DeMeco Ryans confident WR John Metchie III will participate in Texans' offseason program

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was confident John Metchie will participate in the team’s offseason program after missing his rookie year.

The former Alabama wide receiver was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia, called APL. He received instant medical care last summer.

The explosive receiver could make his way back to football according to Ryans.

“Yeah, John is doing fine,” Ryans said. “We’ll see John get involved with our offseason program. And with John, as with every other player, we’re going to take it one day at a time and see where he can grow and where he can be when the time comes. At the right time, when the season comes, we’ll see where he is.”

Metchie originally tore his ACL in the 2022 SEC Championship Game, making it a tough road to recovery already.

However Metchie never wavered, according to Ryans.

“When you talk about a guy like John Metchie, just hearing his story and meeting him in person, it marries up,” Ryans said. “Outstanding young man off the field. Great energy. Always around. Every time I seen him in the building, huge smiling on his face.

“No matter what adversity he’s faced, he’s attacking it with a smile, with the right attitude. It just solidifies the type of person that he is and the type of people and the type of players that we want to add to our team, it’s guys with that type of attitude.”

Ryans wasn’t around to draft Metchie in the second round in 2022, but as a first year head coach and former Alabama product, he was very familiar.

“I saw Metchie a lot playing at Alabama, a truly talented kid,” Ryans said earlier this offseason at the NFL scouting combine. “I’m just proud of the things that he’s been through, such a resilient young man who I’m happy and excited to work with. Just so proud of the process and the things he’s been through, he shows all the mental toughness and grit and all those things, I’m proud of how Metchie has continued to battle.”

In 2020, Metchie first broke out as a sophomore at Alabama. He hauled in 55 receptions for 916 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per catch. In 2021, though, he became even more of a consistent weapon on the outside in Alabama’s offense. In his final collegiate season, he hauled in an impressive 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 11.9 yards per reception.

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As a member of the Class of 2019, Metchie was a four-star recruit out of Highstown (N.J.) The Peddie School, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 7 overall recruit in the state, the No. 47 wide receiver in the class and the No. 282 overall prospect in the class.