Friday can only mean one thing for the discriminating Red Raider fan.
It's time for another edition of the Red Raider Confidential. The ground rules
are simple and easy to follow: everything reported in the Red Raider Confidential is not to be disclosed elsewhere. This feature is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the
Red Raider Nation.
This will continue to be successful only if everyone
does their part and keeps the discussions limited to this board.
About that game in Dallas...
It
doesn't appear as if Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are anywhere close to
agreeing on where exactly to play their proposed game in the Dallas/Fort Worth
Metroplex.
The new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington certainly has its advantages but,
financially speaking, that proposed deal is not as lucrative as originally
thought. The proposal involving the Cotton Bowl includes some guarantees, which
has the Texas Tech Administration taking a look long at it. Based on recent
comments from Oklahoma State's Athletic Director, Mike Holder, it appears as if
the Pokes are not considering the Cotton Bowl at all.
Because both sides seem so far apart on agreeing on a location, and the fact
that time is becoming a significant factor, our sources indicate that it may be
2011 before the Red Raiders face off against the Cowboys on a neutral field in
the Metroplex.
Remember, the only way Texas Tech will give up a home game every other
year is if it makes strong financial sense. And, right now, that deal just isn't
there.
Stay tuned.
Premium
Q&A with Ra'jon Henley
We caught up with Texas Tech defensive
tackle
Ra'jon Henley, one of the heroes of the Red Raiders' Gator
Bowl victory, earlier this week and talked with him about his rapidly
approaching junior campaign.
You're coming into your third season at Texas Tech, does it seem a bit weird
when you hear some of us media saying that?
RH: Yeah, it is kind of weird. It seems like only yesterday
that I got here. But it has been a great experience for me so far, and I hope
that we have a really big year this year.
Since the Gator Bowl, how many people have approached you about your forced
fumble against Virginia?
RH: A lot of people come up to me. They know just how important
that play was and that it saved the game for our team. They are very
appreciative and thankful that I was able to make that play. Most of the time
you hear everyone talk about
Graham [Harrell], or
[Michael] Crabtree, but now they know who I am, and not being
selfish, it’s a good feeling. I guess that play put me on the map.
Was the forced fumble your best defensive play all year, or was there
another moment that stood out in your eyes?
RH: I made good plays all throughout last season, so I don’t
think that one play was that big of a deal. The fact that we ended up winning
the game is what made it special. I just try and go out there and make plays for
this team, and help us win; and that is what I did.
What do you know so far about Eastern Washington?
RH: I am pretty sure a lot of teams will try and run on us, and
for them it is no different. We just hope to go out there and play the pass and
the run the way we know we can. Our focus is getting stronger up front and
playing a more physical game with our front four. The goal is for us to make a
statement and show other teams that we can stop the run, plain and simple.
What can we expect to see out of you now, improvement wise, as opposed to
last year?
RH: I think that I am a lot quicker off the ball. I try and
work on every aspect of my game. I am getting much quicker, just working out
harder. I am just going to go out there and make plays this year, and give it my
best.
What is this defensive line capable of this season?
RH: The guys that we brought in are going to be real special;
guys like
[Brandon] Sesay, and
Chris [Perry]. Those guys are really big, and very physical, and it
will be hard to run through them, I can tell you that. You can trust anyone of
these guys on this defensive line to know what they are doing and be able to be
successful. [The defensive line] is ready to play. As for myself I just want to
go out there and give it my best shot. I do not care if I am in every play, I
want to see the younger guys compete and produce just like I have. I want to
make plays, and be in the middle of everything.
Hollins wavering in his commitment
In terms of the solidity of one's commitment,
Jonathan Hollins appears to be on his way to becoming
Jackson Richards' polar opposite. Tech has been on both
from the start, but while Richards has no apparent desire for additional
recruiting attention from the outside world, Hollins appears eager to open
things up.
"Business is starting to pick up," said Hollins. "A lot of coaches are calling
and I'm trying to set up visits. It's going to be a very fast season for me.
It's going to be fun and exciting.
"I've heard from several schools. I've had coaches talk to my coach and I've
been contacted as well. It's fun and exciting. I've heard from LSU, UCLA,
Kentucky, Oregon State, Kansas State... There's a lot more, I can't even name
all of them."
In fact, when asked if he was excited about the process, Hollins hid nothing.
"Yeah, I am," he answered right away. "When I think about it, I've been through
a long road. I'm starting over, in a sense."
During this conversation with Hollins, it became increasingly apparent that
though he appears on the Red Raiders' commitment list, he doesn't see it that
way in his mind.
"As of right now, I haven't talked to Tech in a while," he said when asked if he
was still committed to Tech. "I'd rather talk to them first and get an
understanding. I just need to sit down and talk to them. I can't release what
I'm going to talk to them about right now, though. Whenever I talk to them, I'll
get into it."
So does he want to look around at other schools?
"Yeah, as of right now, I am," Hollins said. "But I am going to go where I am
wanted, not necessarily where I want to go. Whatever school shows me the most
interest, I'm going to take it and run with it."
However, for now, he can't name any specific visits that he has setup or
anything else along those lines.
Except for this tidbit about LSU.
"I talk to them every so often," volunteered Hollins. "I don't talk to them as
much, but when I was down in Baton Rouge, I got to meet coach Les Miles, and
that was pretty interesting. I have to ship off my transcript to them and am
waiting till this upcoming semester.
"It seems that I have all my credits and passing grades. Seems like everything
is good. If I'm not talking to anyone now, I'm pretty sure that by the end of
the season, I'm going to hear from everybody."
Hollins recognizes that Tech has stuck with him, twice now, through thick and
thin, but now seems more concerned about which school will show him the most
love.
Who knows, maybe Hollins will change his mind and will end up being the most
solid commitment that we have seen in years, and maybe he'll come in this spring
and be the most dominant defensive force Red Raider fans have seen since Gabe
Rivera. Who knows? After all, this is the recruiting business, where things
change quicker than the weather on the South Plains.
But still, you have to wonder how much longer Hollins will factor into Tech's
plans if he continues his current course.
Premium Q&A with Toben Opurum
We
had a fairly extensive, and interesting, conversation with Plano (TX) East
running back
Toben Opurum recently. And while we posted
an update on him yesterday, it only covered roughly half of
what we discussed. Here's the rest.
How would you describe your game?
TO: I don’t like to call myself a power running back,
because I think people will pigeon hole you if you do that. I catch a ton of
passes in our offense, and I’ve had to make plays downfield so I think of myself
as more of an all-purpose back. It sounds weird, but it’s like when you’re
playing Madden, you know? Sometimes I truck somebody and sometimes I hit that
juke stick on someone. It just depends on what the situation calls for.
Any attachment to the state of Texas, or is that really a non-issue for you?
TO: Well, obviously, Tech is really the only big school
that has offered me in-state. [Texas] A&M isn’t really something I’m
considering, but Texas said they’d offer me if I was willing to play fullback.
They said there’s an offer waiting for me if I change my mind, but I’m not a
fullback. So, to answer your question, it doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t
mind going far away as long as I find the right school.
How big of a role will your friends and parents play in your decision?
TO: Well, it’s hard to say. But that’s one thing in Texas
Tech’s favor. It helps them a lot that I could just have family and friends
coming down and driving four hours to a game.
Is that the main reason you like Tech?
TO: Well, not really, I mean, their offense is just ridiculous.
It absolutely cannot be stopped. Period. They should be really good next year
and I’m looking forward to watching them.
I’m looking at your top five here, and there seems to be a lot of offensive
diversity. What type of offense will you thrive the most in?
TO: Well, I’m used to running the spread, because that’s what
we do here. So I’m used to being a receiver and picking up blitzes and that sort
of thing. I’ve been playing in the spread for so long that it’s like second
nature to me. But at the same time, lining up in the I-formation and pounding
away doesn’t sound so bad either, so I guess it’s a win-win right now.
Thanks Toben.
TO: No problem, thanks for taking the time to interview me.
We typically don't include salutations or valedictions (take that, Joe Yeager!)
in our Q&As, but his answer gives you a great idea of the kind of kid Opurum
comes across as.
Richards focused on the task at hand
Yesterday, we detailed
Jackson Richards'
team-first mindset, so it really shouldn't come as any
shock that, by choice, the recruiting process is virtually nonexistent for him
right now.
"I don't even look at the mail anymore," Richards confessed. "We've still been
getting a ton of it, but we've just started trashing it as soon as it gets here.
I've got my mind made up, so what's the point?"
The Red Raiders' first 2010 commitment doesn't even know which schools have been
calling him.
"I don't know, to be honest with you," he answered when asked which schools were
still inquiring about him. "There might have been zero or a hundred calls, I
honestly couldn't tell you. I told Coach [Hal] Wasson that I'm 100% solid and
asked him to just tell any coaches that call that I'm simply not interested. I
know he's been really good about making sure nobody gets through to me.
"I'm trying to be as respectful as I can about it, but the truth is I just don't
care to talk to anyone but Tech."
Right now, though, he's so focused on his junior season that he's not even
talking to Tech.
"Ever since football got started, me and Coach Ruff have been missing each
other," laughed Jackson. "We've just both been focused on our own stuff. I
actually need to give him a call, but it's just so busy right now for both of us
and there's not a lot of time right now."
Richards, who says he'll visit several Tech games this year, kicks off his
junior campaign on Saturday against Plano (TX) West.
Johnson makes great connection with Tech coaches
Last week,
we mentioned the intense offseason program that Texas Tech
commit
D.J. Johnson went through over the summer while training
with an AAU track program. Here's a look at what his typical weekly schedule was
like:
Mondays: Two 250m's (under 31 seconds), six 150m's (under 17 seconds), and a
staggered 120m where he would sprint, jog and sprint before finally
decelerating.
Tuesdays: An "easier" day with several 120m's and one 350m.
Wednesday: A couple of 60m's, then 30m's and build-up exercises.
Thursday: Four 60m's and block start training.
Fridays: Off.
Saturdays: Track meet.
Johnson's versatility has been mentioned before in this space and elsewhere, and
he'll have plenty of chances to prove it on the field this season for Episcopal.
"I start at quarterback, but they're also going to move me around to running
back and receiver, I play a little bit of slot," he said. "Then, on the
defensive side of the ball, I'll be at free safety."
Having committed to the Red Raiders in March, and with the season kicking-off,
recruiting hasn't really been much of a priority of Johnson's.
"I haven't really been focused on recruiting because no one has my film,"
Johnson explained. "I'm committed to Texas Tech, so I'm not worried about going
out and finding a school. if a school talks to me, then I'll sit down with my
dad and we can talk about visiting, but right now I'm focused on Tech."
Johnson's relationship with the Red Raider coaching staff has been key
throughout his recruitment.
"I call them and talk to coach [Charlie] Sadler, [Brian] Mitchell, and [Ruffin]
McNeill," he said. "They sound like they're really excited about this season.
They say that they're ready for me to come. They made a joke after my football
season that I should just come down there and start spring drills with them.
They're all really cool."
The 6-0, 171-pound speedster speaks with Mitchell and Sadler the most, usually
making contact with them once or twice a week.
"I like Coach Mitchell because, when I first talked to him, he told me exactly
what he wanted," said Johnson. "He wants me as a defensive back and said he'd
take me under his wing and show me everything he knows and teach me. He's
another father figure to me.
"With Coach Sadler, I just know that I can talk to him about anything. I let him
know about how my life is going, and it doesn't have to be about football. He's
always excited and is an exciting person. All of our conversations are about
something that's exciting and we make each other laugh.
Because of a dead period, Johnson hasn't heard much from other schools, but he
continues to receive letters from Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Columbia and
Penn. If Johnson knew that another school wanted to talk to him, he said that he
would probably pick up the phone just to talk. The only other schools that he
admits to having interest in at this point are Georgia (he has been watching
them since he was younger) and Oklahoma.
With all that said, we strongly believe that Johnson will stick. He has
a lot of invested interest in Tech; friendships have already been formed with
fellow Red Raider commits
Dion Chidozie and
Daniel Cobb, and conversations between the three take place
frequently.
To view previous installments of the Red Raider Confidential,
you can visit the archives by clicking here.
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This post was edited on 8/29 7:37 AM by A. Dickens
