RECRUIT SCOOP: Shadow Creek's Drones picks Baylor over Auburn, ready for 6A football

HOUSTON - When Kyron Drones walked into the house on Monday night, the list of schools of interest had been narrowed down to two - Baylor and Auburn - for the Shadow Creek signal-caller.

When Drones took everything into account, the determining factor for the 2019 State Champion was family. Wherever Drones ended up running out of the tunnel starting in 2021, when he looked up in the stands he wanted to see his favorite fans every game.

So, Waco was the place for him.

"It'll mean a lot, because in my first year in college I want them at all of my games,"Drones, who verbally committed to Baylor on Wednesday night, said. "Just like how I had the support in my high school career with my family packed in the stands to watch me play. I want that to be the same in college.

"I can't imagine coming out of the locker room and nobody being there."

\What is wild about this entire story is just four months ago, Drones had just led his Shadow Creek team to a perfect 16-0 record, won the Class 5A Division I State Championship and been named State Title game Offensive MVP.

But had zero offers.

His first came the day after winning the state title from William & Mary University. Then it was a flood.

"It was surreal," Drones said. "I was expecting this but nobody else was. During the season I was talking to my dad and I was frustrated that all these people were getting looks and I had nobody. He said 'Coaches like winners and all you have to do is win'. That's what I kept doing. We won state and all the schools started coming."

Baylor was among the most recent programs to offer Drones.

The Bears went through a coaching change this offseason when Matt Rhule left for the NFL to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Enter David Aranda from the 2019 National Champion LSU Tigers.

"I like how Coach Aranda is," Drones said. "He isn't straight football. He's mostly more worried about the person and then football later. He wants you to be a better man when you leave Baylor. That's what I liked."

Drones attended the Baylor-Iowa State game this past year, which he attended with current high school and future college teammate Seth Jones, who signed with Baylor in February.

"At Auburn, I didn't know anyone," Drones said. "So, I would have been on my own. At Baylor, I know Seth and his people. That helped my decision too."

The recruiting process for Drones was even more difficult due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Unlike some recruits who've had offers dating back to the fall and the ability to take unofficial or official visits to those campuses, Drones didn't get that part fully. With the ability to visit a college campus unlikely to be allowed until the summer or even as late as September, Drones felt he had to secure a spot now.

"It was really hard, I didn't know if I wanted to wait for all of this to blow over to go visit or just make a decision," Drones said. "I was seeing a lot of people commit, so I knew I had to secure a spot."

With the recruiting process shutdown for Drones, he can focus on the next challenge at hand - preparing for Class 6A football.

The Shadow Creek football program is an unbelievable 31-1 in its two years of playing varsity football. That was done at the Class 5A level. Heading into 2020, the Sharks move into District 23-6A with district-mate Alvin, the Alief ISD programs, Strake Jesuit, Pearland and Pearland Dawson.

"I'm really exciting," Drones said. "We already have people starting to doubt us. Saying we're not ready for 6A. I just want to tell them we are and there is really no difference."