Good morning, happy Friday everyone.
As always, the Friday Flare is brought to you by our friends at Gator's Bayou. Need an adult beverage to round out your week? Head over to the patio at Gator's Bayou and have a few this afternoon.
Later this summer, they will be hosting live music. Check out their website and follow them on social media for more upcoming events.
----------
WEEKLY CLICKS
...a quick list of links from the various stories posted on RRS this week.
Washington discusses the transition with a new coaching staff
Prime 21 camp thoughts and nuggets
2021 QB Behren Morton talks Texas Tech, recruitment at Prime 21 camp
Adidas Finale: Three stand out for Chibuzo Agbo
2022 LB commit Kobie McKinzie has strong relationship with Tech staff
Breakdown: Kentucky Wildcats
2021 WR Deamikkio Nathan likes the atmosphere at Texas Tech
Roundtable: Texas Tech's key players for 2019
Texas Tech makes Top 10 for Rivals100 WR Latrell Neville
----------
2020 COMMIT HIGHLIGHTS
Since this is a weekly thread, we are going to take a look at each commitment's film/highlights and eventually some of the top targets on a weekly basis.
This week we take a look at 2020 RB commit Tahj Brooks, a 5.7 three-star prospect with 22 total offers...
Brooks, listed at 5-foot-11, 218-pounds, is a great combination of size and speed. He shows great patience while letting his blockers create lanes, then his explosion into top speed is impressive.
The Manor product has the potential to become a feature back for the Red Raiders, and the opportunity is there for him to contribute as a true freshman this time next year.
----------
RECRUITING THIS WEEK
Thank the lord above @B. Golan was able to attend the Prime 21 camp last weekend, because there is very little going on this time of year.
The dead period has officially ended, and several programs are hosting their annual "BBQ" or "pool party" events this weekend.
We do not expect the Tech coaches to host any visitors or this type of event, but it did make me think...
If you are Texas Tech, based on a variety of factors including location, do you really want to 'compete' for visitors on a weekend where Texas A&M/Oklahoma and others are hosting large recruiting 'invite only' events + camps at Texas/TCU?
I don't know the right answer, but my gut says no. I like the fact that Matt Wells and his staff do things their own way, and by that I mean the coaches seem patient in their approach and overall plan.
The recruiting obsessed weirdo inside of me says yes, but only because these events lead to great relationship building with underclassmen in the 2021 and 2022 classes.
...but that will come in due time with a new coaching staff, so not a concern.
So nothing happening this weekend, but I would expect to start seeing various unofficial visitors on campus to watch fall practices and prospects spending time around the team before the season gets started.
COURTLAND FORD, 2020 OT - The Rivals national team shared an update on the Cedar Hill offensive tackle yesterday, which included notes on several programs.
I was able to share some messages with Ford recently, and wanted to share some of his comments about Tech, the coaches, etc.
-Talks with Coach Kerry Cooks and Coach Luke Wells on a weekly basis
-The coaches love his playing style, see him as a very athletic tackle prospect and he is exactly what they are looking for at the position for their offense
-When asked about his thoughts on the coaches, Ford mentioned that he likes how upfront the coaches are and described both Tech coaches as "
" with him while also calling them great coaches
-No visit scheduled, but the coaches and his teammate and Tech commit Quin Bright are working to get him on campus sometime this fall
Thoughts - the article from our national team mentions LSU and Texas and USC and Baylor as contenders...the Baylor mention was specifically around former Cedar Hill head coach and current BU assistant Joey McGuire, he was previously committed to LSU and commits do not usually 're'commit, the Oregon interest/visit seems like a very new thing, Texas already has four (4) 2020 OL commits and USC already has four (4) OL commits.
Getting kids on campus is the most important thing, and it sounds like Matt Wells and his staff will get the opportunity to show young Courtland their overall vision for TTU football later this season.
Adding a four-star tackle in your first full recruiting cycle? That would be a huge move for Wells & Co, let's see what happens against these other Big12 Rivals and Pac12 programs.
ROBERT WOOTEN, 2020 DE - We wrote about the Stafford product last week and discussed his decommitment from Arizona. I had a chance to speak with Wooten this week and learned a few things about his reason behind the decommit and where things stand with Texas Tech.
-his Mother lives in Tuscon, Arizona and that led to his original commitment to the Wildcats
-speaking of Wooten's Mother, he mentioned she loves Coach Paul Randolph and the Texas Tech coaching staff
-the recent official visit was Wooten's second time on campus this year, and he specifically mentioned the OV was for his Mother to see everything on the South Plains
-the three-star prospect has now taken OVs to Texas Tech, SMU, Arizona and Missouri...he is saving the last official visit for later this season, wants to wait and see what happens with his recruitment.
-since his announcement, Wooten mentioned that coaches from Baylor and Oregon have reached out with interest
-several believe the allure of "SEC football" at Missouri, and by several I mean his high school coach who literally told me this...things change quickly in recruiting, but this is where things stand currently
-knowing the above going into our interview, I asked Wooten about what stands out about the opportunity with Texas Tech...
"The schools in Texas, like Texas Tech, have a lot of pull to their name when you are applying for a job after college. There are a lot of beneficial things about attending a state school when you think about life after football."
Thoughts - This is a very tough situation to predict, and I really do not think Wooten has an idea of what will happen next with his recruitment. Coach Randolph sees him as a rush end, outside linebacker in the Tech defense and that is pretty much the same across the board for every program recruiting him. New offers can obviously change things, but I expect the Red Raiders to continue pursuing the three-star prospect until they are officially out..in fact, I believe this decision/indecision could impact who the coaches take or do not take in the meantime.
----------
STRENGTH - TEXAS TECH OL
No, this is not some breaking news, but the amount of returning starts along the Texas Tech offensive line is a strength of the team going into the season.
While it is definitely a strength, the changes along the line and current uncertainty at the center position are topics of discussion going into fall camp.
Anderson is an all-everything player for the Red Raiders, but he was limited in spring practices with an injury and it sounds like the coaches were playing things safe. When we asked Bruffy about Anderson at Big 12 Media Days, he mentioned that Anderson was looking great and had been working out with former NFL OL during the off-season.
Bruffy and Steele are switching sides, Bruffy will reportedly play right tackle with Steele moving over to left tackle. I like this move, because Steele has a longer reach and should be a better fit on the left side of the line. Bruffy is consistent and has enough experience to work towards getting comfortable blocking on the right side of the line.
Akamnonu came into the program as a highly recruiting prospect, but the recruiting buzz has not necessarily matched the play on the field. Injuries and inconsistency has kept him from locking down a starting job over the past few years, but could this be the year he settles in as the team's starting left guard?
If that doesn't happen, does a healthy Demarcus Marshall take his spot?
Who plays center? The smart money here is on Dawson Deaton, but Bailey Smith has been rotating with Deaton and playing in his absence while out with injury...so this is probably the biggest question going into fall camp, but if Deaton is healthy, then he is your guy at center.
All in all, the official roster lists 16 offensive linemen on scholarship. I'm sure the coaches would like to see a few more linemen in total, but this seems to be a pretty solid group for Coach Farmer to inherit.
With two commitments in the 2020 class already, it seems a total of 4-5 prospects will be taken in the 2020 recruiting class.
----------
WELLS AT THE THSCA CONVENTION
Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells and his entire staff attended the THSCA Convention in Houston earlier this week.
Wells spoke on day two of the event and gave a presentation on special teams. He also had a breakout session where he answered several questions, including recruiting the Houston area and recruiting Texas in general.
Pretty hard to call this anything else but a huge win for Wells and the Texas Tech Football brand, simply stated and no hype whatsoever.
It isn't necessarily about the tips of the trade shared on special teams, but rather the beers at the bar or the conversations had over dinner, at the Astros game, etc.
The equity this builds across the state of Texas with high school coaches is invaluable.
So file this under the 'gets it' section...
----------
TTU 2019 REUNION
This was already discussed earlier in the week on the board, but Matt Wells and the Letterman's Club took to social media this week to announce a 2019 'Reunion' weekend for former Texas Tech football players.
The team will be hosting Oklahoma State this weekend, which should be one of the better home games on the schedule this season.
I like this move and messaging for several reasons. It is easy to say "let's get Crabtree back during the off week" and other similar examples, but Texas Tech football is more than the star players and the team is made up of 100+ hard working young men every year.
This is more about the former player wanting to get involved, wanting to be around the program and spend one weekend around the coaches and current players.
We will begin to follow this event more closely later this season to see who all attends, dig into any information we can gather from the event.
----------
KENTUCKY HEADED TO LUBBOCK
This video is insanely good.
This subject already has a million pages of comments and discussion on the board, but this is such huge news that it had to be mentioned again.
Kentucky is a staple of college basketball, they land top recruiting classes on an annual basis and send players to the first round of the NBA Draft on an annual basis.
However...Coach Beard and the Red Raiders have created a home court advantage at the USA, and the ultra talented Wildcats have to come and take it.
Hopefully we see a ton of these from Callapri...
----------
WHOA(S)
Eyes on the road buddy...
There were a few different angles of this video shared online earlier this week, but this was probably the best angle.
This guy supposedly checked out another girl at the airport or on the plane, then his girlfriend went absolutely psycho inside of the plane...luckily before takeoff for the other passengers.
At one point, she takes a laptop and slams it on his head, like a metal chair WWE move.
Happy B-Day Zeke!
Ezekiel Elliott celebrated his 24th birthday last weekend and this picture was shared on social media.
For those who do not know the backstory here, Elliott was filmed pulling down a girl's shirt and revealing her naked breast during a St. Patrick's Day parade.
Now the talented running back is reportedly planning to 'hold out' of training camp, angling for a long term contract extension.
It seems the drama never ends with Elliott, and the NFL does not value paying RBs 'big' money, but Jerry & Co. took him No. 4 overall and will be faced with a big decision here over the next month.
Texas hires...who???
Shortly after announcing his retirement, longtime MLB star Troy Tulwitski was announced as the newest assistant for Texas baseball.
I mean, whoa...right?
I get the 'why' here, but have not been able to find a connection to the university.
He is originally from California and went to college in California.
But good for the Longhorns, just seems like an odd move...although if Tadlock announced the hire of Evan Longoria (? or something ?), then I'm sure everyone here would think it was cool.
----------
THREE'S COMPANY
I know this isn't Facebook and most do not care about this, but we spend a lot of time together and you guys are my best online friends.
My life is changing this fall, baby No. 3 is coming in early October...and it's another boy (f**k yeah).
So, insert 'class of 2040' comments here...one Clare QB completes his senior season and the other commits a few years later, that's the tentative plan for now.
Have a great weekend everyone!
As always, the Friday Flare is brought to you by our friends at Gator's Bayou. Need an adult beverage to round out your week? Head over to the patio at Gator's Bayou and have a few this afternoon.
Later this summer, they will be hosting live music. Check out their website and follow them on social media for more upcoming events.
----------
WEEKLY CLICKS
...a quick list of links from the various stories posted on RRS this week.
Washington discusses the transition with a new coaching staff
Prime 21 camp thoughts and nuggets
2021 QB Behren Morton talks Texas Tech, recruitment at Prime 21 camp
Adidas Finale: Three stand out for Chibuzo Agbo
2022 LB commit Kobie McKinzie has strong relationship with Tech staff
Breakdown: Kentucky Wildcats
2021 WR Deamikkio Nathan likes the atmosphere at Texas Tech
Roundtable: Texas Tech's key players for 2019
Texas Tech makes Top 10 for Rivals100 WR Latrell Neville
----------
2020 COMMIT HIGHLIGHTS
Since this is a weekly thread, we are going to take a look at each commitment's film/highlights and eventually some of the top targets on a weekly basis.
This week we take a look at 2020 RB commit Tahj Brooks, a 5.7 three-star prospect with 22 total offers...
Brooks, listed at 5-foot-11, 218-pounds, is a great combination of size and speed. He shows great patience while letting his blockers create lanes, then his explosion into top speed is impressive.
The Manor product has the potential to become a feature back for the Red Raiders, and the opportunity is there for him to contribute as a true freshman this time next year.
----------
RECRUITING THIS WEEK
Thank the lord above @B. Golan was able to attend the Prime 21 camp last weekend, because there is very little going on this time of year.
The dead period has officially ended, and several programs are hosting their annual "BBQ" or "pool party" events this weekend.
We do not expect the Tech coaches to host any visitors or this type of event, but it did make me think...
If you are Texas Tech, based on a variety of factors including location, do you really want to 'compete' for visitors on a weekend where Texas A&M/Oklahoma and others are hosting large recruiting 'invite only' events + camps at Texas/TCU?
I don't know the right answer, but my gut says no. I like the fact that Matt Wells and his staff do things their own way, and by that I mean the coaches seem patient in their approach and overall plan.
The recruiting obsessed weirdo inside of me says yes, but only because these events lead to great relationship building with underclassmen in the 2021 and 2022 classes.
...but that will come in due time with a new coaching staff, so not a concern.
So nothing happening this weekend, but I would expect to start seeing various unofficial visitors on campus to watch fall practices and prospects spending time around the team before the season gets started.
COURTLAND FORD, 2020 OT - The Rivals national team shared an update on the Cedar Hill offensive tackle yesterday, which included notes on several programs.
I was able to share some messages with Ford recently, and wanted to share some of his comments about Tech, the coaches, etc.
-Talks with Coach Kerry Cooks and Coach Luke Wells on a weekly basis
-The coaches love his playing style, see him as a very athletic tackle prospect and he is exactly what they are looking for at the position for their offense
-When asked about his thoughts on the coaches, Ford mentioned that he likes how upfront the coaches are and described both Tech coaches as "
" with him while also calling them great coaches-No visit scheduled, but the coaches and his teammate and Tech commit Quin Bright are working to get him on campus sometime this fall
Thoughts - the article from our national team mentions LSU and Texas and USC and Baylor as contenders...the Baylor mention was specifically around former Cedar Hill head coach and current BU assistant Joey McGuire, he was previously committed to LSU and commits do not usually 're'commit, the Oregon interest/visit seems like a very new thing, Texas already has four (4) 2020 OL commits and USC already has four (4) OL commits.
Getting kids on campus is the most important thing, and it sounds like Matt Wells and his staff will get the opportunity to show young Courtland their overall vision for TTU football later this season.
Adding a four-star tackle in your first full recruiting cycle? That would be a huge move for Wells & Co, let's see what happens against these other Big12 Rivals and Pac12 programs.
ROBERT WOOTEN, 2020 DE - We wrote about the Stafford product last week and discussed his decommitment from Arizona. I had a chance to speak with Wooten this week and learned a few things about his reason behind the decommit and where things stand with Texas Tech.
-his Mother lives in Tuscon, Arizona and that led to his original commitment to the Wildcats
-speaking of Wooten's Mother, he mentioned she loves Coach Paul Randolph and the Texas Tech coaching staff
-the recent official visit was Wooten's second time on campus this year, and he specifically mentioned the OV was for his Mother to see everything on the South Plains
-the three-star prospect has now taken OVs to Texas Tech, SMU, Arizona and Missouri...he is saving the last official visit for later this season, wants to wait and see what happens with his recruitment.
-since his announcement, Wooten mentioned that coaches from Baylor and Oregon have reached out with interest
-several believe the allure of "SEC football" at Missouri, and by several I mean his high school coach who literally told me this...things change quickly in recruiting, but this is where things stand currently
-knowing the above going into our interview, I asked Wooten about what stands out about the opportunity with Texas Tech...
"The schools in Texas, like Texas Tech, have a lot of pull to their name when you are applying for a job after college. There are a lot of beneficial things about attending a state school when you think about life after football."
Thoughts - This is a very tough situation to predict, and I really do not think Wooten has an idea of what will happen next with his recruitment. Coach Randolph sees him as a rush end, outside linebacker in the Tech defense and that is pretty much the same across the board for every program recruiting him. New offers can obviously change things, but I expect the Red Raiders to continue pursuing the three-star prospect until they are officially out..in fact, I believe this decision/indecision could impact who the coaches take or do not take in the meantime.
----------
STRENGTH - TEXAS TECH OL
No, this is not some breaking news, but the amount of returning starts along the Texas Tech offensive line is a strength of the team going into the season.
While it is definitely a strength, the changes along the line and current uncertainty at the center position are topics of discussion going into fall camp.
Anderson is an all-everything player for the Red Raiders, but he was limited in spring practices with an injury and it sounds like the coaches were playing things safe. When we asked Bruffy about Anderson at Big 12 Media Days, he mentioned that Anderson was looking great and had been working out with former NFL OL during the off-season.
Bruffy and Steele are switching sides, Bruffy will reportedly play right tackle with Steele moving over to left tackle. I like this move, because Steele has a longer reach and should be a better fit on the left side of the line. Bruffy is consistent and has enough experience to work towards getting comfortable blocking on the right side of the line.
Akamnonu came into the program as a highly recruiting prospect, but the recruiting buzz has not necessarily matched the play on the field. Injuries and inconsistency has kept him from locking down a starting job over the past few years, but could this be the year he settles in as the team's starting left guard?
If that doesn't happen, does a healthy Demarcus Marshall take his spot?
Who plays center? The smart money here is on Dawson Deaton, but Bailey Smith has been rotating with Deaton and playing in his absence while out with injury...so this is probably the biggest question going into fall camp, but if Deaton is healthy, then he is your guy at center.
All in all, the official roster lists 16 offensive linemen on scholarship. I'm sure the coaches would like to see a few more linemen in total, but this seems to be a pretty solid group for Coach Farmer to inherit.
With two commitments in the 2020 class already, it seems a total of 4-5 prospects will be taken in the 2020 recruiting class.
----------
WELLS AT THE THSCA CONVENTION
Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells and his entire staff attended the THSCA Convention in Houston earlier this week.
Wells spoke on day two of the event and gave a presentation on special teams. He also had a breakout session where he answered several questions, including recruiting the Houston area and recruiting Texas in general.
Pretty hard to call this anything else but a huge win for Wells and the Texas Tech Football brand, simply stated and no hype whatsoever.
It isn't necessarily about the tips of the trade shared on special teams, but rather the beers at the bar or the conversations had over dinner, at the Astros game, etc.
The equity this builds across the state of Texas with high school coaches is invaluable.
So file this under the 'gets it' section...
----------
TTU 2019 REUNION
This was already discussed earlier in the week on the board, but Matt Wells and the Letterman's Club took to social media this week to announce a 2019 'Reunion' weekend for former Texas Tech football players.
The team will be hosting Oklahoma State this weekend, which should be one of the better home games on the schedule this season.
I like this move and messaging for several reasons. It is easy to say "let's get Crabtree back during the off week" and other similar examples, but Texas Tech football is more than the star players and the team is made up of 100+ hard working young men every year.
This is more about the former player wanting to get involved, wanting to be around the program and spend one weekend around the coaches and current players.
We will begin to follow this event more closely later this season to see who all attends, dig into any information we can gather from the event.
----------
KENTUCKY HEADED TO LUBBOCK
This video is insanely good.
This subject already has a million pages of comments and discussion on the board, but this is such huge news that it had to be mentioned again.
Kentucky is a staple of college basketball, they land top recruiting classes on an annual basis and send players to the first round of the NBA Draft on an annual basis.
However...Coach Beard and the Red Raiders have created a home court advantage at the USA, and the ultra talented Wildcats have to come and take it.
Hopefully we see a ton of these from Callapri...
----------
WHOA(S)
Eyes on the road buddy...
There were a few different angles of this video shared online earlier this week, but this was probably the best angle.
This guy supposedly checked out another girl at the airport or on the plane, then his girlfriend went absolutely psycho inside of the plane...luckily before takeoff for the other passengers.
At one point, she takes a laptop and slams it on his head, like a metal chair WWE move.
Happy B-Day Zeke!
Ezekiel Elliott celebrated his 24th birthday last weekend and this picture was shared on social media.
For those who do not know the backstory here, Elliott was filmed pulling down a girl's shirt and revealing her naked breast during a St. Patrick's Day parade.
Now the talented running back is reportedly planning to 'hold out' of training camp, angling for a long term contract extension.
It seems the drama never ends with Elliott, and the NFL does not value paying RBs 'big' money, but Jerry & Co. took him No. 4 overall and will be faced with a big decision here over the next month.
Texas hires...who???
Shortly after announcing his retirement, longtime MLB star Troy Tulwitski was announced as the newest assistant for Texas baseball.
I mean, whoa...right?
I get the 'why' here, but have not been able to find a connection to the university.
He is originally from California and went to college in California.
But good for the Longhorns, just seems like an odd move...although if Tadlock announced the hire of Evan Longoria (? or something ?), then I'm sure everyone here would think it was cool.
----------
THREE'S COMPANY
I know this isn't Facebook and most do not care about this, but we spend a lot of time together and you guys are my best online friends.
My life is changing this fall, baby No. 3 is coming in early October...and it's another boy (f**k yeah).
So, insert 'class of 2040' comments here...one Clare QB completes his senior season and the other commits a few years later, that's the tentative plan for now.
Have a great weekend everyone!
