The moment Caleb Cruz moved from Odessa Permian to the private school Midland Christian, he created a cast of doubters — and a chip on his shoulder. He’d started 12 games as a freshman cornerback at one of the most renowned Class 6A high schools in the state. Why would he leave?

“I kept getting told I was running away from the competition,” Cruz said. “I viewed the doubt I was feeling as a blessing because it gave me that chip on my shoulder to prove everyone wrong.”

By that point, Cruz had experience proving people wrong. All his life, he’d been a gifted running back and receiver. But in eighth grade, his select team coach moved him to cornerback. That change could’ve broken him. Instead, it set him on the path to locking down varsity wide receivers at 14 years old.

“Most players at that age might have gotten discouraged by the position change, but I viewed it as an opportunity. I’ve always just wanted to be on the field, no matter what phase of the game that may be in,” Cruz said.

Midland Christian gave him the chance to do just that. He rotated between cornerback and free safety during a stellar sophomore campaign. But former NFL kicker Phil Dawson taking over as Midland Christian’s head coach marked the end of Cruz’s water breaks.

“It didn’t take long once practices got going to see Caleb’s versatility,” Dawson said. “It’s the job of a coach to figure out who you have and what your team needs. It’s pretty easy to plug Caleb anywhere we need him in any kind of situation.”

Dawson not only identified a physically gifted player in Cruz, but one whose football IQ surpassed any he had seen at the high school level. As a result, Dawson began using him in all three phases of the game.

Being told he had the highest high school football IQ a 20-year NFL veteran had seen was not a compliment Cruz took lightly. And it showed in his standout three-phase junior campaign for the Mustangs, as he accumulated 30 solo tackles, 20 pass breakups, two interceptions, 696 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns — a stat line that earned him a spot on the 2025 TAPPS Division II First Team All-State team.

“He had an interception against Fort Worth Christian in a tight game and made about sixteen guys miss on the return,” Dawson said. “That’s really where you saw the full picture of the player Caleb is. You had the lockdown coverage, the interception, the return making guys miss, and then he’s playing running back on the next play.”

Cruz may be electric with the ball, but his biggest inspiration is New England Patriots defensive back Christian Gonzalez, with whom he has worked under the same defensive backs coach. Studying Gonzalez’s ability to slip in and out of breaks and recover when beaten by a step or two keeps Cruz striving for that level of excellence.

Cruz has a bevy of NFL mentors, from Gonzalez to his own high school coach. Yet even with those examples of where the game can take him, he refuses to rush the process.

“I’ve identified a kid who has huge dreams, yet never sacrifices the importance of being present,” Dawson said. “He exemplifies being where your feet are now every day.”

The doubt that followed Cruz’s move from Class 6A to private school football has kept him grounded and fueled the success he’s achieved so far.

“I view myself as the best pound-for-pound defensive back in West Texas,” Cruz said. “That’s the standard I hold myself to.”