A 5'8", 152 QB. They call him Little Kyler, and yes he's from Allen HS.
DMN - Raylen Sharpe was in middle school when a coach first used his nickname:
"Little Kyler."
Then, Sharpe was an undersized, mobile quarterback, just old enough to enter Allen's system at the position. At the same time, the undersized, mobile Kyler Murray was capping one of the most illustrious careers in Texas high school football history with a third state championship at the Eagles' helm.
Several years later, Murray is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and the rookie No. 1 overall NFL draft pick. Murray's rise and widespread popularity mean the national distinction of being Allen's quarterback has never been more apparent.
Back in Allen, that spotlight shines this season on "Little Kyler."
Sharpe sees differences in the way he and Murray play, but his moniker and path to the top of Allen's Division I quarterback pipeline make him of the most interesting figures in the Dallas area this year.
While Sharpe, a 5-8, 152-pound senior and seven-time All-American in track and field, hasn't started a varsity game, his verbal commitment this summer to SMU illustrates the cachet and command of being the leading quarterback at Allen, even in a rare season when the Eagles aren't the local preseason state-title favorite.
"Just being on this platform, being in Allen, Texas," Sharpe said, "it's big."
Raylen Sharpe@shvrpe3
Allen's success at quarterback reflects other Dallas-area dynasties. Southlake Carroll, for example, had Chase Daniel, Greg McElroy and Riley Dodge start five consecutive years and win multiple state championships in the mid-2000s. Highland Park has produced Matthew Stafford, John Stephen Jones and Chandler Morris in recent years, continuing a longtime college and NFL tradition at signal caller.
The roots for Allen's start before Murray. Quarterback Matt Brown (2007-09 starter) signed with TCU and Alec Morris (2010-11) enrolled at Alabama and later played at UNT.
But as Murray dazzled from 2012 to 2014, leading the UIL's first three-peat state championship run in Class 6A Div. I, Allen transformed into a Texas menace, and the pressure to follow at quarterback increased.
Seth Green (Minnesota) and Mitchell Jonke (Brown) were next. Grant Tisdale (Ole Miss) started the last two seasons.
Sharpe is the Eagles' first non-transfer quarterback in eight seasons -- his family moved to Allen from Arkansas when he was in first grade -- and his dual-sport background adds a unique twist.
Since 5 years old, Sharpe has balanced running hurdles in track with football, enduring two-a-day workouts every summer and garnering accolades and college recruiting attention in both sports. He finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Championships this summer.
The speed and endurance he honed in track has translated to football in several ways. Against Prosper last season, Sharpe had no problem sprinting 81 yards for a touchdown -- just after running the same distance on a penalty-negated play. He broke Allen's 300-shuttle record and ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at a TCU camp in the offseason.
Allen Eagles Football@alleneaglesfb
Congrats to Raylen Sharpe for breaking the 300 Shuttle Record this off-season.
But since seventh grade, when Murray was a senior and Sharpe watched his brother, Jaylen, play slot receiver on the 2014 state championship squad, Sharpe's goals in high school centered on one idea: doing the same as Allen's starting quarterback.
"[Kyler] seeing the game, making plays, making throws that you don't usually see high school players make," Sharpe said, "watching him has helped me a lot."
Just playing at Allen isn't why five schools offered Sharpe a scholarship before his first varsity start. But the program's reputation underscores Sharpe's NCAA preparedness.
SMU recruiters told Sharpe they were impressed watching him pass during warm-ups before games, he said, and repetitions in practice, where college coaches also scout, are more evenly split than live action.
Because Allen, a participant in seven straight state semifinals, has gone undefeated in the regular season since 2012, the Eagles often have ample time for reserves during blowouts. Sharpe finished 2018 with 1,028 total yards and 15 touchdowns and was Allen's third-leading rusher.
Couple the production with Allen's regimented, team-first approach, and recruiters see a high school program grooming every contributor for the rigors and intensity of college football.
"A team that's usually that talented, to be the leader, to be the quarterback is something that isn't easily accomplished," said Green, who started for Allen in 2015. "That gets you on coaches' radars."
Other reasons Sharpe is poised to continue Allen's tradition?
The innate and off-field qualities coach Terry Gambill preaches for his players to focus on when watching Murray: respect, humility and quiet determination.
Ray Sharpe, Raylen's dad, has seen the traits in action for years.
In middle school, Sharpe dealt with doubts about his size and also played slot receiver, even though he only wanted to be a quarterback. But he never complained, and come freshman and sophomore years, when he played quarterback full-time for Allen's sub varsity, Sharpe's perseverance paid off.
"My dude doesn't talk about it a lot," his dad said. "But when he steps on that football field, it's lightning."
As a sophomore who moved up to varsity in the 2017 postseason, Sharpe "took a beating," his dad said, as the scout-team quarterback. Though Sharpe never saw the field en route to the undefeated state championship, he was proud to earn a ring.
Now he wants to claim one as a starter, as the quarterback to deliver Allen's sixth state title since 2008. His dad noticed that conviction this summer while on a recruiting camp visit and a coach asked one of Sharpe's teammates how the Eagles will fare this season.
No matter that Allen fell to Duncanville, a 2019 championship favorite, in the state semifinals a year ago. Or that the Eagles return just six of 22 starters.
Ray Sharpe heard the friend's declaration -- "Well, we have Baby Kyler" -- and felt certain the 17-year-old who represents the family's third generation of hurdlers, who improves his field vision and patience by painting charcoal portraits of famous singers and who often spends free time watching old Allen film in his room was ready to finally take the lead.
"He's a very unique kid. Sometimes I'm like, 'Yo, is he mine?'" Ray Sharpe said. "He has a different confidence when he has that pig in his hands."
DMN - Raylen Sharpe was in middle school when a coach first used his nickname:
"Little Kyler."
Then, Sharpe was an undersized, mobile quarterback, just old enough to enter Allen's system at the position. At the same time, the undersized, mobile Kyler Murray was capping one of the most illustrious careers in Texas high school football history with a third state championship at the Eagles' helm.
Several years later, Murray is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and the rookie No. 1 overall NFL draft pick. Murray's rise and widespread popularity mean the national distinction of being Allen's quarterback has never been more apparent.
Back in Allen, that spotlight shines this season on "Little Kyler."
Sharpe sees differences in the way he and Murray play, but his moniker and path to the top of Allen's Division I quarterback pipeline make him of the most interesting figures in the Dallas area this year.
While Sharpe, a 5-8, 152-pound senior and seven-time All-American in track and field, hasn't started a varsity game, his verbal commitment this summer to SMU illustrates the cachet and command of being the leading quarterback at Allen, even in a rare season when the Eagles aren't the local preseason state-title favorite.
"Just being on this platform, being in Allen, Texas," Sharpe said, "it's big."
Raylen Sharpe@shvrpe3
Allen's success at quarterback reflects other Dallas-area dynasties. Southlake Carroll, for example, had Chase Daniel, Greg McElroy and Riley Dodge start five consecutive years and win multiple state championships in the mid-2000s. Highland Park has produced Matthew Stafford, John Stephen Jones and Chandler Morris in recent years, continuing a longtime college and NFL tradition at signal caller.
The roots for Allen's start before Murray. Quarterback Matt Brown (2007-09 starter) signed with TCU and Alec Morris (2010-11) enrolled at Alabama and later played at UNT.
But as Murray dazzled from 2012 to 2014, leading the UIL's first three-peat state championship run in Class 6A Div. I, Allen transformed into a Texas menace, and the pressure to follow at quarterback increased.
Seth Green (Minnesota) and Mitchell Jonke (Brown) were next. Grant Tisdale (Ole Miss) started the last two seasons.
Sharpe is the Eagles' first non-transfer quarterback in eight seasons -- his family moved to Allen from Arkansas when he was in first grade -- and his dual-sport background adds a unique twist.
Since 5 years old, Sharpe has balanced running hurdles in track with football, enduring two-a-day workouts every summer and garnering accolades and college recruiting attention in both sports. He finished fourth in the 400-meter hurdles at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Championships this summer.
The speed and endurance he honed in track has translated to football in several ways. Against Prosper last season, Sharpe had no problem sprinting 81 yards for a touchdown -- just after running the same distance on a penalty-negated play. He broke Allen's 300-shuttle record and ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at a TCU camp in the offseason.
Allen Eagles Football@alleneaglesfb
Congrats to Raylen Sharpe for breaking the 300 Shuttle Record this off-season.
But since seventh grade, when Murray was a senior and Sharpe watched his brother, Jaylen, play slot receiver on the 2014 state championship squad, Sharpe's goals in high school centered on one idea: doing the same as Allen's starting quarterback.
"[Kyler] seeing the game, making plays, making throws that you don't usually see high school players make," Sharpe said, "watching him has helped me a lot."
Just playing at Allen isn't why five schools offered Sharpe a scholarship before his first varsity start. But the program's reputation underscores Sharpe's NCAA preparedness.
SMU recruiters told Sharpe they were impressed watching him pass during warm-ups before games, he said, and repetitions in practice, where college coaches also scout, are more evenly split than live action.
Because Allen, a participant in seven straight state semifinals, has gone undefeated in the regular season since 2012, the Eagles often have ample time for reserves during blowouts. Sharpe finished 2018 with 1,028 total yards and 15 touchdowns and was Allen's third-leading rusher.
Couple the production with Allen's regimented, team-first approach, and recruiters see a high school program grooming every contributor for the rigors and intensity of college football.
"A team that's usually that talented, to be the leader, to be the quarterback is something that isn't easily accomplished," said Green, who started for Allen in 2015. "That gets you on coaches' radars."
Other reasons Sharpe is poised to continue Allen's tradition?
The innate and off-field qualities coach Terry Gambill preaches for his players to focus on when watching Murray: respect, humility and quiet determination.
Ray Sharpe, Raylen's dad, has seen the traits in action for years.
In middle school, Sharpe dealt with doubts about his size and also played slot receiver, even though he only wanted to be a quarterback. But he never complained, and come freshman and sophomore years, when he played quarterback full-time for Allen's sub varsity, Sharpe's perseverance paid off.
"My dude doesn't talk about it a lot," his dad said. "But when he steps on that football field, it's lightning."
As a sophomore who moved up to varsity in the 2017 postseason, Sharpe "took a beating," his dad said, as the scout-team quarterback. Though Sharpe never saw the field en route to the undefeated state championship, he was proud to earn a ring.
Now he wants to claim one as a starter, as the quarterback to deliver Allen's sixth state title since 2008. His dad noticed that conviction this summer while on a recruiting camp visit and a coach asked one of Sharpe's teammates how the Eagles will fare this season.
No matter that Allen fell to Duncanville, a 2019 championship favorite, in the state semifinals a year ago. Or that the Eagles return just six of 22 starters.
Ray Sharpe heard the friend's declaration -- "Well, we have Baby Kyler" -- and felt certain the 17-year-old who represents the family's third generation of hurdlers, who improves his field vision and patience by painting charcoal portraits of famous singers and who often spends free time watching old Allen film in his room was ready to finally take the lead.
"He's a very unique kid. Sometimes I'm like, 'Yo, is he mine?'" Ray Sharpe said. "He has a different confidence when he has that pig in his hands."
