Most high school football recruits spend months deciding where they want to play in college, but Zach Lee was an exception.Lee, a native of McKinney, Texas, and a member of the No. 6-rated 2010 LSU recruiting class, committed to LSU in June of 2009 and never looked back.The McKinney High School quarterback helped lead his Lions to the playoffs last season while amassing more than 2,500 passing yards. McKinney High School coach Bobby Reyes raved about Lee and his potential.”I can’t tell you enough good things about him … He’s very smart. He makes good decisions. He knows how to read defenses,” Reyes said. “He’s going to be a really, really good college quarterback.”Reyes said the best characteristic of Lee, who threw 31 touchdown passes and only six interceptions in 2009, is his composure and his short memory.”He never loses his composure,” Reyes said. “If he makes a mistake, he doesn’t dwell on it. He goes on to the next play, and he moves on.”Reyes also commended his quarterback on his ability to stay level-headed throughout a game.”He never gets too high or too low in a ball game. He’ll throw a touchdown pass, and it’s hard to tell if he threw a touchdown pass or an interception,” Reyes chuckled. “He’s such a classy kid, and he’s got a level head on his shoulders.”Lee is also an academic standout, having accumulated a 4.8 GPA in high school. Reyes, who has been Lee’s quarterback coach for the last three years, said the young athlete carries his knowledge onto the football field.”He’s a smart kid … He does a great job reading defenses, and he understands the different coverages. I can’t tell you how many times he went to the second, third or fourth read receiver,” Reyes said. “He understands the game, and if something’s not there, instead of forcing it, he’ll throw it away.”Lee is rated as a four-star prospect and ranks as the No. 9 pro-style quarterback in the nation according to Rivals.com. He was also selected as the District 9-4A Offensive Player of the Year in 2008. Reyes said he believes Lee can come in and compete for playing time as a freshman.”I’m biased because I’ve coached him for three years, but I fully expect him to come in and compete for a starting position at LSU,” Reyes said. “I will be surprised if he doesn’t.”Lee also excels on the baseball diamond as a starting pitcher for McKinney. The right-handed gunslinger has a fastball that reaches 93 mph and is one of the most highly-touted high school recruits for the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft.Lee was selected to the USA Baseball Youth National team as a starting pitcher in 2007. The team captured gold in the tournament, defeating Brazil in the gold-medal game. Lee was the winning pitcher for the game, which took place at Daniel Canonico Stadium in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.Lee may never make it to LSU if he is drafted high enough in the MLB draft in June. Mike Scarborough, Rivals.com recruiting analyst, said this loss could spell trouble for LSU in the future.”If [Zach Lee] doesn’t end up at LSU, LSU is really going to need to make a move real soon. I think they would need to sign two quarterbacks this year,” Scarborough said. “If he goes pro baseball, they’re really going to have to get moving on a quarterback.”Lee plans on playing both football and baseball if he ends up in Baton Rouge. Scarborough said Lee’s success hinges on his ability to deal with both sports.”It’s all a matter of him trying to be a two-sport guy and how he juggles that,” Scarborough said. “We’ll have to wait and see.”Reyes said he doesn’t see the two-sport athlete having problems balancing both sports, considering his success in high school.”He is really good at budgeting his time,” Reyes said. “I think it would be a little different if he were a position player. Being a pitcher may make it a little easier on him. I don’t see it being a big issue.”Reyes remarked on Lee’s competitiveness, calling him a “bulldog,” and said the Tiger Nation will come to love him.”He’s not going to be intimidated — I can tell you that right now,” Reyes said. “His time is going to come, and I think it could come earlier than a lot of people think it could … He’s coming to LSU ready to play.”—-Contact Mark Clements at [email protected].