Clute Brazoswood enjoyed its best football season this year since winning a state championship in 1974 with future all-Southwest Conference linebacker David Hodge.

Dartwan Bush might have been the biggest single factor in this year’s charge, earning the unanimous vote of eight coaches in District 24-5A as the league’s most valuable player. Texas Tech is in line to be the next team to benefit from Bush’s talent.

The Brazoswood defensive end visited Tech over the weekend and made an oral commitment on Tuesday. Bush was credited with 81 tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 15 sacks this season. The Buccaneers list him at 6-foot-1 and 255 pounds.

Bush was not immediately available for comment, but Brazoswood coach Dean DeAtley confirmed his star player called Tech coaches with his pledge.

“A couple of (reasons) he said were he liked his host, and he really felt at ease with the players,’’ DeAtley said. “And there’s a quarterback from Friendswood (Tech freshman Jacob Karam) who we’ve played from this area, and he said he was a real upbeat, positive guy. That helped a little bit, too.’’

DeAtley said Tech offered Bush a scholarship about a week before his visit.

“I think he liked coach Leach,’’ DeAtley said. “He spoke with him a week or so ago, and it wasn’t a hard sell. It was a pretty enjoyable conversation. I don’t think it was too much of a hard sell on the recruiting visit. It was real enjoyable, all the conversations he had. There wasn’t a whole lot of pressure on him.’’

Brazoswood went 10-4 this season, advancing to the Class 5A Division I state quarterfinals before losing to Katy Cinco Ranch. Bush wreaked havoc playing weak-side end in a four-man defensive front.

DeAtley said Bush led the team in sacks all three seasons he played on the varsity, often having to fight through double teams.

“He’s a real speed guy — a lot of quickness, a lot of explosiveness,’’ DeAtley said. “He really works with his hands well. I think he’ll be successful on the next level, and he’s a great kid, too, a high character kid and a lot of fun to be around.’’

Baylor and Tech were the only official visits Bush has taken, but DeAtley said he had a long list of suitors. The coach said he thinks Bush will cancel January trips to Colorado and Iowa State, both of whom have offered him scholarships.

DeAtley said Nebraska was the first school to show heavy interest in Bush in the summer, but stopped recruiting him when the Cornhuskers got commitments from other defensive ends. He said Houston, TCU, North Texas and Baylor also recruited Bush heavily.

DeAtley said Bush already has met freshman eligibility requirements.

Oral commitments are non-binding before Feb. 3, when the national signing period begins.

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TEXAS TECH RECRUITING CLASS

The national signing period began Wednesday for players who plan to enroll at mid-term. May graduates can sign beginning Feb. 3.

Signed/enrolling at mid-term: Beau Carpenter, 6-7, 275, OT, Sulphur Springs; Donald Langley, 6-2, 295, DT, Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) College/Germantown, Md., Seneca Valley HS; Scott Smith, 6-7, 275, DE, Butler (Kan.) Community College/Honolulu St. Louis HS.

Oral commitments: Scotty Young, 6-3, 190, QB, Denton Ryan; Aaron Spikes, 5-9, 185, RB, Dallas Pinkston; Delans Griffin, 5-10, 178, RB, Clinton, Okla.; Kadron Boone, 6-1, 190, WR, Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic; Shawn Corker, 6-1, 189, WR, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons; Ben McRoy, 5-9, 163, IR, Lakeland, Fla.; Eric Lawson, 6-6, 310, OG-OT, Olive Branch, Miss.; James Polk, 6-7, 290, OT, Alief Elsik; Denton Simek, 6-6, 260, OT, Prague, Okla; Javius Townsend, 6-4, 300, OT-OG, Dallas Madison; Dartwan Bush, 6-1, 255, DE, Clute Brazoswood; Kedrick Dial, 6-5, 215, DE, Sulphur Springs; Jackson Richards, 6-3, 247, DE, Southlake Carroll; Lawrence Rumph, 6-3, 270, DE, Navarro College/Keller Fossil Ridge; Coby Coleman, 6-2, 290, DT, Frankston;  Fred Harvey, 6-0, 230, LB, Memphis (Tenn.) White Station; Zach Winbush, 6-2, 205, LB, Schertz Clemens; Urell Johnson, 6-0, 175, CB, New Orleans (La.) Walker; Desmond Martin, 6-0, 178, DB, Round Rock Stony Point; Russell Polk, 5-11, 190, S, Dallas Carter; Tre’Vante Porter, 6-0, 185, DB, Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert; Brandon Smith, 6-0, 175, DB, Raceland (La.) Central Lafourche.