Every week Rodney Hall takes the field for Permian, he looks more comfortable at the quarterback position.
After spending time as a slot receiver last year, the junior has a better grasp for what goes into running the Panthers’ veer offense.
Permian head coach Jeff Ellison said Hall has always had a good understanding of the offensive system and he wants to get better each and every week.
“He’s a natural leader, he’s a quiet leader, but he commands the huddle well and does a great job with our team,” Ellison said.
Through seven games this season, Hall has shown the ability to make big plays with both his arm and his legs.
When he’s carrying the ball, he can take the ball to the end zone quickly as seen in Permian’s 57-41 victory over Waco Midway earlier this season when he ran for a 50-yard touchdown, eluding multiple defenders.
Although the veer offense doesn’t call for throwing the ball a lot, Hall takes advantage when co-offensive coordinator Chris Frisby has him pass downfield.
Last week against Odessa High, Hall threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns to go with 96 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
Ellison believes Hall benefitted from the time he spent as a slot receiver, learning about the passing, running and blocking aspects that come with the offense.
“I think that’s really helped him transition this year,” Ellison said. “He does a good job of knowing not only his position or the slot position, even with the blocking up front.”
Hall feels like he has had fun leading his teammates this year, keeping an emphasized focus on Permian’s word of the week, which is “loyalty.”
Building trust with his teammates throughout his junior campaign has helped the quarterback boost his confidence.
“They trust me, so it gives me a little more confidence talking to them and trusting them to have my back [like] I have their back,” Hall said.
Because of the nature of his former position, Hall now takes time to teach Permian’s current slot receivers the plays they’ll be running.
In the offseason, he prepared to become the starting signal caller by shifting his focus to the position during the spring.
Ellison said Hall has a bright future ahead of him because of the way he carries himself on and off the football field.
“He’s a very talented young man, he’s a very good student, he’s got great grades,” the head coach said. “I tell all of our kids if we take care of the classroom, do well academically and take care of business on the football field then good things are going to happen for you.”
In his first season as the team’s quarterback, Hall doesn’t want to look too far ahead to what might happen after he finishes his time at Permian.
In September, Hall announced on Twitter that he had been invited to all of Texas Tech’s home games for the 2021 season.
For now, the quarterback wants to focus on the ultimate goal for the Panthers.
“That’s just one step ahead, that’s a real blessing to me but I’m worried about getting to the state championship in high school first,” Hall said.
Hall and Permian (5-2 overall, 2-1 District 2-6A) will take on Midland High at 7 p.m. Friday at Grande Communications Stadium in Midland.
The Panthers will look to push their current winning streak to three games and keep pace in the district playoff race against a Bulldog team that will feature a similar offense to theirs.
>>Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
