Clint Hutson's best chance at playing college football in the future will be as a receiver, where he will play occasionally as a senior at Lexington.

The Eagles' best chance of being successful this season and returning to the Class 2A playoffs hinges upon Hutson getting the ball more often as tailback, which will be his primary position on offense.

"At smaller schools, everybody does whatever they can," Hutson said. "You go where you're needed. If running back is where they need me, that's where I'll play. If they need me somewhere else ... heck, I'll do that, too. It doesn't bother me at all. I've played running back since pee wee football."

Hutson will enter his third season as a starter for Lexington as a college prospect. He was a second-team all-district pick at running back last year, but recruiters know about him after Hutson won the 110-meter hurdles at the state track meet last spring and performed well in several summer football camps.

"I think he's got a chance to play at the next level as a slot receiver," Lexington coach Jason Holcomb said. "You get those schools that are really chunking the ball around and looking for somebody that can break away, somebody that's a tough matchup. That's what he brings to the table.

"We've really been working with him this year on his route running. I think he's got a ton of room to grow. Schools like TCU, SMU, Rice and Northwestern -- schools that really throw the ball a lot -- those are the schools that are really interested in him. He'll fit in well with one of those."

With an eye toward playing college football, Hutson skipped summer track this year. He had run track each summer since he was in junior high, and that dedication paid off in May when he won the state championship with a time of 14.68 seconds in the 110 hurdles.

Hutson has bulked up to about 190 pounds, adding muscle to the frame that carried 170 pounds two years ago.

"I was going to a bunch of college camps for football, so I decided to lay off track this summer," Hutson said. "If I would have tried to do both, it would have been so hard on my body. It probably would have hurt me.

"I felt like I needed to pick [football or track] this summer, but at the same time I know that running track has benefited me playing football. The fast you are, the better off you are."

Hutson has drawn some recruiting interest in track, but not as much as in football.

"I think of myself just as an athlete," Hutson said. "I love both sports. I've been doing both for so long that it's kind of hard to choose between them. If I had to choose, I guess I'd have to say football, because you're doing more stuff there."

Not surprisingly, Hutson will also start on defense for the Eagles. He will return to cornerback for his senior season after switching to safety last year.

"I like that move a lot," Hutson said. "I played corner my sophomore year and got used to that. The move to safety wasn't necessarily bad, but I felt like I could have done a lot more at corner."

While Hutson has gotten college recruiters' attention, he has not yet received a scholarship offer. Coaches told him they want to follow his progress as a senior, making him one of many high school players trying to play well enough to continue their careers.

"It's always in the back of your mind, but it's not the first thing you think about during a game," Hutson said. "You just try to win that game, and whatever happens will happen."