All eyes are shifting to the Class of 2013. Kaleb Denny (Mont Belvieu, Texas/Barbers Hill) is doing his part to make sure the Class of 2014 is getting some recognition, as well.

Denny, only a sophomore, is a two-year starter at quarterback for Barbers Hill, a Southeast Texas school located roughly 31 miles east of Houston. At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Denny already has the size, but it’s his poise and overall determination that makes him a definite sleeper in his class.

“This kid’s special,” Barbers Hill coach Ronnie Gage said. “Not many kids can step into a [Texas Class] 4A system as a freshman and get better so quickly. The last game we played this year, we had 27 first downs, 36 points and over 400 total yards. He’s got the tools, and if we develop him right, he’s got a chance to do good things.”

Denny was the newcomer of the year in his district as a freshman, and he was the offensive MVP of his district as a sophomore. In a run-oriented offense that features a three-back package, he accounted for more than 1,300 total yards and 17 touchdowns. Denny additionally was the team’s punter, averaging 39.2 yards per punt and posting a high of 64 yards.

In 21 games played as a freshman and sophomore combined, Denny has won 16 – quite a feat for such a young player.

“The stats don’t tell the true story on him,” Gage said. “It’s all about his maturity and the way he runs the team. He throws the ball well enough to where if we ran the spread offense, he’d have 2,000, 3,000 yards with no hesitation.

“He’s no doubt a D-1 talent, and I’ve coached a lot of them. We had some really good halfbacks last year, so he didn’t have to throw. But because of his arm strength, his awareness and his flexibility, we may open it up more for him next year.”

Barbers Hill doesn’t get a lot of publicity, but Gage feels the colleges will find a way to see Denny during his junior and senior years. He already has received correspondence from Oregon and Navy as a quarterback. Denny additionally will see some interest in baseball, as he is a two-year varsity letterman as a shortstop. His father, David Denny, played for Texas in college and won a high school state title as the head coach of Houston-area power Kingwood in 2005.

“We don’t get a lot of traffic here,” Gage said, “but this kid will generate some traffic.”