Westminster’s Webb hopes to continue ascension at New Mexico State | Football recruiting

The Westminster two-way lineman pleaded.

But Wildcats football coach Butler B’ynote’ would not give in.

Prior to Webb’s junior campaign in August of 2020, B’ynote’ refused to let Webb play on the defensive side of the ball during the annual Blue and White preseason scrimmage.

“I figured nobody would be able to block him and he’d ending up destroying everyone out there,” B’ynote’ said. “He didn’t like it, but as a coach, what are you going to do? I can’t turn him loose on his own teammates.”

Webb had to settle for playing just the offensive half of the exhibition affair.

“I didn’t like it, I tried to talk him out of it,” Webb said. “No matter what I said, he wouldn’t let me do it.”

B’ynote’, who was a running back in the NFL for Carolina and Denver, had the right idea.

The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Webb has been terrorizing quarterbacks and running backs on a regular basis since his junior campaign.

Webb capped off a short but impressive high school career Wednesday by signing to play college football for at the NCAA Division I level for New Mexico State University. There will be a short ceremony held next week at the Town and Country school.

B’ynote’ knew Webb was special right from the start. And he wanted to make sure his difference maker did not harm his own teammates.

Even this season, B’ynote’ had Webb hold back in practice, at least on the defensive side.

“Sometimes, it was hard to do,” the soft-spoken Webb said. “But I knew the reason behind it.”

Webb developed into one of the top defensive linemen in the state with an impressive senior campaign. He recorded a team-best 28 tackles for loss and posted seven sacks. Plus, he did it all despite the opposition running away from him at every opportunity.

Webb was a third-team selection on the Post-Dispatch All-Metro football team.

“When you see him in person, it’s easy to see that he’s really special,” says B’ynote’, who had a solid career as a running back at Ohio State University. “New Mexico State is really getting a diamond in the rough.”

Webb has done considerable damage in just one full season. He hurt his knee in the third game of his sophomore year and missed the rest of that season.

Westminster played just four games in his junior season due to COVID-19 concerns.

Which made this past campaign extra important.

“I was anxious to get out there and show what I could do,” Webb said.

Webb was not highly recruited and received just two other NCAA Division I offers — from Austin Peay University and Southeast Missouri State.

New Mexico State began its recruiting of Webb just more than a month ago.

But the Florissant resident was hooked once he made a visit to the Las Cruces campus.

“For a kid that grew up in this area and all he saw were a bunch of buildings and highways all his life, the desert and the mountain landscape was impressive to him,” said his father Steve, who played college football at Prairie View A&M.

Webb was also impressed with Aggies head coach Jerry Kill, who has a 151-101 record during stops at Minnesota, SIU Carbondale and Northern Illinois.

B’ynote’ said Webb has a high ceiling. Always one of the biggest students in his class, he didn’t take up football until he was in seventh grade.

Webb’s improvement from his junior to senior seasons makes him a promising candidate to continue that upward climb.

“I know I’ve got to get better,” Webb said.