* Artesia Quarterback Justin Houghtaling has zero college football offers following an amazing career
* As a starter he was 23-1 and threw for over 5,500-yards and 60 touchdowns
* New Mexico Baseball Coach Ray Birmingham has extended him a full offer to play for Lobos
First Offer Is To Play Baseball For The Lobos
Artesia Quarterback Justin Houghtaling threw for 3,375-yards and 36 touchdowns this past season leading the Bulldogs to their 29th State Football Championship defeating the Centennial Hawks 42-34 in the 5A Finals.
The 6-foot-5, 185 pound pocket passer who comes from one of the top prep football programs in New Mexico has zero offers to play football at the next level, a very similar story to Easton Bruere a Class of 2015 graduate who led Rio Rancho to the Class 6A State Championship last year, his story went viral before he ended up signing with Junior College Powerhouse Butler County Community College.
New Mexico Baseball Offer
While Justin might not have an offer to play football next year after graduation, he could have a future with the New Mexico Lobos playing baseball. A few days following the 5A state championship Houghtaling got a call from New Mexico Lobo Baseball Coach Ray Birmingham who extended a full ride to Houghtaling to pitch for the Lobos. Houghtaling hasn’t played baseball since his 8th grade year.
"I got a call from New Mexico Lobo Baseball Coach Ray Birmingham and he said he's been watching my games online and he would like to offer me a scholarship to play baseball for the Lobos. Coach Birmingham said that he has turned plenty of quarterbacks into pitchers that can throw 90 MPH and really, I didn't think playing baseball was even an option at this point in time. If the Lord doesn't have football in my plans, I would certainly entertain the option to play baseball for the New Mexico Lobos," Said Houghtaling Monday Night.
Family Ties To New Mexico
Houghtaling was recently named the NMPreps.com 5A South Offensive Player of the Year and was a 2015 NMPreps.com Mr. Football Candidate. His father Jeff played quarterback at New Mexico from 1992 to 1997 and his uncle Ty played at New Mexico State from 1995 to 1999, and his cousin Josh played at Eastern New Mexico and at Waylan Baptist from 2011 to 2014. Justin's mother Jennifer graduated from New Mexico and his older sister Madison is a current freshman at the University of New Mexico.
"It's an honor to receive any type of D-1 offer, Coach Birmingham has done a great job with the Lobos and he told me something that really stood out. He said he knows football is my first love and he is going to make some calls to get me some more looks as New Mexico is a State that is sometimes overlooked in the high school football recruiting world."
Big Year For New Mexico High School Football Prospects
It’s been a very big year for New Mexico High School Football Recruiting, in-fact 25 current seniors will sign full rides to play football next season, the biggest class in the 10-years which NMPreps.com has existed.
