The Red Raider Confidential is sponsored by Cardinal's Sports Center. If you
need Texas Tech gear or Under Armour apparel, the best place to go in our
opinion is Cardinal's -- they have a brand new location in Lubbock (Slide and S.
Loop 289), a
store in Plano and a fantastic selection on
their website.
---
JUCO RB WILL VISIT IN JANUARY
Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western C.C. running back Damien Williams
told RRS
yesterday that he will be visiting Texas Tech in late January. The former
Arizona State signee has already visited Arkansas, and will check out Tennessee
and Oklahoma in January as well -- the Red Raiders will have his last visit.
"Everything's been hectic but, I guess, if you perform on the field this is the
kind of attention you get," Williams said. "It's overwhelming but I can handle
it. I'm not in high school anymore where this is all new to me. I can handle it,
though."
Williams is receiving quite a bit of interest right now, and isn't ready to
really narrow anything down.
"My top schools, I wouldn't even be able to tell you right now," he said.
When asked who the 6-foot-1, 215-pound standout was hearing from the most, he
pointed to two Big 12 schools: Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
"I've been talking to the Oklahoma coach, Coach Gundy, we've been building up a
pretty good relationship," Williams said. "Then Texas Tech's (running backs)
coach, Chad Scott, I've been in contact with him.
"They tell you about the team they have and who's coming back and who's not. I
think I have a great opportunity to go anywhere right now and compete and have
an opportunity to play. Oklahoma and Texas Tech are great opportunities because
I would be able to come in and become the starter."
- Dickens
----
RIVERSIDE COACH TALKS COMMITS
?
Riverside C.C (Calif.) offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator and receivers coach
Darrin Chiaverini has plenty to be proud of after just two years at the school. The current
coaching staff, along with their players, have turned a perennially losing program into a
dominant one.
"We took over this program a few years ago, and have taken a program that had won four
games in four years to going 21-1 over two seasons," Chiaverini said.
Four of the players that played a big part in Riverside's success, defensive lineman
Lee
Adams, linebacker Will Smith, athlete Sadale Foster and cornerback
Bruce Jones have all committed to Texas Tech.
Having the opportunity to be around, and coach, all three for the past two seasons, Coach
Chiaverini believes that they "are all talented players," and that they won't have any
problem contributing to Texas Tech.
"Lee Adams obviously with the bounce back from Arizona State, he's got a really good
pass rush, a specialist," Chiaverini said. "I think he'll really be able to do some things for
Texas Tech as far as rushing the passer.
"I thought Sadale Foster was probably the most dynamic football player in California this
year, from his kick return ability to his ability to make plays happen on offense.
"Will Smith, I think, has a huge ceiling. He's 6-foot-3, 200-something pounds, and very
athletic on the edge. I think he's definitely going to be able to upgrade the defense right
away as far as his playmaking ability as a linebacker."
While Coach Chiaverini has only had the opportunity to know the Riverside C.C. group the past two years, Adams, Smith, and Foster have all known each other since they were
kids, Adams and Foster even playing for rival high schools.
"Foster's from J.W. North High (Riverside, CA.), Lee Adams is from Centennial
(Corona, CA.) which is a rival of J.W. North's, and Will Smith is from Riverside Notre
Dame (Riverside, CA.)," Chiaverini said. "They got along great here at Riverside C.C."
In the end, Coach Chiaverini says that Texas Tech is getting three proven talents that are
capable of doing big things as they have two more years in the same uniform to build on.
"We went undefeated this year, so that's a special group of players," he said. "I think
(Texas Tech) is getting four pretty good players."
- Cauley
---
BYNUM GOING FOR RECORD
With his senior season out of the way, College Station (Texas) A&M Consolidated
defensive tackle and Texas Tech commit J.J. Bynum is focused on powerlifting.
The sport also is helping him stay in shape before he gets into Joe Walker's
strength and conditioning program in June on Tech's campus.
"Since the season finished up I've just been working out," Bynum said. "I work
out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and I'm just getting ready for
powerlifting season."
Bynum said the Red Raider coaching staff has not yet sent him a regiment that
they want him to perform, but when he signs with Tech on Feb. 1 that Walker will
mail him a packet with specific workouts he will need to perform between the end
of his senior year and arriving in Lubbock.
In the meantime, Bynum is shooting for a state record in the squat -- 805
pounds.
"I do bench, squat and deadlift," Bynum said. "I broke my school's record (in
the squat) my sophomore year at 610 pounds. Last year I did 715 pounds and this
year I'm going for 805 which will be the state record, but also the regional
record as well."
- Graham
---
GUSTAFSON TALKS TECH
Dallas (Texas) Jesuit 2013 offensive tackle J.J. Gustafson, who is spending the offseason
working through a power lifting program, has already started to garner some attention
from Division 1 schools.
While Gustafson says he isn't worried about getting too involved in the recruiting process
just yet so he can focus on his school work, he does admit the possibility of playing for
Texas Tech interests him because of they run a similar offensive blocking schemes.
"Texas Tech runs an offense that is very similar to the one we run here at my high
school," he said. "Tech's offensive line blocks the same way that we do. That's
definitely a 'pro' about playing football there."
Gustafson says that when he does decide to narrow down his list of interested schools, he
will consider a school's academics just as important as team fit.
"Lately, I've really started to think about life after football," he said. "Education is really
important to me, and it's really starting to hit home that football will end at some point
and I'll need to be prepared for life afterwards. So, academics is important as well as
team chemistry.
"As long as I can get along with the coaches and the players while getting a quality
education I will be happy. It's very nice to win, but it's not the end-all be-all."
Gustafson currently holds an offer from SMU.
- Cauley
---
To view previous installments of the Red Raider Confidential, you can
visit the archives by
clicking here.
Remember, if you're looking for Texas Tech gear or Under Armour apparel, be sure
to check out Cardinal's Sports
Center!
Thank you for subscribing to RedRaiderSports.com!
This post was edited on 12/24 10:54 AM by A. Dickens
