Austin Carlisle has leaned on the phrase 'God's Plan,' over the past two seasons.

Fort Bend Ridge Point Rich LaFavers always repeated it to him after Carlisle finished his junior season with 3,671 total yards, 45 touchdowns and one college offer. Carlise's recruitment stalled in part due to factors outside his control - a sub six-foot frame. But the gunslinger earned District Offensive MVP because he had the 'It Factor.'

“I didn’t focus on what other people were getting. I focused on getting better for myself.”

That decision resulted in 20+ offers this offseason, but the Houston offer on May 10 was a game changer. Carlisle's mother went to Houston, and he wanted to help change a program in his home town where all the family and friends who supported him when he had no offers could watch him play. Carlisle has faith Willie Fritz can turn around Houston because he's done it at every other level. Fritz was a head coach at Willis High School, Blinn Junior College, FCS Sam Houston and, most recently, Tulane. 

“He’s a players-coach,” Carlisle said. “He’s not a coach that sits back and let’s everything happen. I’ve been to multiple practices. He’s involved with everybody.”

Carlisle chose to shut down the recruitment so he could get on the recruiting trail himself. 

“Someone told me, ‘The quarterback is the best recruiter in the class,’” Carlisle said. “Teams only rally around players who recruit other players. Coaches can recruit all they want, but if the players don’t have the chemistry and they don’t want to work together, it’s never going to work.”