Friday can only mean one thing for the discriminating Red Raider fan: time for another edition of the Red Raider Confidential. As always, we begin this session with the ground rules. Everything that is reported in the Red Raider Confidential must stay well… confidential. That's the way this deal works. The Red Raider Confidential is posted in the premium forum to ensure that this information stays exclusively within the Raider Nation.
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Hyder Close to Pulling the Trigger?
With an unofficial visit to Tech planned in the next few weeks, defensive end Kerry Hyder isn’t really shy about his affinity for the Red Raiders.
“I’m not gonna lie, yeah, I’m going to think about it,” he answered when asked if his visit might lead to a commitment. “I’m going to check it out and consider it, and talk to my family, and if I feel like that’s where I need to be, then I’m going to do it.”
Hyder then confirmed that Tech is the school to beat for his services.
“Tech is in the lead at this point.”
He also admitted that he grew up a Longhorn fan, but says it shouldn’t be a problem.
“I did grow up a UT fan, but I’m going to try to get my own thing started with Tech, you know,” he said with a laugh. “When they’re not playing us, though, I’ll still root for UT. I won’t be telling anybody though; it’ll just be like my little secret. I’ll just do it behind closed doors.”
We’re not sure if he meant to phrase it that way or not, but in case you missed it, he referred to Tech as “us” when talking about rooting for UT. This, along with the other things he told us, has lead us to believe that Hyder should be considered somewhat of a Tech lean.
The significance of his recruitment is hard to overstate, frankly. Tech needs defensive end help in this class, and Hyder is a guy who can give Tech that help. He’s been a little bit under the radar, but he’s a player, and would be a valuable addition to this class.
Hot Routes with Jacob Karam
Here are a few excerpts from the interview we conducted with Tech commitment quarterback Jacob Karam earlier this week.
On the Tech staff’s reaction to his rejection of Oklahoma:
“Well, believe it or not, I still haven’t talked to Coach Leach at all since he’s been in Europe. (laughter) Right now his phone won’t get service ‘cause he’s in like Ireland or something crazy like that. But I have talked to Coach Littrell quite a bit. He was really happy when we talked about it.”
On his relationship with EJ Celestie:
“We formed a great bond at Tech’s camp and just kinda hit it off. He actually just called me and asked about OU and everything and I just told him that I’m 100% Tech. We’re both pumped because we’re taking our official visits the same weekend for the Texas game.”
On why he stayed loyal to Tech:
“Well, you know, honestly, they’re similar places, Lubbock and Norman, and they’re in the same conference and all that stuff, but there was just something about Tech. There’s something about playing in your home state, and I didn’t think for a long time that I was going to be blessed with that opportunity. But I got that in Tech, and in the end, that was just too strong. I really just fell in love with Tech, and that was just too much.”
On Strebeck’s characterization of the recruiting process as eerily similar to dating:
“Oh, man, I hadn’t thought of that. That’s exactly what it is! I can relate the whole thing to girls and everything! That’s great. Ok here’s the deal- OU is a hot girl- no, take that back, OU is a very hot girl, you know, just smokin’ hot and all that. But that doesn’t mean she’s the best girl for you to marry just because she’s hot. There’s more to it than that. Tech’s the girl I want to marry, and Tech’s the girl I’m gonna marry. She’s hot too, but she’s got the total package. (laughter)”
Stewart hearing from Tech
Even though Tech isn’t necessarily looking for another linebacker in this year’s class, they are being very careful to keep all lines of communication open and not burn any bridges. Take Jonathan Stewart for example. Stewart is not a need, but you never know when LB might become a more pressing area, so Tech is giving him their best shot.
“I would say Texas Tech is recruiting me the hardest,” he said. “I get the most mail from them and Oklahoma State. But Coach McNeill, he’s recruiting me real hard. He’s always laughing and things like that, and I like talking to him. We talk on a weekly basis, so I know that they lead the Big 12 in bowl appearances and they’re an up and coming program there.”
Is Gabe Hunter an option?
Maybe. Running back Gabriel Hunter seems like he hasn’t really made too many concrete decisions yet in the recruiting process. For instance, when we asked us if he had a top five he responded that right now it looked like Alabama, Tennessee, Memphis, Oklahoma State, and Kentucky. Yet, when he started talking about Tech, he told us that he is going to use an official visit on Tech.
So, we asked him what the deal was, and if he was indeed going to visit Tech, which school in his top five would not be receiving a visit.
“Oh, probably Memphis,” he said. “I’ve seen them already. I don’t know what all officials I’m going to take yet, but I do know that I’m going to get out to Texas Tech.”
He also told us initially that he’d like to commit soon, but then also said he wanted to take all of his official visits. When we asked him what that would look like, he responded that he hadn’t really thought about it yet, but if he did commit early, he would still take his visits.
The bottom line is that Hunter is still looking at Tech, and with Dennis Simmons on the job, who knows what’s possible. In the end, it might turn out to be a positive that he hasn’t really given the process much thought, and by the time he’s getting around to making a decision, Tech will be making headlines with their on-field performance.
Chidozie 100% committed?
It’s been a successful so far this summer for Tech commit linebacker Dion Chidozie. He’s gotten his visit to Lubbock in already and now continues to improve.
“ My summer is going pretty good,” said Chidozie. “I’ve just been working out trying to improve my strength and conditioning. I’ve been doing more sprints and more speed-oriented drills. I’m just trying to get back in football shape. I’ve gained a lot more weight than last year and I’m trying to condition myself with the additional weight.
Going from 170-pounds to 190-pounds over the last year, Chidozie has put on 20-pounds worth of muscle. It’s something that Bishop Lynch head coach Bill Persinger highly recommended.
“He plays a nine technique and walks away in space and comes up to the line and sometimes plays against a tight end,” explained Persinger. “For him to be able to go to the next level and be competitive, he needed the weight, without a doubt. He’s done an excellent job this off-season.
“He’s been in the weight room and does his protein shakes. We drug test all of our athletes twice a year and he’s done a great job of getting bigger. He’s working with the elite group. Without anything but a belt, he’s squatting 465-pounds. During power lifting he was about 525 and that’s great for a kid his size. Without any wraps or suit, just a belt. That’s excellent.
His bench has increased tremendously, too. He’s almost at 300-pounds consistently. Dion’s ripped up pretty good right now. He looks really good. He’s a little over 190, depending on how much running they do that day. They get after it.
“We ran full gassers and then followed those with half gassers and that was just on Tuesday, when we ran. On Thursday’s they run 26 - 110's. He’s going be in good shape and he’ll bust his butt.”
A lot of times, a prospect will get comfortable after committing to a Division-I school. They realize they’re going to play at the next level, so they take a breather and relax. Persinger says that Chidozie has actually done the opposite.
“It has not affected him at all being committed. In fact, it’s made him more committed (to his workouts). Actually, I’ve seen a new fire since his visit to Tech. Like today, he was watching film with three or four defensive guys. I just left the projector out and he took the initiative to get it going. He’s really into it.”
Persinger believes it was the visit to Tech two weeks ago that completely inspired Chidozie even more. It was his first time to see the Tech campus and it was definitely everything he had dreamed of and more.
“It felt more like a small town because everyone in the administration knew each other really well and they were all really friendly. I really enjoyed the campus and I just loved everything about it. I liked the apartments, too. They’re really nice and the stadium was amazing. Just the feel of being there was amazing. I’ve never played in a stadium like that before and it’s kind of overwhelming. The view from the press box is really nice. You can pretty much see the whole campus.”
When Chidozie first committed to the Red Raiders, there was much talk about his interest in Duke. Persinger had explained to us in an edition of the RRC that the influence came completely from his father. Chidozie’s dad was set on his son going to Duke’s business school and concentrating on academics. So what did the family think about Tech after the visit?
“I know his dad was real impressed with Tech’s business school,” said Persinger. “They were real impressed. They hooked them up with the academic people, which was real smart.”
“When it came down to the academic center,” explained Chidozie, “I expected it to have a couple of athletic-related things to it but it was totally academics. There was no athletics involved, it was all concentrating on academics and that was real important to me.”
“To his dad, academics are going to be real critical,” continued Persinger. “He wants him to go to a good business school. I think they did a good job out there. I think he’s going to Texas Tech. I don’t see anyone else.
“Duke was kind of the back of his mind at one time but he hasn’t said a word about Duke since he committed to Tech. They were his number one priority and they stayed a whole day at campus but still wanted him to come to camp before getting an offer and Dion told them ‘No’.”
Upon the visit, Chidozie got to talk with defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill for the second time.
“He was very impressed with Ruffin. Ruffin did a great job, he really did. I was very impressed because knew a lot about Dion before he even came to our school. Then he slapped in the DVD and saw three plays and offered Dion officially. I let them go in my office and talk that. I always let the coaches do their own thing with the kids.”
Even though Chidozie gave Tech his verbal, other schools have still been knocking on Persinger’s door at Bishop Lynch.
“I’ve gotten new offers from Northwestern and Iowa State since I committed,” echoed Chidozie. “My coach just told me that they offered but I haven’t talked to anyone.”
What exactly does Persinger tell the schools that call?
“I tell them that I’ll pass the information around,” said Persinger. “But I tell them first and upfront that he’s committed to Texas Tech and he’s pretty firm with his commitment. A lot of schools tell me they’re going to offer him soon and everything. Northwestern and Iowa State actually sent offers.
“I know he has no interest in Iowa State and he doesn’t have any interest in Northwestern.”
In the end, how firm is the three-star linebacker’s commitment?
“That’s where I want to go,” simply put Chidozie. “That’s where I want to be right now. Definitely. I’m not thinking about any other schools. Tech is pretty much into right now. I’m pretty settled with Tech. I’ve met all the coaches and they met me and I’m pretty satisfied.”
“He’s still firm with Texas Tech,” added Persinger. “After the visit two weekend’s ago, he’s really loved it even more. They had a really good trip. I think it’s a pretty much a done deal.”
And the Tech defensive system is something Persinger feels is even more beneficial for
Chidozie.
“Oh yeah, that’s perfect!” exclaimed Persinger. “He can come off the tip, he can walk away in space, and he can play the flat or bubble. I think that’s awesome. That’s a good place for him. I got a feeling McNeill going to bring Dion a lot because he likes how he gets to the quarterback.”
Speaking of getting to the quarterback ? Chidozie ran into some of the offensive lineman at the Tech facilities.
“They’re really big,” is all Chidozie could say.
What was the first thought that came up in Chidozie’s mind as he gazed up at the giant human beings?
“I need to run around them. Definitely.”
Jeffers’ emotional ride
It’s been nothing but an up and down emotional roller coaster for both Tech commit running back Harrison Jeffers and his former coach and mentor Ryan Breeze over the last month. Luckily for them, it all came to a halt on Tuesday.
“Oh man,” sighed Breeze. “It was a pleasant surprise when we had found out that the ACT score had come up enough to match the core GPA. When we first heard the first ACT score, we didn’t think he’d gotten it.“
It took some extra calculations and an official tally from the NCAA to get Jeffers through. So exactly how close was he?
“It came down to talking about a tenth of a hundred of a point.”
Not matter how close it was, only one thing matters.
“He got in. It was a huge relief. He was very upset because he felt like he had let his family and Tech down. It was really bothering him that there was a chance of him not making it there.”
So what exactly was Jeffer’s big struggle? Why did he have such a hard time getting the correct amount of academic points?
“The biggest thing he did was actually take the time to study. For the first time, he actually prepared for the ACT as apposed to showing up and taking the test.
“He got his books and studied the ACT prep book very hard. We came up here and we had someone give sessions with an English teacher. We went over basics of how to take the ACT, English Math, and key parts of it. We went over test taking tips, what to look for, and stuff like that.”
Some observers want to be convinced that Jeffers won’t have this problem at the college level. Breeze filled us in:
“Number one reason people shouldn’t be worried is because the job the football program does with the tutoring and study hall at Tech. The players are set up for success through the academic center. Everything these guys need, they have at their disposal. He’ll be fine once he gets up there. Without a choice, his study habits will improve whether he likes it or not.”
It’s been an experience that Breeze has lived every day this spring. He’s kept a very close eye on Jeffers and knows what this means to the official Red Raider.
“It’s very humbling for him. For a long period of time, things looked weak. People started explaining to him that he would have to go the JUCO route if he couldn’t figure this out. He thought it would look real bad if he had to grey shirt as well.
“He has a lot of pride and he didn’t want to let himself down, family down, and the Tech family. He was very upset about letting the team down and he still feels he has a chance to come in and help the team next fall.”
How early can Jeffers help the team? Nobody knows Jeffers’ better than Breeze, so what does he think about Jeffers’ chances of playing early?
“He can get up there and get in a little better shape. He just wants a chance to battle. He’s an extreme competitor and whenever they go outside, he’s going to want to own every sprint. He cannot stand to lose and he carries that over when he has the ball in his hands. Just watching him play shows the competitiveness and once he gets there, he wants to muscle down and earn some playing time. He wants to help the team however he can. With his work ethic and passion for football, he has a good chance of doing that.”
It goes without saying that Jeffers’ isn’t the only one that can be relieved at this point. Breeze has been celebrating all week.
“I’m relieved because it’s best for him. Tech is the best place for him to be at right now. I guarantee he’ll make the most of his experience because of what he’s gone through the last month. The last two weeks have been hard on him because things didn’t look good for a stretch here.
“But yes, I’m extremely relieved.”
“We’re so happy for that guy,” echoed Lawton head coach and Breeze’s father, Randy Breeze. “He was so low the last couple of days. When he called us on Tuesday with the news, he was so emotional, we could tell he was crying and laughing when he found out he qualified.”
Randy Breeze feels that Jeffers’ situation can be used as an example and hopefully help other kids in his program.
“That’s a weird deal with the core, those kids don’t realize as ninth graders what’s going to important as a senior. When he was in 9th grade, Harrison could’ve care less what his grades were. That’s what we told our ninth graders the other day. There’s kids taking a semester test tomorrow as a freshman that might make a difference in whether or not they get a scholarship at a division-one school as a senior. You have to realize as a ninth grader that those tests are just as important as those senior classes.”
Jeffers’ recent trials and tribulations have been an important life lesson that many have learned from. The Lawton Eisenhower grad now looks to make all of his supporters proud as he prepares for the next level of both his football career and life.
Douglas improving
We’ve done much talking about Ryan Breeze and his relationship with Harrison Jeffers. Some might forget that Breeze is the offensive coordinator at Tech wide receiver Cornelius Douglas’ former high school.
Douglas is currently back home and taking a break like the rest of his teammates. Staying in the gym during his time off, Breeze has gotten the opportunity to see him workout. Needless to say, he’s impressed about the improvement that has been made in just less than 30 days at Tech.
“Man, he looks like a million bucks!” Breeze exclaimed. “He’s developed a lot more muscle tone. He’s a little bit leaner and he looks so much more explosive. Going through drills, he was head and shoulders above everyone out here. We had fans and parents watching us workout and they were amazed of how quick and explosive he was. He looked good!”
Head coach Randy Breeze also noticed a difference.
“He worked out with us this morning,” Breeze said on Tuesday. “He really looked good this morning. You can tell his muscle tone is even bigger. He’s been there for only two weeks. I told him that his muscle tone looks better and he looks half a step faster, if that’s possible. He’s looking real good.
“Everyone wanted to cover him and talk smack with him today at our workouts,” laughed the head coach. “We had a lot of fun out there. He practiced without his shirt on and just wore shorts and all the younger guys were impressed.
There’s been much talk about Douglas’ speed and how it will translate at the next level. Breeze says that it cannot be emphasized enough as to how big of a weapon this can really be.
“His 40 time is getting better. What you don’t realize on him is that his biggest asset by far is on a 90 degree cut, he’s at full speed after his first step. That’s when he really pulls away from people, off that cut. There were three times last year late in the game on 3rd down, we’re ahead by one touchdown and we’re trying to fake the counter one way and let Corn go the other way. We just want him to gain a few yards, stay in bounds, and run the clock. Three times last year we ran that play, he ran the length of the field to put the game away. It’s not designed for that. There’s no blocking involved on that run and it’s not intended to be a home run. It’s designed to just keep us in the game and then punt.
“When he was a junior, he played every snap and when it was 21-20 in one game that we were losing, we ran that same play with under a minute to go and we won, 28-20.”
Between Douglas and Jeffers, there’s no doubt who the Breeze family will be pulling for this season and in the future.
“We’ve always been Tech fans and now we’re really excited. Corn’s going to be great at Tech.”
Haynes’ talks about Combine
Being invited to the National Under Classmen Ultimate 100 Combine was an honor that West Orange-Stark Athlete James Haynes could not pass up. Even if it wasn’t the easiest commute in getting to the event in DeSoto, Texas, Haynes still knew that he had to make it happen.
“We all thought it was in July instead of June,” chuckled the 2010 prospect. “But then we find out that it’s in June and got the date, two days before the camp. My dad asked me the night before the camp if I would take a ride with him after I got off work. I got off work at 9pm and we left about 11pm.”
The journey from Orange, a South East Texas town by the border of Louisiana, was one that both Haynes and his dad will remember for quite some time.
“We went straight to Dallas and got their about five in the morning. We went and ate at Waffle House and then we slept in the parking lot at Waffle House. At 10 o’clock we drove to the camp and went in the parking lot to see that we were some of the first people out there.”
Arriving early, Haynes had an opportunity to mingle with other attendees from around the country. Shortly after, the events got started.
Measuring in at 6-foot-1/2, 181-pounds, Haynes soon after ran an impressive 40 that had more than just the fellow prospects talking.
“He had the second fastest 40,” explained Rivals.com Recruiting Analyst Barry Every. “He ran the fastest 40 of anyone over 6-foot, and it was a 4.51 on a very tough surface.”
Throughout the morning, Haynes registered extraordinary number but perhaps the highlight of the day took place at the broad jump.
“The coach asked me where he wanted me to put his hand at so that I could have a marker to jump to,” recalled Haynes. “I asked what the furthest of the day was and he said 10-foot-1. So I told him to put his hand past that. He put it at 10-foot-3 and I jumped a 10-foot-5 on the first jump.
“I found out that the record was 10-foot-10, so I thought I’d go for the record. They were giving me pointers on what to do and I pushed myself as far as I could and I jumped a 10-foot-8.”
The groups later broke up into their 7-on-7 teams. Though the junior plays five positions on his high school team, he displayed his skills at wide receiver on Sunday. It proofed to be the right choice.
“I saw this kid catching the ball about 40 yards down the field,” explained Every. “He was turned to the inside of the field and it was thrown way behind him. He easily shifted a 180 degree turn and caught it for a touchdown. He just took over the game the next five passes. He really hustles.”
At the end of the day, Haynes walked away with overall MVP Honors.
“As soon as I stood up to get the trophy, both of my legs locked up with cramps all over,” said Haynes. “I just laid down. I couldn’t get up to get my trophy. You heard everyone in the crowd laughing and giggling.”
Between the drive and his performance throughout, Haynes had fully exhausted himself. But in the end, the trip proved to be worth it as Haynes’ ability is now becoming known.
Haynes attended Texas Tech’s summer camp earlier in the season, where Tech coaches said they would continue to keep in contact. The Red Raiders have made it clear that they have high interest in offering Haynes.
With future camp dates at LSU and Texas A&M, one has to assume that this talent’s first offer has to be somewhere in the near future.
The Foreman Connection
Above, junior athlete James Haynes told us about how he wanted to cut in front of players to get more reps at the combine last weekend. West Orange-Stark assistant coach Toby Foreman has noticed that hunger in his kids but he’s not the only one.
“Leach told me that he can always tell my guys because they’re always in front of the line, competing, and making plays,” Forman said.
For the last three or four years, Foreman has showed up with a van full of inviduals that he’s excited to show off. This year attending the first mini-camp, Foreman made sure to find us out of the crowd to introduce his four or five studs that he had brought. Among that group was current Tech wide receiver Jacoby Franks little brother, Trey Franks.
Then as the players broke for their individual drills, Foreman said, “Wait, wait! You have to meet this guy!” As he called Haynes over to us, it was obvious that he had the build. Just 10 minutes later he was showing off his potential. It’s an amount of potential that Foreman has seen for quite some time.
“I’ve coached him his freshman year and I look forward to coach him this year,” Foreman said, speaking about his one year break that he took from West-Orange, to coach at Baytown Lee. “He’s an extremely intelligent kid and the sky is the limit.
“The kid’s ability is comparable or better than Earl Thomas’ or Dion Beasley’s.”
If Haynes is as good as everyone is making him out to be. Why doesn’t he have any schools coming after him? He’s not a grade risk. In fact, his 3.8 GPA is perhaps just as much of a positive as his on field talents. So what’s the deal?
“He just has to make his plays and get his stats. He basically hasn’t touched the ball, which is why he doesn’t have stats. We’re going to use him as everything this year. He’s going to be a complete athlete. He will be at running back, wide receiver, safety, punter, and kick return. He’s going to be everything.
Haynes’ ability reminds Foreman of one that all Tech fans should be familiar of.
“That’s kind of how we used Jacoby Franks. Jacoby was a punter, too. We also used Earl Thomas that way, except for the punting part but he is comparable to that kid. His body structure is going to be more prototype because of his height, he’s going to be a taller kid.”
The 6-foot-and-a-half frame that Haynes’ brings to the table is also encouraging, but Foreman says that should be getting even better as well.
“He has some height in his family. I think he has at least another inch to get to 6-foot-2. Even if he doesn’t, he’s already tall enough right now. He can definitely make up for it with his jumping and leaping ability.”
At Tech’s mini-camp, Haynes jumped a 42-inch vertical. It was enough for running back coach Seth Littrell to jump out of his chair and say with amazement, “You just jumped 42-inches, man!”
At every camp or combine thus far, the one position that Haynes has chosen to play at is wide receiver. Foreman gives us insight why.
“Last year I had advised him to go in there as wideout. Going to Texas Tech, of course you’re going to get noticed with more wideouts if you start making plays. The whole thing is that with his height he looks like he’s going to be a WR.
“He could be a tall running back. But nowadays you still have your Eddie George types but more are shorts and quick. He’s a fast and has breakaway speed. So wherever he’s at in space, he’s gone if they miss one tackle.
“We could stretch the field with him as receiver because we had tons of running backs and quarter backs so he’s not going to play there a lot this year. But we can stretch the field with him as a wide receiver because he’s so fast. He might be more of tailback his senior year but we’re good at that position this year. But the goal is to get him the ball a certain amount of times a game. And if that happens, he’s going to pop one or two a game.
Listed as an “athlete”, Haynes plays well on the defensive side of the ball as well.
“He’s rawer on the defensive side of the ball because he has less reps. But he’s going to play on our defense the next two years. I know he’ll rotate in some as a safety. Look for him as a senior, like Jacoby, being on the field the whole night. As a junior, expect him to have quite a few reps on the defensive side of the ball. A guy that athletic is going to find his way to the field.”
The fact that Foreman gets so excited about brining his kids to Lubbock every summer says a lot about the Tech program.
“I think the world of Ruffin McNeill. He is a tremendous guy and they do a great job of recruiting our kids. They’re so far away and they really don’t have to recruit us hard and they are taking a bit of a risk when the kids live so far.
“But they’ve always recruited us the way they should. They’ve trusted what I’ve told them and I really think it’s going to pay off in the long run and I think they’re going to get two or three of our kids.”
The main prospect that Foreman is showing off this year is a defensive back named Ortavious Hypolite. Though Foreman believes he should be at the D-I level somewhere, it’s unfortunate for Hypolite that it will be awfully hard to get in as a defensive back for the remainder of this class.
Scouting report: James Haynes
Rivals.com Recruiting Analyst Barry Every was there the whole way to watch James Haynes last weekend. We have expressed why we feel that Haynes is so good. Now it’s Every’s turn:
He had really good times. He had a 10.8 broad jump, which to me is one of the most important numbers. It was the second longest in Ultimate 100 history. He was 6-foot- ½, 181-pounds.
He has great body control. He’s supposed to be a 3.8 GPA guy, too. He’s just a real polite kid. The fact that he had all those above numbers is impressive and I liked the effort in getting to camp. They actually slept in their car the morning of the event.
He has good hands. They do a combine, skills, and then 7-on-7. They make eight teams and they lost in the Championship. It wasn’t his fault, they didn’t have good quarterbacks on his team.
He did not play defensive back but I could see him being a top flight free safety. He’s got the ball skills, the body control. There’s no doubt I think he can be a safety and he’s a definite division-I football player. If I could bet my money on the 200+ kids there, he would be my first pick. He won the MVP award but even if he didn’t, he’d be my first pick.
Right now he was at wide receiver. He could possibly be a huge corner. He would be a massive corner though. There are very few corners I’ve seen in college that are that tall.
But my background is SEC and ACC and there’s no doubt he could play in either one of those leagues. The fact that he has those academics; he’s a kid that’s probably going to have 40 offers once the word gets out.
He has high character. This is the type of kid coaches are looking for. You can win with him and you don’t have to worry about him off the field.
Tairu’s Journey to South Plains College
Earlier this week we revealed the latest target of the men’s basketball program- South Plains College guard David Tairu. The 6’3”, 177 pound shooting guard had a long road to where he is now.
Tairu was unrecruited out of Crossland High School in Washington, D.C., despite putting up good numbers- 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. He was named honorable mention All-Area by the Washington Post, but could have very well been overlooked considering some of the other players in the area at the time- Michael Beasley (Miami Heat), Scottie Reynolds (Villanova) and Marcus Ginyard (North Carolina).
After graduating high school, Tairu headed north to Philadelphia where he enrolled at Lutheran Christian Academy. Tairu’s career at LCA was abruptly cut short by the NCAA, who shut the school down because it did not meet their acadmic accreditation standards.
At this point, Tairu did not know what his future held after the closing of his prep school, but a good friend helped him make a decision.
“One of my best friends, [former SPC and current Nebraska guard] Steve Harley recommended me to SPC after my prep school career ended. The NCAA came in and shut my prep school down so I came out to South Plains after that.”
As far as we can tell, Tairu has cherished his opportunity at SPC and enjoys West Texas greatly.
The Okorie-Tairu Connection
After signing South Plains College guard Nick Okorie during the spring, head coach Pat Knight is tapping the SPC pipeline once again for the 2009 class. Shooting guard David Tairu is the latest prospect to earn a Texas Tech offer.
Okorie took the time to tell us a little bit about Tairu and his style of play.
“He’s a real good player. He’s a real productive player,” said Okorie. ”He’s real athletic and can handle the ball real well. He hustles, he rebounds.”
“He has one of the best mid-range shots I’ve seen other than [former SPC and current Nebraska guard] Steve Harley. He’s about 6-foot-3 so he can get in there with the big guys.”
The two players met when Tairu first arrived at SPC a little over a year ago, and they became friends immediately.
“This is my first year out at South Plains, so I’ve gotten to know him over the past year, explained Tairu. “When I first came out here, he introduced himself to me so we started working out together and we became friends from there.”
Over the past year, the two have become very close and Okorie wants Tairu to continue his college career at Tech.
“I’ve been talking to him about Tech. I have to make sure when I go up there he comes with me.”
Although Tairu told us Okorie being at Tech will not affect his decision, we think it will aid Tech greatly in Tairu’s recruitment.
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