If Kerwin Stricker develops as rapidly on the football field as he has the track at Washington High School, the Missouri Tigers will have uncovered a prize. Last week, Stricker gave Missouri a verbal commitment to join the 2009 signing class despite logging minimal football experience for a Division I recruit.

"He’s really a unique kid," Washington Coach Jeff Duncan said of the 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior. "Last year was pretty much his first year of playing football. He’s just a hidden gem. He’s got a ton of potential. He’s a big kid, a fast kid, and he’ll be the focal point of our offense this year, most definitely."

Stricker’s rookie year in pads wasn’t a bad one. Stricker led the 7-3 Blue Jays with 26 receptions for 592 yards - that’s a whopping 22.8 yards per catch - and 10 touchdown grabs. When the season began, Duncan said, Stricker was primarily a deep-ball threat, running little more than fly routes downfield.

"Then he turned more into a possession-type receiver as the year went on," Duncan said. "So, he really grew as a receiver and got to where he could not only catch a fade but to where he was doing well on hitches and outs. He’s just going to get better over the years."

Stricker attended junior day festivities at both Missouri and Kansas last month, while coaches from Wisconsin and Iowa have visited Washington recently. After both junior day visits, Duncan said, Stricker wanted to commit and commit early.

"We don’t have this happen real often at our school," Duncan said. "Actually, he’s probably the first ever kid" to commit early. "I definitely encouraged him to do that, and his folks did, too. … I was so excited for him. I don’t think you could ask for a better program right now, and it’s an hour and a half away from home. It’s a great opportunity, and now he can focus on school and football because it’s pretty much a done deal."

Stricker will spend the next few months building on a track and field career that’s already produced seven state medals. As a sophomore at last year’s Class 4 MSHSAA track championships, Stricker took second in the 300-meter hurdles, fourth in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the long jump.

"The kid can motor," Duncan said. "I think after another great year in track and next year in football, I don’t think he’ll be under the radar any more."

The Washington speedster became the third junior to pledge an early commitment for Missouri’s 2009 class, joining Blue Springs South quarterback Blaine Dalton and Gateway Tech defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson.

● AUDITION TIME: There figures to be a crowd inside the Devine Pavilion on Thursday afternoon when Missouri’s NFL draft hopefuls work out for scouts in the first of two scheduled MU pro days.

Of the three former Tigers invited to last week’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, wide receiver Will Franklin clearly had the best outing. Franklin put up the second-fastest time among receivers in the 40-yard dash, officially clocking 4.37 seconds, which matched Florida’s Andre Caldwell and Appalachian State’s Dexter Jackson. California’s DeSean Jackson had the group’s fastest time at 4.35 seconds. Franklin also recorded the sixth-best vertical jump among receivers, reaching 34½ inches. Franklin chose to skip the other five tests, leaving them for Thursday’s workout at MU.

That’s where scouts will get their first look at tight end Martin Rucker. A hamstring injury kept the Tigers’ single-season and career receptions leader from working out in Indianapolis. Other former Tigers expected to participate include cornerback Darnell Terrell, who joined Franklin and Rucker at the Combine, tailback Tony Temple, defensive lineman Lorenzo Williams, offensive linemen Adam Spieker and Tyler Luellen and perhaps safety Pig Brown, who’s four months removed from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

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