photo credit to The Daily Toreador - my lourde, put it in the Lourve...just a magnificent picture and one that should easily stand the test of time
it is Friday, let's Flare...
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WEEKLY CLICKS
...a quick list of links from the various stories posted on RRS this week
Bye, bye: Texas leaves Lubbock for final time with loss to Tech, 37-34
Smith shines in best game of year, Merriweather, Pearson step up on defense
Myles Price: "We don't want to let y'all down"
McGuire bold on Texas rivalry & overtime win Saturday
Things Justin Apodaca Liked & Disliked Against Texas
Visitor reactions to Texas Tech's comeback win vs. UT
2024 Shallowater OL Kasen Long decides to stay home, commits to TTU
2025 point-guard Jordan Lowery talks unofficial visit and recruitment
Grading the Red Raiders: TE's Cupp, Tharp stand out in Tech win
Mayhem Galore: Week 5 Big 12 power rankings
Texas Tech at Oklahoma state set for 2:30pm kickoff
Wolff, Pearson land on Big 12 Play of the Week honors list
Joey McGuire looking forward to yet another ranked matchup, trip to K-State
Red Raiders preparing for "knuckleballer" in Deuce Vaughn and Kansas State
Fardaws Aimaq talks injury, outlook on season
Batcho taking veteran approach mixed with some high goals into 2022 season
Red Raiders in the NFL: 2022 Week Three
Merriweather, Cole & Cupp look ahead to Saturday's showdown in Manhattan
Tracking Former Red Raiders: Bouyer-Randle picks off Leary
Texas Tech commits and targets tracker: Week Five
Alec Busse of EMAW online talks Martinez, Deuce & the Wildcats
Texas Tech travels to Manhattan for tough road test against Kansas State
RRS TV: WR commit Kelby Valsin
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COMMITS THIS WEEK
Joey McGuire and his staff landing another 2024 commitment over the weekend with Shallowater offensive tackle Kasen Long.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound prospect announced his commitment this past Sunday, a day after watching the Red Raiders defeat the Texas Longhorns at Jones AT&T Stadium. He lists one (1) offer from Texas Tech, however, the standout lineman was invited and visited Oklahoma, TCU and Texas over the off-season along with receiving mail from several other programs.
This one is very similar to many other new commitments since Joey McGuire and his staff took over last November - unranked, Tech is the only offer and there is potential everywhere.
Long is the third commitment for Texas Tech in the 2024 recruiting class, now ranked the No. 17 overall class in the nation.
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2024 Recruiting Class
As we turn the page to October 2022, your Red Raiders now hold three (3) total 2024 commitments.
Two (2) of the commitments - Lorenzo Johnson Jr. and Chandlin Myers - came in over the summer and Kasen Long committed over this past weekend.
The results are not incredible or eye-popping here, but the momentum is very real. Consider the coaches are essentially done with the 2023 recruiting class and this momentum and the potential for this 2024 recruiting class starts to look very, very real.
In the Rivals database, Texas Tech is showing 135 total offers out to 2024 prospects to date. This week alone, the coaches offered two (2) new 2024 prospects - safety DaShawn Mcbryde and wide receiver Kelly Daniels. The Red Raiders were offer No. 1 for both prospects, stop me when this starts to sound familiar.
A few important and maybe obvious things - this staff knows what they want in a prospect and does not wait to see others offer in order to 'confirm' their thoughts on a prospect + this staff gives themselves options and does not offer that 'one' prospect at that 'one' position, then sit and wait until that prospect either commits to the good guys or commits elsewhere.
Recruiting is a numbers game and if you assume 25 commitments per class along with 140 offers in any particular year, then the coaches are looking at landing roughly 18-percent of the prospects they offer and recruit to become Red Raiders. I believe college coaches, not just Texas Tech, stand to have more success when offering a prospect, recruiting said prospect, but doing these things while offering multiple other prospects at that given position. In the past, it seemed like previous coaching staffs would focus on top targets or potential leans at a given position, only to see that prospect commit elsewhere and leaving the Tech coaches looking to the portal or JUCO options.
A lot of words to say that Joey McGuire and the TTU coaching staff have momentum in the 2024 class, and it could be argued the coaches have not even started to add 'signature' pieces or top targets to this 2024 recruiting class.
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K-STATE GAME LAST SEASON - A LOT HAS CHANGED
I don't want to talk too much about old shit, but so much has changed since the Red Raiders played the Kansas State Wildcats last season and it seems necessary.
The Red Raiders lost to the Wildcats at home last season by one point, blowing a 14 point lead in the second half. Backup quarterback and now starting quarterback for Marshall, Henry Columbi, was sacked on 4th & 16 from midfield, and then game ended after a few time chewing runs from K-State.
Only days later, Kirby Hocutt announced the program was parting ways with Matt Wells after a 5-3 start to the season. The timing of this decision was questioned by many national college football talking heads, but ultimately the move was applauded when Hocutt and the search committee was able to hire Joey McGuire away from Baylor a few weeks later.
We are coming up on one year of Joey McGuire and I cannot speak for everyone, but I feel pretty comfortable saying that most approve of the new head coach's Energizer Bunny level of energy and the mountain of progress that has been made within the lockeroom and on the recruiting trail.
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THAT DEUCE VAUGHN, I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE DUDE...KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
Speaking of the K-State game last season and the upcoming game this Saturday, let's talk about running back Deuce Vaughn.
In the game recapped above, Vaughn scored the go-ahead touchdown and caused the Red Raiders defense trouble the entire game, finishing with 15 carries for 52 yards and two (2) touchdowns rushing along with 7 receptions for 68 yards and one (1) touchdown receiving.
Listed at 5-foot-6, 176-pounds, Vaughn is considered one of the best backs in the country and possesses electric speed and can make defenders look silly on the football field...
Example A:
it feels like most of you reading this already know what Vaughn can do on the field...so let's talk recruiting
The Round Rock Cedar Ridge 5.5 three-star prospect committed to the Wildcats in the spring of 2019, choosing K-State over Missouri and Arkansas. He also held offers from Air Force, Army and South Florida...but the first three (3) schools were the main programs recruiting the speedy back.
The 2020 recruiting class was the first 'full' recruiting cycle for Matt Wells and his staff after they worked to maintain and finalize the 2019 class in short order the previous year.
Now, keep in mind, the Red Raiders did sign some guy named Tahj Brooks in the 2020 recruiting class...so it worked out pretty well, no issues there.
but I did find an article where Vaughn mentions interest from the Texas Tech coaches...that being said, I do not recall any real interest or any indication that Brooks wasn't the former coaching staff's top target the whole time.
in fact, the coaches offered 11 total running backs in the 2020 class, but no offer to Vaughn
several programs and coaching staffs overlooked Vaughn, and safe to assume his size played a big role there...but Vaughn was not hiding, he was the RB MVP at The Opening and did hold offers from K-State/Missouri/Arkansas with on-campus visits to each program
ranking prospects is very difficult, and to reiterate, I'm so glad it is not my job...that being said, the recruiting industry looks dumb when a kid like Deuce Vaughn does things on a college football field like in the above tweet/video
Rivals - 5.5 three-star
247 - '85' three-star
ESPN - '75' three-star
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THE BARSTOOL EFFECT
The content or personalities or whatever about Barstool Sports might not be 'your thing', but whether or not you particulary like Barstool, one simply cannot deny the effect or impact some Barstool attention or content offers the TTU program.
The latest example is from Dana Beers and Glenny Balls, yes you read that correctly, who visited Lubbock for the game against Texas this past weekend.
You can watch a full video recap of the trip and experience in Lubbock here, but the biggest takeaway for me is how the Texas Tech admin and athletic department have embraced the interactions with Barstool.
Dana Beers left town with an 'official offer' from the program and had multiple social media engagements with the head coach himself, Joey McGuire.
This is not a 'new' thing either, during COVID a few years ago, one of the founders of Barstool - Dan 'Big Cat' Katz started to live stream video of him playing NCAA 14 Dynasty Mode. He created a fake coach named Coach Duggs, who eventually became the head coach of the Red Raiders and it was a nice distraction from what the world was like at the time.
The term '50 burger' came from this content and companies rushed to send Big Cat tons of Texas Tech merchandise/clothing/etc...the 'love' and interaction from Texas Tech fans and the Athletic Department arguably led to this most recent content.
All of this to say, these two instances easily led to millions in social media impressions and exposure for the Texas Tech football program and the Texas Tech brand in general. There are people in the Northeast or Midwest or even the West Coast watching this field storming video and looking at the Red Raiders in a different light...all because of a big dummy that likes to chug beer, you gotta love it.
I'm a fan of Barstool and mostly listen to the podcasts they produce, but that then bleeds into social media - mostly Twitter and Instagram.
Again, even if it isn't your thing, you cannot deny the impact of the Barstool effect.
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BIG 12 POWER RANKINGS
what. an. idiot.
I started my weekly Big 12 rankings by putting the K-State Wildcats as the No. 10, last team in the conference after a home loss to Tulane.
in my defense...
Kansas State scored 10 points at home in a loss to Tulane last weekend. That game and result puts them at the bottom, but the season is early and it is completely possible the Wildcats rebound this weekend against the Sooners...because why not???
still a dummy move and a good reminder to take these rankings with a grade of slaw after four (4) weeks of action...
1. Oklahoma State
The No. 9 Pokes are undefeated and travel to Waco for a game against No. 16 Baylor this weekend, so this is a 'prove it' game for Gundy and his team. The OkState defense has been leaky and while Baylor is not an offensive juggernaut, this is a great opportunity for the Pokes to beat a ranked team on the road, proving they are a 'real' contender for the Big 12 title.
2. TCU
The Frogs are undefeated, but they have also beat nobody and remain unranked. That being said, TCU and Sonny Dykes have a great opportunity at home against Oklahoma this weekend. It seems like everyone is assuming the Sooners will bounce back after the loss to K-State last weekend, but I'm not ready to call it a blowout, although I do believe OU wins tomorrow.
3. Kansas
Yes, you read that correctly, the Kansas Jayhawks are off to a 4-0 start and 1-0 start in Big 12 play this season. The offense is humming, averaging 48.5 points per game through four (4) games, and Jaylen Daniels is showing more and more on a weekly basis at the quarterback position. They host Iowa State this weekend in Lawrence and have an opportunity to enter the Top 25 with a win.
4. Oklahoma
The Sooners lost to the Wildcats at home last weekend, but the OU program seems to always be good for one 'what the hell was that' loss every season, then they reel off multiple wins in a row on their way to another Big 12 championship. I'm not ready to say that will happen this season, but I'm taking the Sooners to beat TCU in Fort Worth this weekend, setting up the Red River Rivalry the following week.
5. Texas Tech
Your Red Raiders have been living on the edge so far this season, winning two (2) home games against ranked opponents in overtime. For all of the mistakes made against N.C. State, they stayed in the game through four (4) quarters against the No. 10 team in the nation on the road. Similar to the Jayhawks above, Texas Tech can get into the Top 25 with a win against K-State this weekend.
6. Baylor
The Bears rebounded from their loss to BYU nicely with wins against Texas State and Iowa State over the past two weeks. The road win against the Cyclones was convincing, the score does not indicate how the game actually played out. Ranked No. 16 in the nation, the Bears are a tad overrated in my opinion, but they have a big opportunity at home against Oklahoma State this weekend.
7. Kansas State
The Wildcats have to own the home loss to Tulane and quarterback Adrian Martinez is known for his inconsistent play at the college level, so who knows what we see in this weekend's game. Regardless, the win against Oklahoma in Norman last weekend put the Wildcats back into the Top 25. They face your Red Raiders this weekend and have an opportunity to remain in the Top 25 with a win, then they hit the road over the next few weeks at Iowa State and at TCU.
8. Texas
The Longhorns are at No. 7 with the loss to Texas Tech, starting 0-1 in conference play. The injury to Quinn Ewers has impacted the Longhorns significantly, but then again, Ewers has only played two (2) games at the college level. He looked very impressive in the game against Alabama before the injury and rumors have him expected back for the Red River Rivalry next weekend, however, I will believe it when I see it. The team held a leadership council meeting and then a players only meeting earlier this week, so things should be okay moving forward...right?
9. Iowa State
The Big 12 conference is wide open, look no further than the Cyclones being listed at the No. 9 ranked team in a 10 team conference. Matt Campbell is a tremendous coach and while the Cyclones have not looked great this season, but with all of Kansas' success, would it surprise anyone if Iowa State went into Lawrence this weekend and beat the Jayhawks? No, not really, right? I'm taking Kansas to win at home, so the Cyclones ended up towards the bottom on the rankings this week.
10. West Virginia
To give credit where credit is due, the Mountaineers have played a strong non-conference schedule, but the home loss to Kansas in overtime a few weeks ago keeps this 2-2 West Virginia team at the bottom of the Big 12 rankings. Neil Brown's team goes to Austin for a night game this weekend to start the weekly gauntlet that is the Big 12 conference schedule. The Mountaineers need to find wins in conference play to become bowl eligible or things could get ugly in Morgantown this season.
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have a great weekend everyone!
