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Interest picking up for Young
With National Signing Day 2009 in the books, interest is picking up for Denton
(TX) Ryan quarterback Scotty Young, one of two junior signal
callers with an offer from Texas Tech. The Red Raiders jumped in on Young fairly
early on in the process, and other programs across the country are just now
catching up. The probable four-star talent has recently picked up offers from
Arizona and SMU.
“It’s going to start picking up now that schools have their 2009 prospects out
of the way,” said Young. “It’s been good so far.”
When Arizona came to the table, it almost took Young a little off guard.
“They offered about a month ago. Their program has been turning around the last
couple of years. It’s just exciting to know that all these different schools are
looking at me that I never really thought would look at me.”
But since the beginning, the Red Raiders have been there. That’s something that
Young won’t forget either.
“When Tech first offered me I was really excited about that and figured I’d fit
really well but I’m just hanging out right now. I play baseball and when that
comes I’ll just have to see if that changes any of the recruiting process or if
that changes their mind since I play both sports.”
A few schools have showed interest in Young’s talent on the baseball diamond but
he still hasn’t had any serious takers at this point.
Baseball could, however, possibly keep Young from attending Texas Tech’s Junior
Day that’s scheduled for February 28th. He has a baseball tournament scheduled
and is not sure if he’ll be able to get out of it for day trip to Lubbock.
Meanwhile, he’s been trying to learn as much about the Red Raiders as he can
whenever the opportunities have come up.
“They offered me pretty early. I’ve been to a game and went to one of their
practices before the Cotton Bowl. The coaches are great and it seems to be a
great place.”
During that Cotton Bowl practice, Young got an up close and personal look and
had the chance to learn a lot about the Red Raiders.
“Everything they do is just non-stop passing the ball all the time. Everything
is about timing. It’s pretty exciting to see how much they have to memorize and
go through and practice all their plays. It’s just constant and everyone is
running around. It’s just a good environment.”
The environment, of course, is enhanced when Tech is playing at home in Lubbock.
“It’s a small town but when I went to the game against Nebraska and it was
crazy. All the fans were completely into it. It seems like nothing else is going
on when the football games are going on. I thought it was really cool.”
It also helps that recruiting coach Lincoln Riley has made
Young feel like he would be at home in the Hub City.
“I call him every once and a while. He’s a great guy and he seems to care a lot
about recruiting and they make me feel like I’m part of the team already when I
go down there and visit. They’re great guys.”
While Young is publicly still saying that he’s wide open and doesn’t have any
favorites, Tech fans should know that they’re definitely sitting pretty.
“They’re pretty high on my list right now.”
Fehoko picks up another offer
We spoke briefly with Honolulu
(HI) Farrington linebacker V.J. Fehoko earlier this week, and
during our conversation he revealed that he has picked up his offer No. 13.
“I just got an offer from Washington,” said Fehoko.
“I called Coach (Brian) Mitchell and talked to him. He said he
came in the office and Leach was talking about who’s going to Hawaii. Coach
Mitchell said there was no debate and he was going. I thought that was pretty
funny.
“Coach Mitchell said he’s fired up about everything and they can’t wait to get
me out to Lubbock and attend the Junior Day and spring game.”
2010 commit
on the verge of SEC offer
Because he committed before the end of his sophomore year to Texas Tech, and has
held fast to that pledge, Southlake (TX) Carroll star Jackson Richards
has not received the number of offers that you’d expect for a prospect
of his caliber.
This will undoubtedly be raised as an issue when it comes time to rank the 2010
class, but make no mistake - Richards has plenty of talent. In fact, even though
Richards would humbly deny it, there are plenty of schools that have inquired
about the solidity of his commitment, only to be scared away by the rock-solid
nature of his allegiance to Tech.
However, we recently heard rumors that a large SEC school was prepared to offer
him, a rumor he confirmed. Sort of.
“Well, I don’t really know what it means,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know
if I have an offer or what, but we recently got a letter from LSU that said, ‘We
plan to offer your son,’ and some other stuff. The coach who recruits my area
got a hold of me and I asked him about it just to see what it meant, and he said
since they’ve got a new defensive coordinator, they’re re-evaluating all their
defensive offers right now.”
But regardless of what LSU tells him, don’t expect it to alter Richards’ plans.
“I’m not really pursuing it, if you know what I mean,” he said. “That would be a
big compliment if they end up saying it’s still an offer and everything, but
let’s be honest, I want to be at Tech, so in the end, it just doesn’t matter
like it might if I wasn’t set on going to Tech. I’m a Red Raider through and
through.”
The best of the Charbonnets?
In light of The Woodlands (TX) The Woodlands safety Aaron
Charbonnet’s decision to accept a preferred walk-on spot at Texas Tech,
we spoke with his older brother, Daniel, who is currently in Atlanta with fellow
Red Raiders Eric Morris and Graham Harrell
preparing for a shot at the next level.
How does it feel to know that Aaron will be following you and Taylor at
Tech?
DC: "Oh man, it feels great. It’s kind of funny to think
that even though I didn’t come to Tech out of high school, both my little
brothers will. I think it’s going to be great for him because I know the coaches
and I know they’ll play anyone who’s good enough. I mean, look at how much
Jordy (Rowland) and I played this year. We played over guys who
were originally scholarshipped first and everything, but Coach (Carlos)
Mainord doesn’t care about any of that. So I think it’s a great
situation for him."
How does he compare to you and Taylor?
DC: (Laughter) "Well, he’s bigger and taller than both of us
were and he’s pretty fast too. I think it’s probably safe to say he’s the best
pure football player out of all of us. Actually, if it hadn’t been for him
having a couple of those freak, random injuries, I think he would have had
several D-1 offers. It’s just tough when you don’t have all that film from your
junior year and everything, but I think it worked out for the best."
By the way, how are things going down in Atlanta?
DC: "It’s been really good. It’s tough, we’re working really
hard, but hopefully in the end it will pay off."
New option at quarterback emerging?
While the Red Raiders have two 2010 quarterback offers already on the table,
they’re definitely keeping their eyes open at other options. One of those
options would be Austin (TX) Stephen F. Austin’s Jacob Morgan.
The Red Raiders coaching staff should definitely be familiar with Morgan at this
point, as is the young man that got the ball in the hands of newly signed Auburn
receiver Emory Blake.
“They sent mail two to three times a week to me during the season,” said Morgan.
“Now that it’s over, I’m getting letters from Tech about once a week. So they’re
staying in touch and keeping me interested about the football program.”
The 6-foot-3, 218-pounder has some general knowledge of the university that’s
always helped peak his interest.
“They produce big quarterbacks who know how to sling the ball around 50 plus
times a game and their offense is dynamic and creative. The town of Lubbock may
be small, but on Saturday's it’s the biggest little city in Texas and the people
of Lubbock know how the treat their football players.”
This past week, Morgan received an invitation to attend Tech’s junior day.
Without hesitating, he immediately RSVP’d and confirmed that he will be there.
“I want to see what else there is to offer than football. I also want to get a
good look at their facilities and see what the coaches are like. There might be
a small possibility of me not attending due to a baseball tournament that
weekend, but hopefully I can talk my coach into letting me miss my games because
this a great opportunity in determining my future.”
Last season, Morgan completed 168 passes on 280 attempts for 2,285 yards, 17
touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Baker explains commitment to Tech
We released a story yesterday, detailing Waco offensive lineman Troy
Baker’s plans over the next month. We received a text shortly after
letting us know that he will be attending Oklahoma State’s junior day on the
28th since he had previously decided to not go to Tech’s.
“I don't know too much about them really, despite from the talks I've had with
Coach Meacham and the offensive line coach. I know they've held their own in the
Big 12 lately, and they have the T. Boone everything which has to be nice. I
really just want to get an idea of how it was up there.”
Then there’s Baylor on the 21st as well.
“I have no serious intention of attending Baylor unless they make a huge stride
this year, like a middle caliber bowl game and finish top five in all of the Big
12. However, I have grown to like Coach Briles and Coach Clements (the o-line
coach), and wouldn't mind getting their pitch. Also, they have that new athletic
facility which is supposed to be top notch, although not the most important
thing to me, it'd be pretty cool to see.”
Baker admitted to us that the current contract negotiations between Tech and
Mike Leach that have apparently stalled do indeed have a large impact on his
decision to continue visiting other programs.
Hoping that nothing changes with the staff, Baker still remains strong with the
Red Raiders.
“Honestly, Tech got a head start and I feel more committed to Tech. Yeah,
anything can happen between now and signing day but that word ‘anything’ keeps
getting smaller and smaller. I feel comfortable in Lubbock with Tech and the
program. The coaches there are outstanding across the board, extremely
respectable and intelligent, making me want to be apart of what's going on up
there even more.”
Fellow 2010 commitment offensive lineman Jackson Richards will
be a big part of Baker staying loyal to Tech as well.
“I have a feeling that guy and I are going to be great friends here in a short
year. I actually talked to him a week ago. We both seem to be a lot a like each
other, just from different background programs.
“We talked about why he chose Tech early and found out that he had some of the
same reasons that I did; coaches, program, just always liked Tech, made sense,
etc.”
The two hope to spend more time together soon.
“We made plans to head up to Lubbock this summer to hang out together, just
chill and get to know each other. I haven't been up there without it being a
little stressful so just to get up there with the coaches and watch some
workouts and just see how the lifestyle is normally would be nice.”
Though Baker already has a future division I home and doesn’t necessarily have
to worry about earning more offers, he still feels like there’s a lot to prove
this year on a personal note.
“I feel I have a lot to prove to myself this year, if anything. I want to just
flat out be the most dominating lineman I can possibly be. Also, I'm going to
work my tail off to get at least a four-star rating, to prove that there is no
stereotype of the Texas / Oklahoma reject, people do choose to go to Tech. I get
pretty tired of hearing that if you don't get the UT or OU offer you're not good
enough. We'll see about that.”
Lavey loves West Texas
In the story we ran on linebacker Caleb Lavey in the week, we
made it sound as if Texas Tech was on the same level as all the other dozen plus
programs that have offered the Celina talent. The truth is, Lavey expressed a
special liking for Tech after our first question.
“I love Tech,” said Lavey. “I love West Texas. My mom went to Texas Tech. I’m a
big Tech fan. She’s from Turkey, Texas. It’s way West Texas.
“I don’t go to Tech very often. I go to West Texas to hunt a lot. I love West
Texas and the campus and football program. I just love everything about it.”
The most recent trip that the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder took to Lubbock was for the
Oklahoma State game. He and his father went on an unofficial visit.
“They’re great facilities. Their whole campus is just a great atmosphere. I
really like it there. I know I could definitely fit in well there. I’ve grown up
in Texas. That’s the kind of place I want to go. I could definitely see myself
going to school there. It’s a great college.”
Although Lavey has visited many schools unofficially (Oklahoma, TCU, Texas,
Arkansas, Oklahoma State this weekend), the Red Raider coaching staff has made a
special impression on him.
“I’ve talked to Coach McNeill and Coach Mainord a bit. They’re both great guys.
Coach Mainord came to Celina and I saw him from a distance. I’ve talked to both
of them before though. I really enjoyed talking to them and getting to know
them.”
Again, there’s just so many positives that Lavey sees in Tech.
“They have great academics there. My great grandparents live an hour or so away
from Lubbock. There’s nothing not to like about Lubbock and the school. Their
football program is only getting better. They’re already a great football
program. It’s just something to look forward to.”
And those are the only connections that Lavey has to West Texas. Are you ready
for this?
“My sister dated Adam James back in high school. They dated for three years. His
younger brother Andy is one of my really good friends. He lives down the road.
We used to ice down at his house every Thursday night before the games. They
have a ranch out in West Texas, too.”
Getting to know the James has brought Lavey even closer with the Red Raiders.
“I know that Adam loves it out there. It’s just a great place to go to college.
It’s not a big city at all. You’re out in the middle of nowhere and there’s
nothing wrong with that. I live out in Celina and it’s a little town. I want to
stay in that atmosphere.”
One thing that Lavey has also noticed is the offensive stereotype that the Red
Raiders receive. The 2010 linebacker sounds as if he almost takes personal
offense to that.
“Every good team has a strong defense. The defense doesn’t get near as much
credit as they should but we’re not looking for the spotlight. It’d be an honor
to go to Tech and start a new tradition of not just having a great offense but a
great defense.
“That’d definitely be something that I’d look forward to if I went to Tech. I
want to help get a stronger name for Tech’s defense. When you have such a
powerful offense, it’s easy to overlook.”
Lavey will have the option of graduating early in December and being on the
college campus of his choice by January. While that’s still up in there, he’d
like to make his decision within the next few months.
Right now, he’s publicly saying that everyone has a chance and that it’s wide
open. From the above statement, it’s clear that Lavey has atleast a little
biased towards those Red Raiders.
?
Haynes making Junior Day plans
The Red Raiders were the first to discover Orange standout James Haynes
because he always made himself available to Tech. After being at Tech's summer
camps the last two years, the Red Raiders couldn't ignore him anymore and gave
Haynes his first offer.
Even though Haynes impressed many at the U.S. Army Combine this winter in San
Antonio, he still hasn't racked up any more offers as he remains with two total
(Stanford is the other).
"I'm hoping that some more will roll in soon. I'm hearing from Oklahoma State,
Texas A&M and a little bit from Florida State."
Of course, Haynes has made it quite clear that he's a lock for LSU or Texas if
either one offers. Although it helps if he makes himself available to the
Longhorns.
"UT has told me that an invitation is in the mail for their next juinor day. So
I'm definitely going to try to make that."
As for Tech's junior day at the end of the month?
"No, I'm not going to be able to go. I don't have a way to get up there."
Unless he's committed to either Texas or LSU this summer, we'd expect Haynes to
make a trip up to campus once again for a camp day in Lubbock. The West-Orange
coaching staff is always reliable about taking their kids to the Hub City.
?
The vacancy at RB coach
Two former players have indicated to RRS that they are extremely interested in
the vacant position on Texas Tech's staff. No idea on the Red Raiders' timetable,
but it doesn't seem like any move will be made in the very immediate future.
?
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This post was edited on 2/13 8:26 AM by A. Dickens
This post was edited on 2/13 1:58 PM by A. Dickens
