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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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Oklahoma City's Millwood receiver Cameron Batson committed to Texas Tech just as he was coming onto the recruiting radar. Former Red Raider receiver Tramain Swindall, a close family friend, had something to do with Batson's decision and we caught up with him to break down the commitment for us.
Batson had some questions and Swindall had answers.
"I told him me going to Tech was one of the best decisions of my life," Swindall said. "It was one of the best experiences of my life and Tech always will have a special place in my life. I'm sure he's looking forward to being a part of it and have the experiences himself.
"I wasn't too surprised he pulled the trigger so quickly after the spring game to commit."
Batson grew up watching Swindall play at Millwood and Tech and Swindall has returned the favor in Oklahoma City where he now resides.
"I think he's going to be a great slot guy," Swindall said. "Real quick. He can catch the ball. I kind of compare him to Jakeem Grant, just a quick and elusive guy that can do some damage when the ball is in his hands. So it's going to be fun watching him be in that offense."
Swindall said he'd like to see Batson enroll early.
That should be pretty easy because Batson is in the running to be Millwood's 2014 valadictorian. But at the same time, he's in the running for valedictorian and loves to play basketball as well as football.
"He's an athlete, but he's on the basketball team that won state last year," Swindall said. "I'm sure he's kind of debating whether he wants to play basketball (his senior year) or not. I think if he came in the spring he would benefit and be able to make some noise. We'll see."
Because the former Tech receiver grew up around the future Red Raider, he also has special insight into Batson's demeanor.
"You never have to worry about him getting into trouble," Swindall said. "I've been able to see him grow as a young man. He does the right thing. I'm real happy for him.
"He called me one night when Tech offered him. He was really excited about it especially because of the new coaching staff, Coach Kingsbury. He was excited to play for the young coaches and I told him Tech is a good school. He's not only worried about playing football. He's worried about getting a good education as well and that tells you a lot in and of itself."
- Graham
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Dallas (Texas) Bishop Dunne safety Payton Hendrix holds offers from BCS schools around the country such as Stanford, Nebraska, Colorado and North Carolina.
On Monday, Hendrix picked up another BCS offer after defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt and safeties coach Trey Haverty stopped by for a visit.
"I was real happy about my first Big 12 offer," Hendrix said. "With Texas Tech being in Lubbock that makes it a pretty big deal for me because, you know, it's in Texas. They've told me before that I can go there and play right away, and how the coaching staff is young and energetic and how they just want to get me down to Lubbock to see their campus."
The junior safety got a sizeable dose of the new staff's energy after hearing a list of the various formations they run on defense, something that Hendrix feels is important to know in preparation for the NFL level.
"Coach Haverty, he is really kind of hyper so he has told me some of the defenses that they run, and there were a lot of them there," Hendrix recalled. "They run a lot of different formations from the 3-4 to the 4-3 to the stack, all of them. He was just running down the list of a lot of different packages.
"I want to learn a lot of different packages in college so I can be better prepared if I make it to the next level and get drafted, which I think is every players ultimate goal."
Hendrix plans to consult with his parents about a trip to Lubbock in the near future. The junior safety has already visited Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Louisiana Tech and SMU this spring.
As of right now, Hendrix does not have any favorites and plans to let the process play out for a while.
"I'm just really focusing on playing football and focusing on getting better," the safety said. "After I get all my options on the table, then I'll weigh it out. That's not really on my mind right now."
- Rosen
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Fayette (Ala.) Fayette County athlete Tevin Madison was a surprise commitment a few weeks ago for the Red Raiders.
The Alabama native had been talking to Tech's coaching staff for a little over two months prior to making the commitment after he was discovered by offensive analyst Marcus White.
"Somehow Coach White saw my film, and he showed it to a wide receivers coach," Madison said. "I can't remember his name, but we talked for a while. Then, Coach White, he showed my film to Coach (Kevin) Curtis, and he liked my film. They sat down, talked about it and decided to offer me."
White is a dynamic playmaker on both sides of the ball for his high school team, something his highlight reel will reiterate in a hurry.
Madison was initially considered a lock for the defensive side of the ball, but it appears his future position with the Red Raiders is currently up for debate.
"Actually, at first, they wanted me to play defense," he said. "Once Coach (Kliff) Kingsbury saw me, they had a meeting and they talked about me. He told me he wants me to play some offense. He said we'll have to see when I get down there."
Madison, who has never been to Lubbock, is now scheduled to visit Lubbock on May 10 after his initial plans to attend Tech's spring game in April fell through.
Many questioned Madison's decision to commit to the Red Raiders having never been to Lubbock or met the coaching staff, but to the junior safety relationships are the most important part of his decision.
"I really trust the coaches. I feel like once I get down there it's going to be great," he said. "The people make the place. I just feel like it's not so much the place as it is the people, and I want to be around good people. The visit is not so much about Lubbock as it is building a relationship with each other.
"I want to see how the players are treated down there, and how the fans of Texas Tech and people of Lubbock are. I want to experience and enjoy the whole process."
Being from Alabama, there will always be questions about the distance from home being an issue.
"As long as my mom is able to make most of the games then she'll be happy," Madison said. "Other than that, the only worry about Texas Tech is the distance and I'm sure I'll be able to overcome that. It won't be a problem once I get used to it."
In a previous article on Rivals, Madison admitted it's likely he will still visit other schools. While that is never something a program wants to hear about a committed prospect, Madison is doing so on the advice of those he trusts.
"Not really any particularly," Madison said. "My coaches and my family just want me to consider like Vanderbilt and Duke. Other than that, I'm really just set on Tech.
"Right now, I feel like Tech is the best situation for me and I'm just really ready to get out there and see how it is. There aren't really any dream offers out there that Tech fans should be worried about."
Madison holds other offers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, South Alabama and Northern Illinois while receiving interest from Vanderbilt and Duke as well.
- Rosen
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The Red Raiders are going to try and pick up a few more additions to their defensive backfield, and one of their targets is Ennis (Texas) cornerback Jah'Shawn Johnson who picked up an offer from Iowa on Thursday.
Johnson said that he still talks to the Red Raider coaching staff pretty frequently, including inside receiver coach Eric Morris.
"I talk to the coaches every now and then, but we never really talk about anything football related," he said. "I talked to Coach Morris last Thursday and he said that they need to get me up there and everything like that. He said that everyone loves it up there and that's why everyone's been committing."
Johnson wasn't able to make it out to Lubbock for a trip any time this spring, but he is hoping to make it out at some point over the summer.
He has become more and more curious about what the new Tech coaching staff is brewing up in the Hub City, as his teammate and 2013 Tech signee Malik Jenkins has been telling him about it every day. He's also been intrigued about the number of commitments that Tech's been picking up over the last several weeks.
"I'm not really sure when, but I would definitely like to," he said. "I just want to see why everyone is committing out there and see how I feel out there, see if I feel the same way that everyone else is and all. My teammate, Malik, he signed with them last year, so he's been on me every day about it. He says that the coaches always ask about me."
Morris isn't Johnson's primary recruiter, but he did call him last week. The two hadn't spoken since the former Red Raider receiver was coaching up at Washington State, but he does enjoy getting to talk to Morris when he's gotten a chance.
"That was the only time we've talked, because they last time we talked he was at Washington State," Johnson said. "He just wants me to get up there, show me around and all and get me to know the coaches and everything. Show me what's up in Lubbock. He's a nice man. He's really cool, and I like him a lot."
Johnson has also been talking to Washington and Kansas quite a bit. He may visit the Huskies at some point this summer as well. For now though, things are still pretty wide open for the defensive back.
- McKay
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Texas Tech has been sending out quite a few offers to 2015 prospects over the last week or so, and Mesquite (Texas) Horn offensive tackle Conner Dyer was one of the recipients of those offers.
The rising-junior said that he's been getting quite a few summer camp invites so far but Tech and TCU are the two schools recruiting him the hardest early on.
"I've gotten quite a few camp invites and such, but mainly I've been talking to TCU and Texas Tech because they've offered me," he said. "I know Tech has a great history as a program and I think they'll be great in the future. But, I don't know a whole lot about what they've got going on right now."
The coach recruiting Dyer for the Red Raiders is safeties coach Trey Haverty.
The coach told the prospect that he likes the way he's growing into his frame and has been dishing out the facts about Lubbock to the Horn prospect.
"He complimented me on my football skills and such and he told me a lot about Lubbock," Johnson said. "He likes my skills and really likes how much I've grown in a year. I believe last February I was 240 and now I'm around 280 pounds."
He may be young but that doesn't mean that Dyer can't be a vicious blocker at this stage. He loves to get physical in the trenches and push guys around in the run game.
"My drive and tenacity are the best things about my game," he said. "I think that's what I do best is block until the end of the play. It gets the job done. I definitely like run blocking more, just being able to dominate the person in front of me."
While he's not quite sure which ones he will attend, the Mesquite native is definitely going to participate in some camps over the summer. He's been invited to Tech's Rockwall camp and it's looking like he may be there to show off his skills.
"I'm not sure about visits, but I'm definitely going to be visiting some summer camps," Dyer said. "Mainly, I've been invited to TCU, Tech, UT, OU and Baylor's camps. I'm not quite sure which ones I'm going to attend yet though. I'm excited to get to show my skills off, and it's a great opportunity."
- McKay
This post was edited on 5/3 9:01 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.
---
Oklahoma City's Millwood receiver Cameron Batson committed to Texas Tech just as he was coming onto the recruiting radar. Former Red Raider receiver Tramain Swindall, a close family friend, had something to do with Batson's decision and we caught up with him to break down the commitment for us.
Batson had some questions and Swindall had answers.
"I told him me going to Tech was one of the best decisions of my life," Swindall said. "It was one of the best experiences of my life and Tech always will have a special place in my life. I'm sure he's looking forward to being a part of it and have the experiences himself.
"I wasn't too surprised he pulled the trigger so quickly after the spring game to commit."
Batson grew up watching Swindall play at Millwood and Tech and Swindall has returned the favor in Oklahoma City where he now resides.
"I think he's going to be a great slot guy," Swindall said. "Real quick. He can catch the ball. I kind of compare him to Jakeem Grant, just a quick and elusive guy that can do some damage when the ball is in his hands. So it's going to be fun watching him be in that offense."
Swindall said he'd like to see Batson enroll early.
That should be pretty easy because Batson is in the running to be Millwood's 2014 valadictorian. But at the same time, he's in the running for valedictorian and loves to play basketball as well as football.
"He's an athlete, but he's on the basketball team that won state last year," Swindall said. "I'm sure he's kind of debating whether he wants to play basketball (his senior year) or not. I think if he came in the spring he would benefit and be able to make some noise. We'll see."
Because the former Tech receiver grew up around the future Red Raider, he also has special insight into Batson's demeanor.
"You never have to worry about him getting into trouble," Swindall said. "I've been able to see him grow as a young man. He does the right thing. I'm real happy for him.
"He called me one night when Tech offered him. He was really excited about it especially because of the new coaching staff, Coach Kingsbury. He was excited to play for the young coaches and I told him Tech is a good school. He's not only worried about playing football. He's worried about getting a good education as well and that tells you a lot in and of itself."
- Graham
---
Dallas (Texas) Bishop Dunne safety Payton Hendrix holds offers from BCS schools around the country such as Stanford, Nebraska, Colorado and North Carolina.
On Monday, Hendrix picked up another BCS offer after defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt and safeties coach Trey Haverty stopped by for a visit.
"I was real happy about my first Big 12 offer," Hendrix said. "With Texas Tech being in Lubbock that makes it a pretty big deal for me because, you know, it's in Texas. They've told me before that I can go there and play right away, and how the coaching staff is young and energetic and how they just want to get me down to Lubbock to see their campus."
The junior safety got a sizeable dose of the new staff's energy after hearing a list of the various formations they run on defense, something that Hendrix feels is important to know in preparation for the NFL level.
"Coach Haverty, he is really kind of hyper so he has told me some of the defenses that they run, and there were a lot of them there," Hendrix recalled. "They run a lot of different formations from the 3-4 to the 4-3 to the stack, all of them. He was just running down the list of a lot of different packages.
"I want to learn a lot of different packages in college so I can be better prepared if I make it to the next level and get drafted, which I think is every players ultimate goal."
Hendrix plans to consult with his parents about a trip to Lubbock in the near future. The junior safety has already visited Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Louisiana Tech and SMU this spring.
As of right now, Hendrix does not have any favorites and plans to let the process play out for a while.
"I'm just really focusing on playing football and focusing on getting better," the safety said. "After I get all my options on the table, then I'll weigh it out. That's not really on my mind right now."
- Rosen
---
Fayette (Ala.) Fayette County athlete Tevin Madison was a surprise commitment a few weeks ago for the Red Raiders.
The Alabama native had been talking to Tech's coaching staff for a little over two months prior to making the commitment after he was discovered by offensive analyst Marcus White.
"Somehow Coach White saw my film, and he showed it to a wide receivers coach," Madison said. "I can't remember his name, but we talked for a while. Then, Coach White, he showed my film to Coach (Kevin) Curtis, and he liked my film. They sat down, talked about it and decided to offer me."
White is a dynamic playmaker on both sides of the ball for his high school team, something his highlight reel will reiterate in a hurry.
Madison was initially considered a lock for the defensive side of the ball, but it appears his future position with the Red Raiders is currently up for debate.
"Actually, at first, they wanted me to play defense," he said. "Once Coach (Kliff) Kingsbury saw me, they had a meeting and they talked about me. He told me he wants me to play some offense. He said we'll have to see when I get down there."
Madison, who has never been to Lubbock, is now scheduled to visit Lubbock on May 10 after his initial plans to attend Tech's spring game in April fell through.
Many questioned Madison's decision to commit to the Red Raiders having never been to Lubbock or met the coaching staff, but to the junior safety relationships are the most important part of his decision.
"I really trust the coaches. I feel like once I get down there it's going to be great," he said. "The people make the place. I just feel like it's not so much the place as it is the people, and I want to be around good people. The visit is not so much about Lubbock as it is building a relationship with each other.
"I want to see how the players are treated down there, and how the fans of Texas Tech and people of Lubbock are. I want to experience and enjoy the whole process."
Being from Alabama, there will always be questions about the distance from home being an issue.
"As long as my mom is able to make most of the games then she'll be happy," Madison said. "Other than that, the only worry about Texas Tech is the distance and I'm sure I'll be able to overcome that. It won't be a problem once I get used to it."
In a previous article on Rivals, Madison admitted it's likely he will still visit other schools. While that is never something a program wants to hear about a committed prospect, Madison is doing so on the advice of those he trusts.
"Not really any particularly," Madison said. "My coaches and my family just want me to consider like Vanderbilt and Duke. Other than that, I'm really just set on Tech.
"Right now, I feel like Tech is the best situation for me and I'm just really ready to get out there and see how it is. There aren't really any dream offers out there that Tech fans should be worried about."
Madison holds other offers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, South Alabama and Northern Illinois while receiving interest from Vanderbilt and Duke as well.
- Rosen
---
The Red Raiders are going to try and pick up a few more additions to their defensive backfield, and one of their targets is Ennis (Texas) cornerback Jah'Shawn Johnson who picked up an offer from Iowa on Thursday.
Johnson said that he still talks to the Red Raider coaching staff pretty frequently, including inside receiver coach Eric Morris.
"I talk to the coaches every now and then, but we never really talk about anything football related," he said. "I talked to Coach Morris last Thursday and he said that they need to get me up there and everything like that. He said that everyone loves it up there and that's why everyone's been committing."
Johnson wasn't able to make it out to Lubbock for a trip any time this spring, but he is hoping to make it out at some point over the summer.
He has become more and more curious about what the new Tech coaching staff is brewing up in the Hub City, as his teammate and 2013 Tech signee Malik Jenkins has been telling him about it every day. He's also been intrigued about the number of commitments that Tech's been picking up over the last several weeks.
"I'm not really sure when, but I would definitely like to," he said. "I just want to see why everyone is committing out there and see how I feel out there, see if I feel the same way that everyone else is and all. My teammate, Malik, he signed with them last year, so he's been on me every day about it. He says that the coaches always ask about me."
Morris isn't Johnson's primary recruiter, but he did call him last week. The two hadn't spoken since the former Red Raider receiver was coaching up at Washington State, but he does enjoy getting to talk to Morris when he's gotten a chance.
"That was the only time we've talked, because they last time we talked he was at Washington State," Johnson said. "He just wants me to get up there, show me around and all and get me to know the coaches and everything. Show me what's up in Lubbock. He's a nice man. He's really cool, and I like him a lot."
Johnson has also been talking to Washington and Kansas quite a bit. He may visit the Huskies at some point this summer as well. For now though, things are still pretty wide open for the defensive back.
- McKay
---
Texas Tech has been sending out quite a few offers to 2015 prospects over the last week or so, and Mesquite (Texas) Horn offensive tackle Conner Dyer was one of the recipients of those offers.
The rising-junior said that he's been getting quite a few summer camp invites so far but Tech and TCU are the two schools recruiting him the hardest early on.
"I've gotten quite a few camp invites and such, but mainly I've been talking to TCU and Texas Tech because they've offered me," he said. "I know Tech has a great history as a program and I think they'll be great in the future. But, I don't know a whole lot about what they've got going on right now."
The coach recruiting Dyer for the Red Raiders is safeties coach Trey Haverty.
The coach told the prospect that he likes the way he's growing into his frame and has been dishing out the facts about Lubbock to the Horn prospect.
"He complimented me on my football skills and such and he told me a lot about Lubbock," Johnson said. "He likes my skills and really likes how much I've grown in a year. I believe last February I was 240 and now I'm around 280 pounds."
He may be young but that doesn't mean that Dyer can't be a vicious blocker at this stage. He loves to get physical in the trenches and push guys around in the run game.
"My drive and tenacity are the best things about my game," he said. "I think that's what I do best is block until the end of the play. It gets the job done. I definitely like run blocking more, just being able to dominate the person in front of me."
While he's not quite sure which ones he will attend, the Mesquite native is definitely going to participate in some camps over the summer. He's been invited to Tech's Rockwall camp and it's looking like he may be there to show off his skills.
"I'm not sure about visits, but I'm definitely going to be visiting some summer camps," Dyer said. "Mainly, I've been invited to TCU, Tech, UT, OU and Baylor's camps. I'm not quite sure which ones I'm going to attend yet though. I'm excited to get to show my skills off, and it's a great opportunity."
- McKay
This post was edited on 5/3 9:01 AM by A. Dickens
