay cut on a per-year basis.
But Bregman and his representation can't have it both ways. At least not if he wants to return to H-Town. If they want the security of a 6-year guaranteed contract, Houston isn't going to pay full price on a per-year basis too.
When GM Dana Brown spoke to the media this week, he mentioned that he needed to respond to a text from Boras. He also said the team is speaking internally about the ripple effect that would occur from signing Breggy. Which Brown says could include Jose Altuve playoff some left field.
Phone tag
Brown's casual approach to returning Boras' text makes a lot of sense to us. At this point, the offer is the offer. There's really nothing else to say to Boras. Either they're taking the deal or he's signing somewhere else.
Which feels like the right way to approach the situation. If Bregman isn't satisfied with 6-years, $156 million, then he should prepare to play elsewhere.
One has to wonder how long the Brown and the Astros will let this play out, with spring training right around the corner.
Plan B in free agency
Another thing we learned from Brown's presser was that he still views adding a left-handed bat as a priority. Which checks out, considering Chandler Rome is reporting that the Astros may have interest in signing switch hitter Jorge Polanco. Even though Polanco is an infielder by trade, many believe he could be an option in left field for Houston. Sound familiar?
The club's reported interest in Polanco could also be a leverage play by Brown. Signaling to Boras and Bregman that the team could pivot at any given moment.
Sour grapes?
We also discovered that Ryan Pressly wasn't too keen on being demoted to a setup role when the Astros signed Josh Hader last offseason. Pressly kept things professional, but Brown said things were never the same between him and Pressly after adding Hader.
One has to wonder if, in private moments, Pressly felt justified after Hader was such a disappointment in his first season with Houston.
This is one video you don't want to miss as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros breaks it all down!
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