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No Doubt In Evans' Mind
Grand Prairie (Texas) South Grand Prairie defensive end and Texas Tech commit
Kindred Evans will open up his senior season against
Arlington (Texas) Lamar on Friday night, and he already possesses a good idea of
what he'll look to improve on in 2010.
"As a player I'm just trying to find something to get better at every day of
every week," he said. "It's not hard because there are always chances to
improve. I want to continue to increase my skill-set and get better at making
quick decisions. I'm really trying to get better at reading plays and reacting
as quickly as possible.
"I know that the next level will require a lot more mental work than high school
does. We can still get by on talent sometimes here, but everybody is talented in
the college game. I'm trying to work on things that I know I'll be asked to do
at Tech, and on things that I know I'm weak on right now. I'm glad I still have
some time to do that."
Evans has continued to remain in contact with the Red Raiders. As other commits
have previously explained, the relationship between the coaches and recruits is
one that encompasses a lot more than just football.
"I talk to Coach (Travaris) Robinson and Coach (James)
Willis a lot. They're great and we've got a really good relationship,"
he said. "It's not one that's only based on football. They've been like mentors
to me already in pretty much every area. Football is just one of those things
that provided a base for that relationship."
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound prospect has continued to hear from other programs since
committing to Texas Tech, but Evans is not spending much time listening to what
they have to say.
"I still get mail and stuff from other programs, but it's just junk mail in my
mind. I don't even read them when they come in now," he said. "I made my choice
because I knew it was the right one, and I'm still happy about who I gave my
commitment to."
Evans has his official visit to Lubbock set and believes it to be the only one
he'll make this fall.
"I've got my official visit scheduled and it's going to be on September the 18th
for the Texas game. There are a lot of other commits and recruits that are going
to be in town that weekend so it gives us a good chance to keep building that
base for the future," he said. "It's also just going to be an awesome game and a
crazy atmosphere. Lubbock is a great place, and that goes double for game-day.
I'd want to be at that game whether I was playing football there or not.
"I don't think I'll take any other visits to see another program. Unless
something really changes, I'll just be traveling to see Tech."
If any further assurance was needed with regard to the 2011 standout's
commitment to Texas Tech, he provided that with minimal effort: "For me, there
is no other program I want to hear from. I'm all Texas Tech."
Evans committed to Tech in June over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado
State, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota and Western
Kentucky.
- Cowan
Jackson Adding New Offers
For
Toby Jackson, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound prospect, now at Navaro Junior
College, recruiting is fresh on his mind, but he is just playing the waiting
game until he can actually take some official visits.
"With recruiting and everything, I haven't really been talking to anyone because
all the schools have practice and two-a-days and really can't talk to anybody
right now," he said. "I'm just getting more mail from different schools and
still raking in more offers."
Some of those new offers have come from Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, South Florida
and Georgia. With those, Jackson said he is trying to find a time during his
busy schedule that he can take visits to some of the schools he has interest in.
"I'm going to try to plan out my visits for whenever I have an off-week or
really whenever I have time," Jackson said. "Me being in a junior college, we
have games on Saturdays, too. I'm really just going to take my visits when I get
some time and I am able to take the visits that I want to take."
Of those visits that Jackson wants to take, he is not quite sure, yet. But
Jackson does pay attention to the schools that are showing him the most
attention.
"I wouldn't say I have a top five," Jackson said, "but the schools that have
been on me the hardest have been Central Florida, Alabama, Baylor, Miami has
been pretty good and Georgia has been on me pretty good, too."
During his summer, Jackson was able to get away for a quick unofficial visit to
Texas Tech and he said he really enjoyed the campus. He said it was a different
atmosphere, but he thought it was a good college town and he really liked the
campus.
Tech and Jackson do not talk as much as other schools pursuing Jackson, but he
said they stay in contact through e-mail and he has a pre-existing relationship
with Robert Prunty.
"I don't talk to them as much as I talk to other schools, but we e-mail each
other here and there," Jackson said. "I talk to Coach runty, he was my coach at
Hargrave."
He said it is nice to be talking with Coach Prunty again, but his relationship
with Prunty is not based on whether he chooses to go to Tech or not.
"It doesn't change anything about the school," Jackson said. "Just me and Coach
P have a good relationship outside of football. It really doesn't have anything
to do with me going to school at Texas Tech. he would love for me to come play
with Texas Tech, but with the relationship we have, he just wants what is best
for me."
As of right now, Jackson said he likes Tech and he thinks about them, but he
also wants to go to a school that will help him achieve his even higher goals.
"Texas Tech I like them; I'm still looking at them," Jackson said. "Me coming
out of JUCO, I only have two years left to play. I'm not trying to go anywhere
and redshirt. I'm trying to go somewhere and get on the field fast and be a
major impact to the team. I have goals to play in the NFL one day. I want to go
somewhere that I can help my team out and stand out as a player in order to get
noticed by NFL scouts."
- Fleming
Brewer Still Working On Wilson
Austin (Texas) Lake Travis quarterback and Texas Tech commit
Michael Brewer has remained in contact with Tampa (Fla.)
Jefferson linebacker
Ramik Wilson since the two met at last month's Gridiron
Kings event in Orlando. In fact, Brewer sounds pretty confident about the Red
Raiders chances.
"I've been talking to Ramik Wilson quite a bit," he said. "When I was in Orlando
for the Gridiron Kings 7-on-7 tournament I got to meet him. We spent a lot of
time together and I got to talk to him about Texas Tech quite a bit. He really
likes them. I think he's going to come down for the Texas game and I think he's
going to be really close to making a commitment after that."
- Cowan
Green May Still Visit Tech
Clairton (Pa.) defensive end
Desimon Green surprised with a commitment to Pitt earlier this
week, but it seems as if the three-star prospect is still considering Texas Tech
to some degree.
"I wouldn't say I am shutting (recruiting) down completely," he said, "but the
only other option is Texas Tech."
Green sent mixed messages about a potential visit to the South Plains this fall,
stating at one point that things could change "after a visit to Tech" but then
answered a follow-up text by saying that he would visit "if things change with
Pitt."
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound prospect says he is solid to Pitt, but there still seems
to be a little bit of room for the Red Raiders.
- Hair
Rockdale Focused On Season
Rockdale (Texas) offensive lineman and Texas Tech commit
Le'Raven Clark has been steadily focused on his senior football
season. He said his team has a new demeanor about them, that he is not focused
on individual goals, but rather his team's success.
"This season I really want to win district," the 6-foot-6, 245 pound offensive
tackle said, "go to the playoffs, and see how far we can go from there."
He said the expectations on himself and his teammates are high.
"A lot, really," Clark said of what people should expect from Rockdale this
season, "we should be pretty good this year, we have gotten more disciplined."
Clark has been busy with practice and preparing for his senior season. He said
that he has put recruiting and everything along with it on hold for right now.
He has yet to plan any official visits and said he is not sure where all he will
take visits.
The attention that Clark commands is still high. His offer list boasts nearly
half of the Big 12 -- Baylor, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State have all
offered, and he also has offers from programs such as TCU, Utah, and Houston.
Being just down the road, Clark recently attended a Baylor scrimmage but said
that nothing had changed with his recruitment.
- Fleming
Quick Hits
• Rockdale (Texas) linebacker and 2012 Texas Tech commit
Derek David has been
offered by Notre Dame.
•
Oklahoma City (Okla.) Heritage Hall 2012 running back
Barry Sanders has picked up official offers from Alabama
and Ole Miss.
• Houston (Texas) Klein Forest quarterback
Matt Davis, arguably the top 2012 signal caller in the state,
sustained a knee injury in the first half of his season-opener that is thought
to be potentially serious.
• Corsicana (Texas) Navarro J.C. defensive lineman
Cameron Henderson told RRS earlier this week that Texas
Tech is "definitely one of (his) top schools."
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 8/27 1:59 AM by A. Dickens
