Houston-area athletes take next step in careers on signing day

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- College football's early signing period for 2023 started Wednesday, meaning high school recruits are able to sign their national letters of intent to lock them into the colleges of their choice.

The state of Texas, and the Houston area, is known for producing top talent, and this year is no exception.

Among the prospects front and center are DK Kalu.

If his last name sounds familiar, his dad, ND, playing for the Houston Texans during his 10 years in the NFL.

ND is a Rice University alum.

And while father and son share a similarity in being in defensive positions, DK won't be heading down the exact same university path.

DK, a student at Ridge Point in Missouri City, will go on to play for Baylor.

Another name to know for signing day this year is Rueben Owens II. The El Campo High School running back

He committed to Louisville in June 2022, then decommitted in December, deciding instead to play for Texas A&M University.

Owens signed with the Aggies on Wednesday.

Kinkaid's Micah Bell committed to Notre Dame back in July, but shared earlier in December that he received an offer from the University of Georgia, where his brother plays.

Like DK Kalu, Hawkins Polley, a tight end for Stratford, also plans to make Baylor and Waco home for his college career.

Here are more of the student athletes to watch for, and this is far from an exhaustive list.

The early signing period lasts through Friday.

This is the sixth year in which the NCAA has held an early signing period for college football recruits, and it has become the dominant session, with most schools securing the majority of their class during this stretch. If a prospect doesn't sign a national letter of intent this week, the next national signing day for this cycle begins Feb. 1, 2023.

ABC13 sports producer Joe Gleason has covered sports, including high school athletes in Houston, for decades.

He'll be out covering signings. Follow Joe on Twitter for updates.

ESPN contributed to this report.