good morning boys and girls...let's review the week that was
it's Saturday, let's Flare...
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WEEKLY LINKS
Hoops Roundtable: Toussaint, Cambridge, starting lineup and more
Texas Tech in top 2 for DB Malik Esquerra ahead of decision
How will Texas Tech Football replace its key off-season losses?
Portal Roundup: Recapping most impactful Big 12 defense transfers
2025 CB Allen Gant earns offer from his hometown Red Raiders
2024 wing Isaiah Johnson-Arigu picks up offer from Texas Tech
RRS TV: Cole Patterson
2023 MLB Draft Roundup: Texas Tech & Big 12
Yormark headlines as Big 12 kicks off 2023 Media Days
Ramirez: Balance, parity become common denomintor in new look Big 12
McGuire puts conference on notice at 2023 Big 12 Media Days
Shough shouldering expectations for Texas Tech in 2023
Bradford, Hutchings gearing up for final ride with Red Raiders
Bradley, Brooks embrace new challenges for Tech in 2023
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TTU RECRUITING THIS WEEK
it is the dead period and there was not really a ton going on this past week on the recruiting trail...no new offers, some notes on a few commits and targets, and we have a commitment announcement to monitor later today...
TTU commit lands SEC offer
Madisonville athlete Lorenzo Johnson Jr. announced a new offer from Ole Miss this week. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound speedster has been a longtime commitment for the Red Raiders and had great things to say after his official visit last month.
The 5.5 three-star prospect now lists eight (8) total offers from your Red Raiders, Ole Miss, Houston, North Texas, Sam Houston State, Tulsa, UNLV and Texas State.
TTU target announcing today at 11:30am
Killeen Shoemaker safety Malik Esquerra is announcing his commitment later today at 11:30am. The three-star standout lists five (5) finalists - Texas Tech, TCU, Oregon State, Nebraska and Oklahoma State.
big-time recruiting analysts like @B. Golan and Cole Patterson have put in their Futurecast for Esquerra to pick the good guys...I would do the same, but since it is literally the day of his announcement, me putting in a random futurecast at 6:30am in the morning would be a huge dummy move.
Esquerra has a huge frame at 6-foot-3, 185-pounds and should he announce to the Red Raiders today, it adds to a very impressive secondary haul for Coach DeRuyter and Coach Yates in the 2024 class.
Breaking News: high-level athletes practice together
no real Micah Hudson update here, but there was 'grinding' involved when Hutto QB and Texas Tech commitment Will Hammond threw to a handful of wide receivers - including young Micah - at a workout last weekend.
I know you guys & gals are having fun with daily updates on Hudson and some have allowed themselves to worry a little bit while the days go by without the five-star prospect being committed to the Red Raiders...but this is a pretty solid development with these two youngsters working out together.
add to that, recent DB commitment Peyton 'Cai' Morgan had this to say in his commitment recap story...
Getting to know other 2024 commitments:
"Yes, I have met a lot of guys on visits, but we have a text group and I have talked with some of the other commitments. Will (Hammond) and I will most likely be roomates, and if Micah (Hudson) commits then he will be our roomate too. We all live and play about 45 minutes to an hour away from one another, so we have all known each other for a while now."
this blogger/recruiting reporter person is still very confident that Tech is home for Hudson...but now we all continue to wait
2024 OL Recruiting - What is left now???
first, let's start by looking at the 2024 prospects committed to the Red Raiders...
Kasen Long
Holton Hendrix
Jacob Ponton
Ellis Davis
the RRS team has reported for months the coaches were tracking some lofty targets to complete this 2024 OL class, mainly guys who can play OG and the interior line
this week, longtime target Casey Poe officially announced his commitment to Alabama...yes, the Tech logo was on all the graphics and I wrote last week how that is ultimately a 'good' thing...BUT a loss is a loss, no matter how you slice it
the coaches wanted Poe, the coaches wanted Coen Echols - who committed to Texas A&M, and the coaches wanted Brett Carroll - who committed to Minnesota
it happens, you play poker at the high limits table and you accept the risk of loss...while trying to win big, it is part of the process
that being said...what is left, what is next for OL recruiting in this 2024 class???
the coaches have 30 listed offers to 2024 OL prospects, per the Rivals database. of those 30 prospects, only four (4) of them are 'not' committed to a program at this point and of the uncommitted guys there are mostly offensive tackle types - not interior guys
my best guess is that the coaches continue to recruit Zachary (Louisiana) offensive tackle Kavion Broussard as a potential target/take in this class, but my even better guess is that Blanchard & the recruiting staff will play with house money (four solid commitments) and continue to churn film going into the season in order to find the next interior OL target.
much like a Brett Carroll type, the eventual new target will be a young man that is not even on our radar and will most likely be an under-the-radar type
...or the coaches could wait, hold and go into flip mode later in the Fall (?)
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Big 12 Media Days
everyone around here and certainly 99% of people reading this blog are big fans of Joey McGuire...what he has done with this program in under two (2) years is impressive and has many Texas Tech fans - and even outsiders/national talking heads - looking at the Red Raiders in a different light
sure, 'we' know or knew that before this week...but watch this video - I have watched it nearly 20 times - and it is no secret why others are starting to buy-in or believe in the Texas Tech football program
this is not a media days recap, @J. Ramirez already knocked that out of the park and all of his links are listed above...
this is more of a heat check, a 'how are we feeling' type of acknowledgement - because I'm the old dude around here these days and I recall covering multiple Big 12 Media Days where Texas Tech was a footnote, little to no expectations and not a ton of headlines/starpower coming into or during the event itself
McGuire spoke with confidence and his messaging - regardless of what rival fanbases might say - comes across as truly genuine...most of the reporters and journalists in attendance have known Joey since his high school coaching days and he is a celebrity in these circles...and it really showed, even watching from afar.
this program is in great hands, and I will say it again as loud as possible...it is a great feeling knowing that the head coach and his entire staff truly believe in Lubbock, in Texas Tech and what they are selling to these young men
that goes a very long way, it is already making a very real impact on the recruiting trail and more importantly within the Texas Tech locker room.
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Yormark from the top ropes...
not sure if you have heard, but Texas and Oklahoma are leaving for the SEC next year...again, I was not at the event, but can only imagine how often this was asked about by various journalists at the event
Yormark was asked some leading question about UT and OU leaving, how they have 'carried the conference' in recruiting...and I just loved his response here.
the guy has been great for the conference since taking over and dumb questions like this deserve a sharp answer...as much as I love recruiting and believe in the results, the real results that matter are W's & L's on the field, right?
I cannot predict the future and fans do not enjoy the spoils of more money' in a 'bigger' conference...sure, they get new experiences for road games, new fans coming into their towns...sure, the SEC is easily the best conference in CFB.
BUT...I'm not so sure the OU and UT fans are prepared for the mile of shit they have to crawl through before realizing success in a much more difficult conference.
I say that while also saying this...the Big 12 conference is certainly not easy, not by any stretch of the imagination - and neither team is exactly beating up the current competition.
so there is no magic transformation once they get into the SEC, and annual results like A&M / Missouri / Arkansas just will not cut it...fans will quickly forget about more money while they also chant 'SEC, SEC, SEC' at your local water cooler.
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Dave Campbell's 40 under 40 - congrats Coach Hamby
over the past few weeks, Dave Campbell's has rolled out their '40 under 40' for college coaches around the state of Texas
our very own OL coach and former Red Raider standout Stephen Hamby was listed as one of the top 40 youngsters coaching here in the state of Texas
players and recruits alike have great things to say about Hamby...his results at WKU speak for themselves and his unit - a banged up group - had a solid first season last year
we reviewed OL recruiting above and things are going well...look for Hamby and his group to have an even better 2023 campaign with a healthy group, some new additions and more depth
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Recruiting - Around the Big 12
we look around the new-look conference this week after more new commitments were made, the rankings are now updated and have shifted the TTU class out of the 'top' spot in the conference for now...
*listed in current Big 12 rankings order, new programs now officially added to the Rivals rankings list
Texas - 14 total commitments, No. 21 class in the nation
the Longhorns added two (2) new commitments over the past week
ATH Aeryn Hampton
DE Melvin Hills
Oklahoma - 13 total commitments, No. 29 class in the nation
the Sooners added two (2) new commitments over the past week
TE Davon Mitchell - *this young man 'reclassified' from 2025 to 2024, landing at the No. 94 overall prospect in the nation...so he is probably pretty good
DT Jayden Jackson
Texas Tech - 17 total commitments, No. 31 class in the nation
the Red Raiders did not add any new commitments this past week
West Virginia - 18 total commitments, No. 35 class in the nation
the Mountaineers did not add any new commitments this past week
Kansas - 15 total commitments, No. 41 class in the nation
the Jayhawks did not add any new commitments this past week
Cincinnati - 18 total commitments, No. 43 class in the nation
the Bearcats did not add any new commitments this past week
UCF - 13 total commitments, No. 44 class in the nation
the Golden Knights added two (2) new commitments over the past week
DB Christian Peterson
OL Chase Malamala
Iowa State - 15 total commitments, No. 50 class in the nation
the Cyclones did not add any new commitments this past week
Baylor - 12 total commitments, No. 54 class in the nation
the Bears did not add any new commitments this past week
Oklahoma State - 12 total commitments, No. 56 class in the nation
the Cowboys actually lost a commitment this week - RB Jaylen Boardley, a Texas Top 100 prospect, who announced his plans to reopen his recruitment
TCU - 10 total commitments, No. 57 class in the nation
the Horned Frogs did not add any new commitments this past week
Houston - seven (7) total commitments, No. 80 class in the nation
the Cougars did not add any new commitments this past week
Kansas State - seven (7) total commitments, No. 81 class in the nation
the Wildcats did not add any new commitments this past week
BYU - eight (8) total commitments, No. 88 class in the nation
the Cougars did not add any new commitments this past week
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have a great weekend everyone!
