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If you're in the Lubbock area and looking to get into shape, but don't know where to start, check out the website for Cardinal's Fitness. You can sign up for individual classes -- no contract or membership required -- that are good for people at any fitness level.
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Keller (Texas) Timber Creek defensive back Cedric Dale is very excited about getting a chance to make a trip up to the Hub City, and he's really looking forward to meeting all the new coaches.
"Really just see what all the school has to offer. I'm really hoping to get to sit down with Coach (Kliff) Kingsbury. Then I want to get to meet Coach (Kevin) Curtis, Coach (Matt) Wallerstedt, and all the other coaches I haven't met yet. I obviously had a pretty good relationship with Coach (John) Lovett before, so I want to really go in and see what the new coaches like Coach Curtis are all about."
Dale has yet to speak with Cornerbacks coach Kevin Curtis, but he is aware of his playing career both at Tech and in the NFL. The Timber Creek prospect loves that Curtis has played at the professional level, as he'll know the steps that Dale will have to take in order to make that jump as well.
"That's great," Dale said. "That's really perfect right there because he's been in my position before. He's made mistakes and will have a lot of knowledge to share with me about the game, so he can coach me up on that so I won't do the same. He can help me reach my ultimate goal of the NFL."
Sonny Cumbie and Dale keep in contact on a weekly basis, and the versatile play-maker is hoping to get some one on one time with his recruiter during his trip.
"He told me that everything's going really well up there in Lubbock," Dale said. "I talked to him about a week ago, and hopefully I'll have some spare time to go aside and really talk to Coach Cumbie and the rest of the staff."
I feel like the Red Raiders are in really good shape with Dale right now. A good visit could really help move them firmly in front of the pack, in my opinion.
- McKay
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The Red Raiders have been busy sending out some offers over the week, and one of those offers went out to Longview (Texas) defensive tackle Zaycoven Henderson. Henderson has been in contact with the Red Raider coaching staff for a while, and Henderson has liked what he's heard so far.
"I've been talking to them on a daily basis for about a month, month and a half," he said. "I've been calling to Coach (Trey) Haverty, Coach Kingsbury, and a few of the other coaches. Coach Haverty, he's a really energetic guy that talks a lot. He's really cool. We have a whole lot of conversations. Coach Kingsbury, my first impression of him is that he's a really cool, laid back guy that means business."
Like most prospects, Henderson loves how young the Tech staff is. They really understand what recruiting is all about, and he's eager to see just what they build in the next few years.
"They're all young, and they can all relate to us. They love football a whole lot, and their program is still growing while they are pulling things together."
For those that don't know, Henderson is also a cousin of Tech wide receiver Reginald Davis. Davis hasn't said a whole lot about Lubbock to his cousin, but he did tell him just what to expect as far as being a player goes.
"He hasn't talked to me much about it, but he just said that they mean business out there," Henderson said. "You've got to come in, come up every day and workout hard, and hit your books. He said that, after that, it's pretty much cool and chill."
Henderson's already made a trip to OU, which he loved, and will be making a trip out TCU this weekend along with a visit out to A&M in a few weeks. While Henderson isn't going to make a trip out to Lubbock for a junior day, he is planning to visit at some point this spring or over the summer.
"I'm definitely going to have to go out to Lubbock and see how it is," he said. "I'm going to try and make a trip out there sometime, but it's not going to be for a junior day. That junior day is this weekend, and I'm obviously going out to TCU."
A spring game visit to Oklahoma State may be in the cards as well.
Henderson definitely likes Oklahoma, and he grew up a Texas &M fan, so you would thing that those two schools would be sticking out early. The Longview defensive tackle said that he thinks everybody's even for now, however.
"Nobody is really standing out right now," he said. "Everybody's pretty much the same."
Henderson currently holds offers from Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Ole Miss, and SMU.
- McKay
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Whitehouse (Texas) quarterback Patrick Mahomes attended Tech's first junior day and currently is the No. 1 target on the team's big board at quarterback in the 2014 class. Whether or not he chooses become Tech's signal caller remains to be seen. However, that doesn't mean he's not already keeping tabs on talented wide receiver prospects for the time being.
One of those guys, east Texas native and Sulphur Springs (Texas) product Willy Ivery, will be in town this weekend for Tech's second junior day.
"I know him pretty well," Mahomes stated. "We've played against each other since seventh grade and it's kind of been a rivalry game. I messaged him about Tech a little bit. He seems interested in going there. We'll see when he comes back this weekend how it goes."
Another guy Mahomes is familiar with is Mount Pleasant (Texas) Rivals100 wide receiver KD Cannon. The two talked at Tech's first junior day and have since kept in touch.
"I talked the wide receiver from Mount Pleasant, KD Cannon. I've kind of messaged him back and forth since then on," he said. "I talk to him and he said he's real interested in Tech too. He's a great receiver. I'd love to play with him at the next level.
"It was kind of casual conversation about Tech while we were there. I'm sure as things start heating up a little more for me, I'll talk to him. He has a lot more offers than me right now, so he knows a little more than I do about the other schools. When things start heating up, I'll probably message him and see who he's most interested in and what he's trying to do then."
The Red Raiders are now fortunate to have another ally on the inside at Whitehouse, in addition to 2013 commit Dylan Cantrell. New head football coach, Adam Cook, is a Texas Tech alum and will be available to share his experiences with Mahomes throughout the process.
"He has told me about his experiences there," Mahomes said. "He told me he liked it a lot but that it's my decision. He's not going to try to force me to go anywhere. He's just going to help me out with the decisions as much as he can without interfering."
- Rosen
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Dallas (Texas) Skyline offensive tackle Ty Barrett will be making his first trip to Lubbock for junior day this weekend.
While he's excited to see the coaching staff once again, it's another familiar face that is already working on Barrett's recruitment.
"I'm supposed to meet Davis Webb when I go up there, so I'm going to talk to him a little bit about what it's like to be a student athlete," he said. "He's been telling me how great the campus is. I called him a couple of days ago actually.
"He was telling me it's great down there and I'll like it. People always think there's nothing to do in Lubbock. He was like there is, when you come down here just call me."
Webb isn't the only member of the 2013 class singing Tech's praises to Barrett. Ennis (Texas) product Malik Jenkins is a close family friends and has been in touch with Skyline tackle as of late.
"His dad is actually real, real close friends with my mom," Barrett said. "They actually grew up together. "He was supposed to go with me up there, but I don't know if he is. But, we talk about Tech. We're pretty close. He was a Washington State commit at first, but he said they treat you like family at Tech."
- Rosen
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Don't lose sight of Jacksonville (Fla.) Eagle's View quarterback D.J. Gillins.
Gillins committed to the former Tech coaching staff on Nov. 7 and Kingsbury's staff still wants him on board. Whereas Neal Brown and Chad Scott played a role in Gillins' recruitment prior to the transition, the new staff has handed Gillins over to the sole carryover coach in Cumbie.
"Sonny Cumbie has taken over my recruitment," Gillins said. "He's a pretty good guy and he comes from the old staff. It's clear he knows a lot about football and he was a quarterback at Tech. I enjoy talking to him and he keeps me excited about Tech."
That being said, Brown and Scott plus Tommy Mainord want Gillins to jump ship for Kentucky.
"I'm a soft commitment," Gillins said. "I say that because the whole staff seemed to leave when Tommy Tuberville left except for Cumbie. Kliff Kingsbury is the new head coach at Tech though and I know what he can do from what he did last year at Texas A&M. He was a Tech quarterback and an exciting one at that. So I'm still committed to Texas Tech."
Gillins missed his junior season due to an ACL tear, but he's running track this spring and is feeling his knee come along with more exercise. His goal is to take Eagle View to state in 2013 before signing his National Letter of Intent.
"The coaching staff likes me and wants me to stay committed to Texas Tech," Gillins said. "They want me to keep an open mind. I know about Patrick Mahomes and we might be a two-quarterback class. That doesn't bother me. They want both of us and say we can both fit in.
"I'm planning on visiting in spring and that's the only visit I have so far."
Brown and the old guard are doing a good job of recruiting Gillins to Kentucky, but Tech still has the lead.
"Texas Tech is No. 1 and Kentucky is No. 2," Gillins said. "Everything else out there is -- I don't know. It's really Kentucky and Texas Tech."
This post was edited on 2/22 9:05 AM by A. Dickens
If you're in the Lubbock area and looking to get into shape, but don't know where to start, check out the website for Cardinal's Fitness. You can sign up for individual classes -- no contract or membership required -- that are good for people at any fitness level.
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Keller (Texas) Timber Creek defensive back Cedric Dale is very excited about getting a chance to make a trip up to the Hub City, and he's really looking forward to meeting all the new coaches.
"Really just see what all the school has to offer. I'm really hoping to get to sit down with Coach (Kliff) Kingsbury. Then I want to get to meet Coach (Kevin) Curtis, Coach (Matt) Wallerstedt, and all the other coaches I haven't met yet. I obviously had a pretty good relationship with Coach (John) Lovett before, so I want to really go in and see what the new coaches like Coach Curtis are all about."
Dale has yet to speak with Cornerbacks coach Kevin Curtis, but he is aware of his playing career both at Tech and in the NFL. The Timber Creek prospect loves that Curtis has played at the professional level, as he'll know the steps that Dale will have to take in order to make that jump as well.
"That's great," Dale said. "That's really perfect right there because he's been in my position before. He's made mistakes and will have a lot of knowledge to share with me about the game, so he can coach me up on that so I won't do the same. He can help me reach my ultimate goal of the NFL."
Sonny Cumbie and Dale keep in contact on a weekly basis, and the versatile play-maker is hoping to get some one on one time with his recruiter during his trip.
"He told me that everything's going really well up there in Lubbock," Dale said. "I talked to him about a week ago, and hopefully I'll have some spare time to go aside and really talk to Coach Cumbie and the rest of the staff."
I feel like the Red Raiders are in really good shape with Dale right now. A good visit could really help move them firmly in front of the pack, in my opinion.
- McKay
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The Red Raiders have been busy sending out some offers over the week, and one of those offers went out to Longview (Texas) defensive tackle Zaycoven Henderson. Henderson has been in contact with the Red Raider coaching staff for a while, and Henderson has liked what he's heard so far.
"I've been talking to them on a daily basis for about a month, month and a half," he said. "I've been calling to Coach (Trey) Haverty, Coach Kingsbury, and a few of the other coaches. Coach Haverty, he's a really energetic guy that talks a lot. He's really cool. We have a whole lot of conversations. Coach Kingsbury, my first impression of him is that he's a really cool, laid back guy that means business."
Like most prospects, Henderson loves how young the Tech staff is. They really understand what recruiting is all about, and he's eager to see just what they build in the next few years.
"They're all young, and they can all relate to us. They love football a whole lot, and their program is still growing while they are pulling things together."
For those that don't know, Henderson is also a cousin of Tech wide receiver Reginald Davis. Davis hasn't said a whole lot about Lubbock to his cousin, but he did tell him just what to expect as far as being a player goes.
"He hasn't talked to me much about it, but he just said that they mean business out there," Henderson said. "You've got to come in, come up every day and workout hard, and hit your books. He said that, after that, it's pretty much cool and chill."
Henderson's already made a trip to OU, which he loved, and will be making a trip out TCU this weekend along with a visit out to A&M in a few weeks. While Henderson isn't going to make a trip out to Lubbock for a junior day, he is planning to visit at some point this spring or over the summer.
"I'm definitely going to have to go out to Lubbock and see how it is," he said. "I'm going to try and make a trip out there sometime, but it's not going to be for a junior day. That junior day is this weekend, and I'm obviously going out to TCU."
A spring game visit to Oklahoma State may be in the cards as well.
Henderson definitely likes Oklahoma, and he grew up a Texas &M fan, so you would thing that those two schools would be sticking out early. The Longview defensive tackle said that he thinks everybody's even for now, however.
"Nobody is really standing out right now," he said. "Everybody's pretty much the same."
Henderson currently holds offers from Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Ole Miss, and SMU.
- McKay
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Whitehouse (Texas) quarterback Patrick Mahomes attended Tech's first junior day and currently is the No. 1 target on the team's big board at quarterback in the 2014 class. Whether or not he chooses become Tech's signal caller remains to be seen. However, that doesn't mean he's not already keeping tabs on talented wide receiver prospects for the time being.
One of those guys, east Texas native and Sulphur Springs (Texas) product Willy Ivery, will be in town this weekend for Tech's second junior day.
"I know him pretty well," Mahomes stated. "We've played against each other since seventh grade and it's kind of been a rivalry game. I messaged him about Tech a little bit. He seems interested in going there. We'll see when he comes back this weekend how it goes."
Another guy Mahomes is familiar with is Mount Pleasant (Texas) Rivals100 wide receiver KD Cannon. The two talked at Tech's first junior day and have since kept in touch.
"I talked the wide receiver from Mount Pleasant, KD Cannon. I've kind of messaged him back and forth since then on," he said. "I talk to him and he said he's real interested in Tech too. He's a great receiver. I'd love to play with him at the next level.
"It was kind of casual conversation about Tech while we were there. I'm sure as things start heating up a little more for me, I'll talk to him. He has a lot more offers than me right now, so he knows a little more than I do about the other schools. When things start heating up, I'll probably message him and see who he's most interested in and what he's trying to do then."
The Red Raiders are now fortunate to have another ally on the inside at Whitehouse, in addition to 2013 commit Dylan Cantrell. New head football coach, Adam Cook, is a Texas Tech alum and will be available to share his experiences with Mahomes throughout the process.
"He has told me about his experiences there," Mahomes said. "He told me he liked it a lot but that it's my decision. He's not going to try to force me to go anywhere. He's just going to help me out with the decisions as much as he can without interfering."
- Rosen
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Dallas (Texas) Skyline offensive tackle Ty Barrett will be making his first trip to Lubbock for junior day this weekend.
While he's excited to see the coaching staff once again, it's another familiar face that is already working on Barrett's recruitment.
"I'm supposed to meet Davis Webb when I go up there, so I'm going to talk to him a little bit about what it's like to be a student athlete," he said. "He's been telling me how great the campus is. I called him a couple of days ago actually.
"He was telling me it's great down there and I'll like it. People always think there's nothing to do in Lubbock. He was like there is, when you come down here just call me."
Webb isn't the only member of the 2013 class singing Tech's praises to Barrett. Ennis (Texas) product Malik Jenkins is a close family friends and has been in touch with Skyline tackle as of late.
"His dad is actually real, real close friends with my mom," Barrett said. "They actually grew up together. "He was supposed to go with me up there, but I don't know if he is. But, we talk about Tech. We're pretty close. He was a Washington State commit at first, but he said they treat you like family at Tech."
- Rosen
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Don't lose sight of Jacksonville (Fla.) Eagle's View quarterback D.J. Gillins.
Gillins committed to the former Tech coaching staff on Nov. 7 and Kingsbury's staff still wants him on board. Whereas Neal Brown and Chad Scott played a role in Gillins' recruitment prior to the transition, the new staff has handed Gillins over to the sole carryover coach in Cumbie.
"Sonny Cumbie has taken over my recruitment," Gillins said. "He's a pretty good guy and he comes from the old staff. It's clear he knows a lot about football and he was a quarterback at Tech. I enjoy talking to him and he keeps me excited about Tech."
That being said, Brown and Scott plus Tommy Mainord want Gillins to jump ship for Kentucky.
"I'm a soft commitment," Gillins said. "I say that because the whole staff seemed to leave when Tommy Tuberville left except for Cumbie. Kliff Kingsbury is the new head coach at Tech though and I know what he can do from what he did last year at Texas A&M. He was a Tech quarterback and an exciting one at that. So I'm still committed to Texas Tech."
Gillins missed his junior season due to an ACL tear, but he's running track this spring and is feeling his knee come along with more exercise. His goal is to take Eagle View to state in 2013 before signing his National Letter of Intent.
"The coaching staff likes me and wants me to stay committed to Texas Tech," Gillins said. "They want me to keep an open mind. I know about Patrick Mahomes and we might be a two-quarterback class. That doesn't bother me. They want both of us and say we can both fit in.
"I'm planning on visiting in spring and that's the only visit I have so far."
Brown and the old guard are doing a good job of recruiting Gillins to Kentucky, but Tech still has the lead.
"Texas Tech is No. 1 and Kentucky is No. 2," Gillins said. "Everything else out there is -- I don't know. It's really Kentucky and Texas Tech."
This post was edited on 2/22 9:05 AM by A. Dickens
