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 this report is not to be disclosed elsewhere. This feature is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the
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Good news incoming on Stephens?
We had a lengthy conversation with Mansfield (TX) Timberview four-star running
back, and current Minnesota commitment,
Eric Stephens on Thursday and
learned quite a bit about his recruitment and his mindset heading into his
official to Texas Tech. Grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable and read this one
over, there’s a lot of good stuff in this one if you're a Red Raider
fan.
You’re coming off an ankle injury and ready to play on Friday. How are
things going?
ES: "Well, I’m actually going to play on both sides of the ball
now. They have me at strong safety now, too. I don’t know if I’m going to play
much this week because it’s my first week learning the position. After last
week’s game they asked me, I think it was this Monday. They brought it to
everyone’s attention that they felt there were a couple of players that could
play both ways and I was one of them."
Oh wow, so what are your thoughts on playing defense now, too?
ES: "I’m actually not too happy about it. I played defense when I was growing
up and when they found out I could run the ball, they left me at running back.
Now they want me back on defense, too. But if it helps my team win, then I’ll do
it."
You’re currently committed to Minnesota and just visited officially last
weekend. You’re now just a few days from officially visiting Texas Tech. What’s
going through your mind right now as far as trying to figure out where you’re
going to sign?
ES: "It’s going to be one of the biggest decisions of my life. I’m going to
have to live there for four years. I’m committed to Minnesota right now but I’m
going to Tech to make sure and to clarify that Minnesota is the right choice. If
I go to Tech and see something that I like and if Tech has everything to offer
that Minnesota does, then it’s going to be a big decision to make between the
two schools.
"If I go to Tech this weekend and they have everything to offer that
Minnesota does, it’s going to put me in a big bind. With Minnesota, I have a
good relationship.
Seth Littrell and I are building a relationship too and Tech isn’t
far from home. It’ll put me in a place to make a big decision. It’s going to be
one of the biggest decisions of my life and I just want to make sure that I’m
making the right decision."
Who was your player host at Minnesota?
ES: "Keanon Cooper was my host. Keanon was the one that told me about the dorms
at Tech. I told him that I was looking at Tech and coming to visit. He told me
that they were cool. He actually told me that Tech has some of the best dorms
ever. That’s coming from a Minnesota guy. He told me it was pretty cool."
Did he mention to you about switching commitments from Minnesota to Tech?
ES: "No."
Did he say anything negative about Tech?
ES: "No, nothing at all."
Why did you end up committing to Minnesota?
ES: "Minnesota has been recruiting me since the beginning. They were the first
one to offer me. I actually didn’t commit until June. I waited a couple of
months. Tech started recruiting me early on in my recruitment. I started hearing
a little bit in the beginning and got some junk mail. Then about four weeks ago,
I heard from Coach Littrell and I was real excited about that. Tech is the
offense that I have been running ever since I came up in high school with the
spread. I feel like I fit perfectly in their offense but when I didn’t hear from
them, I started looking at the next option.
"Growing up in Texas, I was a big fan
of all the Texas schools but then I didn’t hear from any of them and I started
looking on. Minnesota came in along with other schools. Me and the coaches from
Minnesota formed this great relationship. I looked at the situation and when I
went down there last summer it seemed like the right thing to do at the time."
So you were already committed to Minnesota when Tech came into the picture last
month?
ES: "Yes sir. I had already been committed for a couple of months, actually. He
called and told me what was going on out there and what took him so long to talk
to me. I don’t want to close the door on anyone, especially Tech. "
What are your thoughts on visiting another school after you’re committed?
ES: "My feeling is that if Minnesota feels like they did their job and their
school is the best place for me then they shouldn’t have a problem with me
visiting other schools. At the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for me.
This is going to be my ticket for the rest of my life. They’ve been cool but
they seem worried. I’m thinking they’re trying to cover it up but I think
they’re a little worried about me visiting Tech. I called the coach and he asked
if everything was okay and if he had anything to worry about. "
Why do you have a great relationship with Minnesota and your recruiting coach?
ES: "I like him because he’s going to be real. I’m starting to get close with
Littrell but I’m still not as close with him as I am with the Minnesota coach
because I’ve been talking with him longer. I want to be close with someone and I
can still get closer with Tech.
"I just want someone to tell me the truth. If I
have to redshirt, it’s not a big deal, but I want the coach tell me the truth.
Even if it’s going to take two years for me to see the field, that’s fine. I
just want them to tell me that. But both of these guys are coming in and telling
me that I can help out immediately and that’s a big thing for me. That’s good
news."
When Tech called you last month, what did you start thinking?
ES: "The first thing that came into my mind was ‘What took you so long? Why
now?’ He told me that the plan was to not take a running back out of this class.
He explained it to me with their situation up there. But who am I to shut anyone
out? I’m here to figure this out on my own. The fact that it was late kind of
worried me. But after talking to him and him giving me the situation, I thought
I’d give him the chance."
If you go to Tech and you feel like they’re just as good as Minnesota, do you
still feel like you have a certain allegiance to Minnesota because they’re been
recruiting you longer?
ES: "When you commit to a school, it becomes an engagement. That’s what I’m looking
at it as right now. With Tech being five hours away, just an easy drive, and
Minnesota being far away, that’s going to come into play. That’s going to be a
big factor. That’s something I’m going to have to discuss with my family and
coaches and see what overall is the best decision for me.
"I was talking to Littrell and my coaches and the big deal with me is that I’m not going to a
college to get in the NFL. I’m going to college to get my degree and if I go to
the NFL, that’s great. But I’m going to get my degree. If I go to Minnesota and
I get my degree up there, most of my alumni will be from Minnesota, so I’d
probably be better off taking a job in Minnesota. With Tech, most of my alumni
will be form Tech and where I’m from. Most of my family is here and this is
where I’m going to want to be. It’s not that I couldn’t get a job here from
Minnesota, but I think I’d have a better chance from Tech.
"Location is a big
deal for me. It’s coming up on me fast and this summer I thought about how
important it’d be for me to be close to home. I got to figure this out on my
home and at the end of the day I have to do what’s best for me and what’s best
for my family."
Have you talked to Littrell recently?
ES: "I actually just talked to him a little while ago. We’ve been talking a lot
this week since it’s my visit week. We want to get everything squared away so
it’ll go smoothly this weekend."
Does Littrell seem excited to have you visiting?
ES: "He’s telling me that I’m his number one back. I believe him. I could be
totally wrong but the fact that I’m hearing from him tells me that they really
want me and they want me to be the guy. I’ve been hearing that the fans are real
excited about me coming there. If they love the fact I’m coming up there to
visit, then I’m sure it’s going to be a great time. Even my coaches were telling
me all the time about Tech over the summer. Even when I wasn’t hearing from
Tech, they’d always ask me if I was hearing from Tech.
"They understand with the way that they run their offense that I would fit
perfectly with the way I can catch the ball out of the backfield and with what I
can do in space. A lot of people talked to me about Tech and when I they called
I was like, 'Wow'."
What was the reason Littrell gave for taking so long?
ES: "They didn’t plan to take any backs out of my class but something happened
and they allowed him to get a back. The head coach gave him permission to go get
a running back. I guess there was a reason and he told him to go get a guy and
they said I was the first guy. He showed
(Mike) Leach my tape, Leach approved, he
called me, and that’s when our relationship began."
Are you over the fact that Tech came in a little late?
ES: "Yeah, I have to make the best decision for me. I understand this is a
business. I’m not going to hold him at fault for that. I don’t see it as me
being a second choice. They’re just doing what’s best for them."
What’s your thoughts on heading out to Lubbock this weekend? Do you know
anything about West Texas?
ES: "I’ve never been to Lubbock. My parents have been because my sister is a
track star and she’s been to Lubbock. My mom has pictures of it. It’ll be a
great experience for me and seeing a part of Texas I’ve never seen before. I’m
really looking forward to it and I think this is there homecoming. I know that
the city is going to be jacked up so I’m just ready to get out there and
experience that."
What’s your expectations about the city?
ES: "On the positive side, it’s a place to get away. One of the negative things
is that it’s out there on it’s own. It depends how you look at it. If you’re on
your own, you’re more focused. You don’t have to worry about other distractions.
I’ve been told it’s a pretty nice town and it’s all about Texas Tech. It’s a fan
base city. I’ve heard a lot of good things and not so many bad things. The bad
things are that it’s kind of like on an island but it’s big enough to where you
won’t be depressed and bored. You can focus and focus with what you need to
focus on."
Can you picture yourself committing to Tech this weekend?
ES: "I’m going with the mind frame that if it’s equal, I’m going to switch my
commitment. I don’t know what’s going to happen in a couple of months or weeks.
But right now I’m going with the mindset that I am committed to Minnesota but
Tech is a great opportunity and I want to see what the opportunity brings. When
I left Minnesota, I felt great about it and that it’s a place I want to be and I
meant that. I felt good about Minnesota.
"But like I said, Tech is right down the
street. It’s so appealing and if the visit goes well I’m going to be put in a
situation to make one of the biggest decisions of my life. I’m not going to make
it on the spot. I’m going to give it some thought and then make my decision."
Bye, bye Hollins!
The relationship between
Jonathan Hollins
and Texas Tech has certainly been a long and interesting one. It spanned three
years, saw him sign with the Red Raiders twice, and ended emphatically on Monday
in a rather bizarre way.
We spoke with Hollins for a bit on Monday, focusing mainly on where he stood at
the time with Tech and his plans moving forward. He spoke about his season, his
academic status, opening his recruitment up and detailed a conversation that he
and
Dennis Simmons had last month.
“We talked, and I discussed it (his decommitment) with him,” said Hollins. “It
went pretty well. We went into details and there were no hard feelings. I’m just
seeing what options are out there for me.”
While it is true that Simmons went to see Hollins, sources close to the
situation have confirmed to us that a conversation about "decommitting" never
happened. Hollins never once decommitted to the Texas Tech coaching staff.
Furthermore, in our talk with Hollins on Monday night, he was very adamant that
he really had no particular school in mind. He simply wanted to look around and
see who all would be interested.
"I’m just trying to practice hard and visit with everyone that is coming in," he
said. "With the way our season is going, it ought to bring in a lot more schools
and also because I’m graduating in December. I’m probably going to pick up a lot
more offers before the end of this season because of the success of my time.
Everything is going well."
Hollins mentioned Tennessee in passing, but by no means did he bring them up
more than any other schools. Even when we asked him about future visit dates.
"A lot of schools are tying to send me on visits," explained Hollins. "With the
way my schedule is, we’re going to be playing for a long time. I got a chance to
talk to Coach
(Sonny) Dykes who was my first recruiting coordinator at Tech.
he’s trying to gee me out to Arizona to take a visit. I’m going to try to go out
to Tennessee and a couple more places as well. I’ll probably take a visit to
LSU, that’s in the works. I’d like to visit K-State and maybe two more."
He expressed over and over that he still liked Texas Tech, but simply "wanted to
keep his options open" and was going to "let this thing play itself out."
Literally, fifteen minutes later, we got a text from Hollins, telling us that he
had just committed to the Volunteers.
Kind of weird, huh?
Hawthorne knows what to expect from Tech
When Texas Tech began recruiting four-star wide receiver
Terry Hawthorne
earlier this summer, the East St. Louis (IL) native maintained that they were
going to be on his visit list. When he committed to Illinois weeks later, in
June, that became highly doubtful.
Still, Hawthorne is sticking to his word and there are major reasons to believe
that this could be a great thing for the Red Raiders.
"What I like about them is that they’re mainly a passing team," said Hawthorne.
"I’ve been watching them this year and I think they’re a pretty decent team, I
just hope they make it far."
His recruiting coach,
Lincoln Riley, is a big piece behind Hawthorne's continued
attention towards Tech. He’s made sure that the highly recruited receiver
realizes how badly he’s wanted in the Lone Star State.
"I think he’s a pretty cool person," explained Hawthorne. "He sounds friendly
and I feel like he’s family when I’m taking to him. I feel like he’s one of my
family members. I talk to him pretty much every other day."
No doubt, Riley has Hawthorne intrigued with the thoughts of what he could do
within the Air Raid.
"I see that they’re a passing offense so I want to see if I fit in down there,"
he said. "I want to see if I fit in with their offense. I want to see if I can
come in and get a good education. I also want to see how close they hold
themselves. I want to see how close they are and how big of a family they are."
There’s a lot of talk that the only reason that Hawthorne committed to Illinois
was because it’s close to home and it’s what he’s familiar and comfortable with.
The more we talk to Hawthorne, that’s the felling that we get as well. And while
the conventional wisdom seems to be that there’s no way this young man is going
to leave the area that he was born and raised in, Hawthorne challenges that
notion.
“No sir, I would not say that I am looking to stay in Illinois or that I’m not
going to leave this state! I’m definitely looking into the possibilities of
leaving because I’d love to get away and meet new people from a different state.
I’d love to get away from the state that I’ve been living my entire life.”
Meanwhile, the Illini have not been told by Hawthorne personally that he’s going
on a visit, but he says that it all should be understood and they should not
have hard feelings.
"I haven’t even talked to them about it yet but I have told them from the
beginning that I’m going to take all my visits."
But when asked, Hawthorne couldn’t name any other schools that he’s looking to
visit right now, and he does not have any visits set up. In fact, he’s not even
sure when he’s going to take his official to Illinois.
Everything that we have heard from him and other sources indicate that he is
legitimately interested in Tech. Hawthorne is also bringing along fellow
teammate and four-star wideout
Kraig Appleton.
"It doesn’t really matter to me if we play at the same school though. He just
wants to come, too."
So, in his first trip to Texas, what does Hawthorne expect to see?
"Honestly?" he laughed. "I think I’m going to see a lot of pretty girls."
Premium Q&A: Lyle Leong
You
have three catches for three touchdowns against Kansas State; was it a surreal
feeling and what did the other players have to say about it?
LL: Yeah it was a surreal feeling. Everyone was just excited
that we were moving the ball with ease, getting the ball in the end zone and
scoring touchdowns.
Was the first catch difficult for you, the way you had to contort your body
and still get your feet in bounds?
LL: No, not really, it wasn’t to difficult. I actually made it
seem more difficult than it actually was (laugh).
How fun is it to you, when you get to be active in the offense, and have
your name in the mix?
LL: It is real fun. This is the best offense to be in if you
are a receiver. Every time [the receivers] are out there, we know that we are
going to get the ball, and that makes it more fun for us, but also helps us
focus.
For those that don't know, what does taking a 'grayshirt' involve?
LL: Instead of coming to school in the spring, I came to school
in August. It just gave me a little extra time to prepare for the road ahead. I
got a chance to put on a little weight, and learn the system a little better. I
was just eating right, and lifting weights, and trying to build myself up for
the future
How would you describe your play? Are you a possession receiver, more of a
speed guy, what?
LL: I am here to do whatever the team needs me to do. Really
our receivers are just here to do whatever it takes to get it done, we do not
really just excel in one area.
How have your hands gotten to be so good?
LL: Growing up, my father would go out on Saturdays with me,
and he would toss me these odd shaped Frisbees, and it really helped develop my
hand eye coordination, and matching catching a much larger object like a
football, easier. When I go home, I still do the same things with my father, and
he teaches me something new every time.
As a track guy, your best in the high jump is over seven feet, how is that?
LL: I was just blessed with a vertical I guess. It really
translates onto the football field too, and it allows me to bring in some balls
that others might have more trouble with.
Why is this offense having so much fun right now?
LL: It is a blast to come out here and work with this team. I
do not think that this team has shown any signs of complacency. We are working
just as hard now, as we were on day one, and that is something really special
about this group of guys. Plus, when you are winning, it also helps, and I think
we will continue to win.
How good is Graham Harrell since he arrived?
LL: He is as good as it gets. I am just excited to be a part of
this team with a guy like him, and he makes it fun for all of us, and he keeps
things loose. Whatever he thinks he needs to fix, he will fix, and that is what
makes him good.
What is it like to have a former teammate like Taylor Potts with you?
LL: He is a great quarterback too, his time is coming. It is
always nice to have a relationship with a good guy like him. He works just as
hard as any of us, and he gets just as frustrated when he knows that he is not
competing like he should, but he is a guy that I trust, and I love it when we
both get to be on the field together.
Celestie piling up the stats
We communicated with Johnny Giordano, the track coach/mentor of Texas
Tech commitment
E.J. Celestie, earlier this week and he passed along updated
stats for the three-star athlete.
Rushing: 43 attempts for 376 yards (8.75 yards per
carry) and six touchdowns
Receiving: 15 receptions for 264 yards (18.4 yards
per reception) and four touchdowns
Giordano also added the following: "Amazingly, he has not played all four
quarters in any of these games as they were all blowouts. Also, he has had a
55-yard punt return for a touchdown called back, along with a 40-yard touchdown
run and another 50-plus yard reception."
The rest of our conversation continues below in Q&A format.
So how does the recruiting process look right now for E.J.?
JG: "I’ll tell you what, he loved Tech so much when we went
that he’s not even looking anywhere else. That doesn’t mean others aren’t
sniffing around, but he’s just not paying attention. LSU, I could care less
about LSU and so could Earnest, but the LSU people that hadn’t paid him much
attention yet came out to his game last week and gave me his card and they
really want Earnest to come down there and check them out. But to illustrate my
point, I told Earnest about that, and he absolutely couldn’t care less that
they’re interested."
Why do you think they waited so long?
JG: "I've had some coaches tell me that the reason they wait so
long on in-state kids like this is because they think they can have any
Louisiana kid anytime they want. There’s this stigma that, if you’re from
Louisiana and don’t got to LSU, then somehow you’re not a good football player,
and let me just tell you, that’s complete crap. They don’t get everyone good
from this state. Heck, look at NFL rosters and you’ll see what I’m talking
about.
"The numbers prove it, there are too many great athletes here to all go to LSU.
But the real reason they missed on Earnest was because they have this notion
that receivers have to be 6-foot-2 to be any good, but I guess they haven’t been
watching the same NFL I’ve been watching, because when I turn on the TV I see
guys like Steve Smith and Wes Welker making a pretty good living not being
6-foot-2."
Obviously if more schools are jumping in, he’s been looking pretty good
right?
JG: "He’s been good so far. To make a long story short, he’s
having a great year. That’s why I’m interested in sending out highlight film on
him, because if he isn’t a four-star recruit, then I don’t know who is."
Has he talked at all to any other recruits lately?
JG: "He and
Jacob (Karam) talked right after the Kansas State
game and they were real excited. They watch games like that and realize that
they’re going to get to play in those games before long, and that’s exciting."
How are his grades and his academic situation Coach?
JG: "He’s good. Right now, here’s the bottom line, he made
honor roll for the last six weeks. He needs to make a 20 on the ACT and he’s
studying, he’s in a class. He’s doing good so far this year and he knows what he
needs. That’s all he talks about, he knows what he needs and he wants to be
eligible when he steps foot on that campus.
"We will make sure he makes that grade. He’s a smart kid, very sharp, but the
bottom line is when you do multiple sports, it’s easy to get bogged down and
that’s how he got that 2.5 core GPA. I mean, he was doing football, then running
bases for the baseball team and then running track and doing off-season workouts
during all of that, so he had a lot on his plate. We know what the mark is and
so until he makes that score, I can’t tell you he’s clear, but we’re going to
get it out of the way.
"They keep saying he’s good enough to contribute next year, so it’d be a shame
for both Earnest and Tech if he’s not eligible."
Gordon looking at Tech
When we
asked this week why he is so interested in Texas Tech, four-star athlete
Eric
Gordon gave a familiar answer.
"They throw the ball a lot," he laughed. "And since I’m a wide receiver in high
school, that’s tight. So I just want to look at it and check it out. That’s a
school right there that has been after me real hard for a while now and they’re
really, really good this year, so I want to check them out."
Though it is still a bit up in the air as to whether or not Gordon will be able
to make it into Lubbock this weekend, he told us that there are a few things he
really wants to see when he makes it to Lubbock, whenever that may be.
"Man, I’m hoping to see a great game and all that, but I also just want to check
out the out-of-state school thing and see what that’s like," he said. "I just
want to see the game atmosphere and the academics and meet the players and all
that. I talk to their coaches a lot and I think it will be fun."
Gordon, who says he doesn’t care whether he plays offense or defense next year,
is also intrigued by the prospect of stepping in and playing right away,
something he says he sees at Texas Tech.
Tech is currently in his top five, and while it will be incredibly hard to snag
him out of SEC country, location might actually work in Tech’s favor.
"I want to be one of those guys that goes to a school that no one in my school
has ever had the chance to go to," he explained. "I mean, everyone has gone to
SEC schools and UT (Tennessee) and all that, but I’m probably the only guy at my
school to ever be offered by a Texas Tech or an Oklahoma or a Miami. All those
schools are talented and they’re far away, and I think that would be cool."
Whether or not he makes it into town, there is one thing to keep in mind when he
does visit: Gordon says he has made up his mind about making up his mind, and
says there is no chance whatsoever that he would commit on a visit.
Premium Q&A: Pearlie Graves
Pearlie, who’s standing out to you right now?
PG: "Well, probably OU, Tech, Michigan, Oklahoma State and
Kansas State."
Why those schools?
PG: "Well, they’re the ones recruiting me real hard and they’re
the best fit for me too I think."
What does your visit situation look like so far?
PG: "Well, I took my trip to Michigan last week. It was
wonderful, they played Illinois and it was all good. In the future, I’ll be
visiting Tech and K-State. I’m going to Tech this weekend."
How important is it to you to play right away?
PG: "Being a redshirt isn’t a big deal to me. That means you
can come in and learn stuff and get better. I can understand why some kids don’t
like it, but I’m good with it. That means you get a full 5 years and get all
that time to get bigger, quicker, stronger, faster, all of that. I look at those
depth charts and if it’s just a bunch of freshman and sophomore tackles there,
then I know I could get reps, but it would be tough to steal their starting jobs
from them. So I am looking for a place to start ideally. It won’t be a huge
issue, but it will be an issue."
How are your grades looking? How’s your core GPA and your ACT and all that?
PG: "I really don’t know my core GPA, you know, I lost my
transcript when I moved schools, but I made a 17 on my first ACT without
studying, so I should be able to get the 19 or better that schools have been
telling me I need. I should be alright."
What are you looking forward to seeing on your Tech visit?
PG: "I’m looking for a school that will help me with my
tutoring and my business classes and make sure that I get a great education. I
want to take care of things at the next level, whatever that may be. It may be
the NFL, it may be business, but I just want to make sure I’m prepared for
anything. I want to see their academic facilities and everything else really."
What’s the biggest thing in your mind when it comes to making your decision?
PG: "Well, I’m a big momma’s boy, I don’t want to be too far
away from my mom. I’m willing to, but only if it’s right. So I’m trying to find
out what place will be best about dealing with my momma and everything and
making sure she feels comfortable with where I am."
Hoops recruiting is still ongoing
Mike Leach and his football program won't be the only program on campus
ready to host a visitor this weekend.
Pat Knight and
Chris Beard will be hosting forward
Theron
Jenkins out of Fulton (MS) Itawamba Community College. Jenkins is a pure small forward and is
someone the Red Raiders recently started recruiting after they lost
Brad Reese
to LSU. The irony on Jenkins' visit is that he visited Nebraska last weekend
which is who the Red Raiders will be playing. I'm told that Jenkins is a very
tough 6-foot-6 and 215-pounds but what remains to be seen is if he's the right
fit here or not.
Pat Knight is going about things a little bit differently that his dad which
has led to recruiting prospects much earlier. Texas Tech's top target for 2010
is 6-foot-2 guard Ricky Scott of Irving (TX) MacArthur and he'll be in
attendance this weekend on an unofficial visit. Scott has drawn comparisons to
current Texas guard Justin Mason because he's very tough minded and plays hard
all the time. This weekend could be big in Scott's recruitment as Texas Tech
tries to lay the groundwork for a potential commitment down the line.
South Plains guard
David Tairu is still very much in the picture and a
major focus of what Texas Tech is still looking for so keep him in mind when
thinking of top remaining targets.
Arlington guard
Nick Russell is visiting SMU this weekend but we're
told that is just a "token" visit and that he'll likely decide between Iowa, Texas
Tech and Kansas State after this weekend. Russell is still an option for the Red
Raiders, but the
vibe we get is that it'll be Iowa or Kansas State. We'll see.
Scales still listening?
In an age where the word “commitment”
means next to nothing in the recruiting process,
Rhontae Scales deserves an tip
of the hat. Scales, who is committed to Texas A&M, is holding true to his word,
despite the fact that the program he is committed to is in disarray and could
slip even further before it’s all said and done.
“It’s been frustrating watching them (A&M) lose,” said Scales. “I want the team
I’m playing for now to win and I want my future team to
win. It makes me real
mad when other schools call and their coaches are talking junk about A&M and
they actually think I’m listening. Why would I listen to them when they’re doggin’ on my school? That’s my school man, I don’t know why they do that.”
Though Scales declined to tell us who’s been “talking junk,” he did confirm that
Tech’s coaches have never delved into the negative recruiting.
However, even though Tech’s staff has stayed positive, Scales says he’s not
listening to any pitches, including those from Texas Tech.
But here’s a bit of a laugher. We asked Scales why he chose A&M originally, and
this is what he had to say:
“The way I see it, I’ve always been the underdog at Killeen here, and I like
that. It would be nice to go to a team that wins a lot, but I had to ask myself
if I would fit in at a cocky school where everyone thinks they’re better than
they really are and that they’re the best, or whether I’d like to go to a school
that plays with a lot of heart and is always the underdog. I like being scrappy
and not thinking that I’m owed a win because of the name on my jersey, so that’s
why when I sat down and looked at schools, A&M was clearly the choice for me.”
Okay, so Scales deserves the hat-tip for keeping his word when some wouldn’t
have, but he just might deserve a confused head tilt as well. Choosing A&M
because you don’t want to go to a school that is always the underdog? To quote
Seth Meyers and
Amy Poehler (worth checking out), "Really?"
Handicapping Tech's chances
RedRaiderSports.com Recruiting Editor Jordan Strebeck breaks down on
a scale of one to 10 the likelihood of each official visitor committing to the
Red Raiders in the near future.
(1 - Lloyd Christmas has a better shot with Mary Swanson in Dumb and Dumber,
10 - The kid has already picked out his jersey number and is wearing socks with
a Double T on them.)
Kraig Appleton (3): Stranger things have happened, but I'd be pretty surprised
if Appleton pulled the trigger this early.
Romario Cathey (3): It wouldn't shock me if Cathey was blown away and committed
before leaving Lubbock, but his commitment would likely be more solid if it came
after a few more visits and some time to deliberate.
Eric Gordon
(2): If he makes it into town (and that's a big if) he'll see a great
atmosphere and all the things he's looking for. However, he's already made it
clear that he won't be committing anytime soon.
Pearlie Graves
(4): Graves is another guy that could be pleasantly surprised,
particularly if the crowd is raucous and the Red Raiders blow out Nebaska.
Unlikely, but not impossible that he might commit. What is more probable is that
he will wait for the final word from Oklahoma before making a move.
Eric Stephens (9.5): Finally, some good news. Tech is hosting a lot of guys this
weekend that they'll have to fight for tooth and nail, and while Stephens is no
easy get, he's a lot more likely to pull the trigger than anyone else this
weekend. If he sees an explosive offensive performance and a crazy atmosphere,
he won't be able to say no to the Red Raiders.
Terry Hawthorne
(1.7): Again, you just never know, but I'd say the odds of
Hawthorne switching to Tech anytime soon are slim to none, and, well, Slim isn't
likely to make an appearance this weekend.
To view previous installments of the Red Raider Confidential, you can visit the
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clicking here.
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This post was edited on 10/10 6:57 AM by A. Dickens
