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Gaulden Has Tech In Top Four
Fortt Lauderdale (Fla.) University School cornerback
Devin Gaulden is recently back on the market after
decommitting from Auburn in mid October. As a result, programs are quickly
pouncing on the 2011 standout, and Tech is among the leaders.
"I've been talking with Tech," he said. "We've been in touch for a couple of
weeks now," Gaulden said. "When they found out I wasn't with Auburn anymore,
they reached out to me. I'm glad they did because Texas Tech is another great
program. I'm interested to get out there and check out what they've got going
on. I feel like they've got some things to offer that might be good for me."
One of those things might be the Red Raiders' defensive style and depth chart.
"I'm looking for an aggressive style of defense and that's important to me," he
said. "I'd also love to have the chance to come in and play early. Everybody
wants to be able to do that, but not everyone gets a chance to. It would be nice
if the opportunity was there."
Gaulden has already taken an official visit to Boston College, and he plans on
taking two more to Wisconsin and Wake Forest as well.
"I definitely want to feel comfortable in the city and the environment," he
said. "I want a place I could call home for four or five years. Coaching is
important and I want to be with a staff that I could feel like family around."
His timetable for a decision?
"I'm trying to make give my commitment sometime in December probably," Gaulden
said. "I'll take a week or two maybe after the season is over to sit down and
look at my options. If I find what I'm looking for I could decide then, I guess,
but I'm not thinking it will happen for a little while."
Gaulden will be visiting the Hub City alone since the last-minute arrangements
prevented his father from being able to make the trip. Though his recruitment
seems to be just heating up, Tech looks to be in good standing at this point.
"I'd say my top four are those schools I have visits with: Boston College, Texas
Tech, Wisconsin, and Wake Forest. I just got two new offers from Cincinnati and
Memphis. I'd say that Boston College is my leader right now, but we'll how I
feel after a few of these visits."
- Cowan
.
Amaro Will Be Visiting
San Antonio (Texas) MacArthur tight end
Jace Amaro will be in Lubbock with a few fellow commits
this weekend to see Tech take on Missouri.
"I'll probably hang out with the coaches for a little bit and the players and
stuff," he said. "I'll probably get there really early in the morning and hang
out with some of the other recruits;
Michael Brewer's going up there, I think
Tony and
Alfredo [Morales] are going and
Devon Hocutt as well, that should be good."
Though Amaro is still receiving interest from other programs, he only has plans
for one official visit.
"I'm just going to be taking my one official visit to Tech and that's it," he
said. "It will probably be sometime in January."
Amaro committed to Texas Tech back in April and has turned down offers from
Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M and Virginia. His MacArthur squad
takes on Madison and Nebraska running back commit Aaron Green tomorrow at 7:30
p.m.
- Rogers
.
The Networking Continues
Austin (Texas) Lake Travis quarterback Michael Brewer has
continued to lend a hand on the recruiting trail, recently focusing on two 2012
receiver targets: Austin (Texas) standout
Cayleb Jones and Austin (Texas) Lake Travis teammate
Griffin Gilbert.
"I know Coach (Sonny) Cumbie was at our game (last week) to see
one of our wide receivers, Griffin Gilbert," Brewer said. "He's a big target and
he's emerged as one of the top prospects in the state. I've been talking with
him a little bit, as well as Cayleb Jones."
Brewer speculated as to what direction his teammate could be leaning.
"I'm sure he'd probably like to go to Texas and be with his brother, but you
never know until it all works out. Texas may end up not even offering him, or
maybe he'd have a change of heart."
"I always though I'd go to Texas until I really sat down and put all my offers
together to really look at the situations I'd come into at each one. I felt like
Tech was the right place for me to win football games and get the rest of my
life started, so that's where I'm headed. You just never know what could
happen."
- Cowan
.
Williams Putting On A Show
Spring (Texas) Dekaney junior running back
Trey Williams put on a show last week against Houston (Texas) Klein
Forest. With Tech running backs coach Chad Scott reportedly in
attendance, Williams rushed for 345 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries --
he averaged an eye-popping 11.1 yards per carry. That would be the game of a
lifetime for most, but Williams said it was just another day at the office.
"Well, I mean it felt like last year basically," Williams said. "Really, it just
felt normal, it was my fifth time doing that."
Williams is understandably fielding quite a bit of college interest already.
"Right now I am talking to Texas A&M and Auburn," Williams said. "Those are the
schools that I'm really really talking to and they are both great schools. I
have been getting letters from Tech and a lot of different schools but I just
haven't really been talking to them yet."
While recruiting process is just beginning for Williams, he has a good idea of
what he is looking for in a college.
"I'm looking at the kind of offense that the school is running and who am I
going to be around," Williams said. "Would I like this environment? And just
seeing who the people are. "
Williams said he is going to wait and see what the colleges all have to offer,
but he does have a list of schools he wants to visit thus far.
"This weekend I am going to LSU and Alabama," Williams said. "I will probably
visit Oregon, Oklahoma State and Alabama."
Extra tidbit: Williams' head coach at Dekaney is none other than Willie Amendola,
father of former Tech star Danny Amendola.
- Fleming
...
Thomas In No Rush
Orange (Texas) West Orange-Stark cornerback
Justin Thomas has already been verbally offered by Tech and Houston
and is fielding interest from dozens of other programs.
"I'm getting letters from Arkansas, Texas, Ole Miss, Virginia, Tennessee, LSU,
Nebraska, Stanford, Arizona, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Texas Tech,"
Thomas took a breath and said, "a lot of schools."
Thomas has mostly been communicating with college coaches via email and though
he does not currently claim a favorite, he is in frequent contact with Texas.
"I don't talk on the phone with many coaches. I email," Thomas said "and I email
Major Applewhite from Texas a lot."
The 5-foot-9, 160-pounds standout visited Lubbock earlier this summer to
participate in one of Tech's camps and he said he really enjoyed the campus and
the camp as a whole.
"I went to their camp in the summer," Thomas said. "I talk to some of their
coaches, but really I talk to Coach (Travaris) Robinson, the
defensive backs coach, there."
Thomas is not rushing to make any college decisions yet. He said he is open, but
there are certain schools and areas that are standing out to him.
"They are all pretty much fair game, but I like Texas, though," Thomas said. "I
like all the schools in Texas, and since my friend, Marc Roberts, is going to
Houston they are kind of sticking out now."
- Fleming
Marquez Staying On Uncommitted Targets
Odessa (Texas) running back
Bradley Marquez has been busy working on some of Tech's uncommitted
2011 prospects, namely Tampa (Fla.) Jefferson linebacker Ramik Wilson.
"I continue to stay in contact with
Ramik Wilson from Florida," Marquez said. "He's probably
the guy who is uncommitted that I talk to the most. I talked to him a week or
two ago, just trying to reel him in and get him to be a Red Raider with us."
Marquez is bullish on Tech's chances with the Sunshine State standout.
"Tech's definitely in his top two, I think it's Tech and Georgia that he's
deciding between unless something has changed," Marquez explained. "He's told me
that he's willing to go out of state, and that's kind of what his plan is
whether it's in Lubbock or in Athens. I'm hoping I can get him to head to West
Texas.
"I've been told that I speak well before so I'm hoping I can use that to
convince him to do the right thing and be a Red Raider. It doesn't take a lot of
fluff to get guys to buy into what we're doing. It's there for everybody to see
and everyone who gets to be a part of it is really lucky. We're trying to get
this class filled up and he's definitely someone we need, and want bad."
- Cowan
.
Miscellaneous Tidbits
* Pflugerville (Texas) Hendrickson running back
Kenny Williams was offered by Texas A&M recently. While we
haven't spoken with Williams recently, our understanding from speaking with a
source in the Austin area is that he has basically shut down contact with
everyone from a media and recruiting standpoint except Tech.
* Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley cornerback
Jeremy Reynolds picked up an offer from Michigan last night -- his
status has not changed, still solid to the Red Raiders.
* Add another name into the list of potential 2012 quarterback targets: Abilene
(Texas) Cooper standout
Clayton Nicholas. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound standout is
wrapping up his first year as a starting quarterback since eighth grade and has
really impressed. Nicholas has led Cooper to a 9-0 record and completed
149-of-198 passes for 2,232 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
We'll have an update on him posted sometime this weekend, but Nicholas told us
that he's already hearing from Rice, Texas A&M and Tech. He's already
unofficially visited two of those programs, having attended the Tech-Texas game
in September and the Tech-A&M game this past weekend.
* McKeesport (Pa.) defensive lineman
Branden Jackson will be visiting Oregon this weekend. We
spoke to him a few days ago -- which is notable because he's typically been
funneling interview requests to his coach -- and he had this to say about Tech
assistant Robert Prunty:
"That's my boy. We've gotten real close through this process and he's a guy I
know has my back. I always look forward to talking with Coach P and we don't
always have to talk football. He's been cool about that from the start. I can
tell he takes an interest in what his guys are doing outside of football and
he's been that way with me. He's been as positive and straight with me as
anybody I've gotten to meet so far."
* The early signing period for basketball starts next Wednesday (Nov. 10) -- all
five of Tech's verbal commitments are expected to sign during this time.
* Spanish Fort (Ala.) linebacker
Blake Dees plans to take his official visit to Tech after the
season, but has been keeping a close eye on the Red Raiders' season.
"I have been watching them," he said. "They play good, and I can't wait to play
for them. I think I can help on defense. They have been having a lot of injuries
and tough breaks this year, but they will get better. They will be scary good
one day."
- Cowan, Dickens, Hair, Level
.
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This post was edited on 11/5 1:39 AM by A. Dickens
