the Red Raiders are officially off the mat, in the win column and now they head straight into conference play.
it's Friday, let's Flare...
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WEEKLY LINKS
Film Room Friday: Tarleton
The Recruiting Six-Pack: Red Raiders land Micah Hudson
Tech shoots for momentum starter against Tartleton State
Staff Predictions: Texas Tech looks to bounce back for first win of season
Red Raiders force three turnovers, storm Tartleton State 41-3
Brooks posts career-night, McGuire expects more to come
McGuire satisfied with young players, gives clarity on quarterbacks
Film Review: Tartleton
Grading the Red Raiders: Tech flexes depth in blowout win over Texans
McGuire Notebook - West Virginia
McGuire expecting more of Linton, pass rush as Big 12 play begins
Kittley, McGuire assess Tech quarterbacks against Tartleton
2026 Seminole ATH Caton Cramer visits Texas Tech following offer
2024 Texas Tech commits and targets tracker: Week Four
2023 Red Raiders in the NFL: Week two recap
Kittley, DeRuyter break down West Virginia scheme, personnel
Trench work to come as Red Raiders prepare for West Virginia
Perry talks running game options, special teams through three games
Visitor reactions to Texas Tech's win over Tartleton State
Baskerville's mentality holds firm heading into Big 12 play
Gentry is commitment No. 1 for the 2025 class
WVSports.com's Cummings details Mountaineers' run-heavy offense
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TTU RECRUITING THIS WEEK
the coaches continued their momentum on the recruiting trail this week, landing the program's first 2025 commitment...there were several new offers made, we look at the recruiting edit of the week and much more.
Gentry is commit No. 1 for 2025
Stephenville wide receiver Tristian Gentry is commitment No. 1 for the 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound prospect is a speedster and has been very productive in the Yellowjacket offense. Gentry finished with 61 receptions for 1,110 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore last season - earning 5-4A First Team All-District honors. Through four (4) games this season, Gentry has 33 receptions for 726 yards and eight (8) touchdowns.
we covered the commitment with Gentry this week - interview linked above - and there is plenty more to learn about him moving forward, but this is a great start to the 2025 class and a clear representation of what this coaching staff is all about on the recruiting trail...an unheralded recruit with one (1) offer from the Red Raiders, verified speed and tons of production on the field.
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new offers this week
the Texas Tech coaches were the first to offer Mansfield Lake Ridge defensive end Darius Washington this week. the 6-foot-5, 235-pound prospect had played basketball his entire high school career, and this is his first year playing football. Washington competed at the Rivals Camp in Dallas and was called out as a standout by the national team afterwards.
the Texas Tech coaches were the first to offer Fulshear 2025 safety Ehimen Ediale this week. the 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior prospect is also a member of the varsity wrestling and track & field teams.
the Texas Tech coaches were the first to offer Fulshear 2025 defensive end Sheldon Rice this week. the 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior prospect is also a member of the varsity baskeball and track & field teams.
the Texas Tech coaches offered North Crowley 2026 offensive tackle John Turntine III this week. the 6-foot-5, 280-pound sophomore prospect now holds four (4) early offers from Grambling State, Houston, Miami and your Red Raiders.
the Texas Tech coaches offered La Cueva (New Mexico) 2025 outside linebacker Mason Posa this week. the 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior prospect now holds 11 early offers from Cal, New Mexico, Arizona State, Duke, Oklahoma State, Utah, TCU, Washington, Wisconsin and your Red Raiders.
the Texas Tech coaches were the first to offer City View 2025 athlete Isaiah Anderson this week. the 6-foot, 160-pound junior prospect is also a member of the varsity basketball team.
the Texas Tech coaches offered Port Neches-Grove 2025 offensive tackle Jackson Christian this week. the 6-foot-5, 300-pound junior prospect now holds six (6) early offers from North Texas, Texas State, SMU, Texas, UTSA and your Red Raiders.
the Texas Tech coaches were the first to offer Denton Ryan 2025 offensive tackle Marcus Garcia this week. the 6-foot-5, 250-pound junior prospect landed an offer from UTSA the next day, giving him two (2) early offers. Garcia is also an AAU gold medalist in discus.
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PWO target Tyler Murray
San Antonio Brandeis offensive tackle Tyler Murray officially reopened his recruitment last night, decommitting from Army. the 6-foot-5, 281-pound prospect landed his PWO offer from the Red Raiders on August 20th and will now explore all of his options moving forward. In addition to the offer from Army, Murray also lists offers from Weber State and Northwestern State.
I would not say we are on 'commit watch' here or anything, just something to note and the Red Raiders clearly have some momentum here.
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TTU makes Top 10 for Rivals 100 RB
first off, holy hell these edits are getting insanely good...I mean, what even is this - some ancient Roman castle or Game of Thrones deal???
DeSoto running back Deondrae 'Tiger' Riden released his Top 10 schools last night, including the Red Raiders along with Baylor, Texas, Ole Miss, SMU, Ohio State, USC, Oregon, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
the 5-foot-11, 190-pound prospect lists 30 offers from programs across the country, so cutting things down to 10 programs seems like a pretty big deal. the Red Raiders are in on a ton of running backs for the 2025 class, but Riden would be one of the highest rated.
rated a 5.9 four-star prospect, the No. 68 overall prospect on the Rivals 100, the No. 12 prospect in the state of Texas and the No. 5 overall running back in the 2025 class.
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TTU recruiting edit of the week
speaking of 2025 running backs, another week and another recruiting edit posted by Bryan Rudder running back Jaquise Martin.
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it has got to be the gloves
with the Texas Tech 2024 recruiting class essentially full, the focus is clearly now on 2025 and you will begin to see more about the junior targets for the Red Raiders
look no further than Lubbock Estacado and standout athlete Bobby Ross, who was rocking Texas Tech gloves in his game last week. Ross celebrated a birthday this week and shared recruiting edits from the Tech coaching staff.
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the QB position headed into Big 12 conference play...
our colleauge @J. Apodaca shared this tweet earlier in the week, a super nerd level statistic on 'highest self-inflicted QB pressure rate' wtih a minimum of 20 pressures
first of all, stats are stats...this is not some indictment on Shough and his play through three (3) games, we all know ball and we all know QBs cannot turn the ball over - case closed, amirite?
as the Red Raiders enter Big 12 conference play this weekend, I do believe this is worth examining. I'm no tape expert, but in watching the games it seems like the offensive plays take forever and a day to develop in real time.
it also seems like Shough leaves a clean pocket often. this can be attributed to what Shough can do with his legs running, but for a QB like Shough, running the ball should be a secondary option vs. 'buying time' by leaving a clean pocket
meaning...leave the pocket and go, do not wait. there are very few quarterbacks playing the game at any level that can leave a clean pocket, bringing more pressure on themselves and successfully completing a pass downfield.
even those QBs have an increased chance of turning the ball over or making a turnover worthy throw outside of the pocket.
all of those words to say this...if Shough can stay within the offense, trust the quick reads and get the ball into playmakers hands, then this stuff does not happen.
if the coaches incorporate the actual running game with running backs, then this stuff does not happen.
when he is right, Shough is your clear choice at starter. the team will need him to scramble, use his legs to push the football down the field this season...but it should not be option No. 1 and the offense cannot revolve around Shough being a 'mobile QB'
Shough has already matched his season total of four (4) interceptions in seven (7) games played last season in 2 1/2 games played this season...he has to protect the football or the Red Raiders will struggle to win conference games, especially on the road
ok, back to the QBs listed in the tweet above...
Seth Henigan, Memphis - 791 passing with five (5) touchdowns and three (3) interceptions + three (3) rushing touchdowns
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado - 1,251 yards with 10 touchdowns and one (1) interception + one (1) rushing touchdown
Tyler Shough, Texas Tech - 743 yards with seven (7) touchdowns and four (4) interceptions + two (2) rushing touchdowns
Mitch Griffis, Wake Forest - 837 yards with eight (8) touchdowns and three (3) interceptions
Cameron Ward, Washington State - 986 yards with nine (9) touchdowns and zero (0) interceptions + two (2) rushing touchdowns
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the Rabbit's stock is UP, per the Reese's Senior Bowl
last week we talked about how Reese's Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy was in Lubbock to checkout the Texas Tech program, and now this week Nagy and his team were shouting out Dadrion 'Rabbit' Taylor-Demerson.
this is very deserved, as Rabbit has continued where he left off last season and is a senior leader on this Red Raider defense
this type of recognition is gold and could lead to opportunities for Rabbit with the Senior Bowl or other pre-draft games/opportunities after the season
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we are laughing...
how about this gameday edit from the Auburn Football social media team???
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the CFB weekend - what to watch
the Red Raiders have their first day game after three (3) night games to start the season.
let's look at what to watch in week four around college football this week...
tonight
6pm - Wisconsin @ Purdue on FS1
6:30pm - NC State @ Virginia on ESPN
Saturday
11am - No. 4 Florida State @ Clemson on ABC
11am - No. 16 Oklahoma @ Cincinnati on Fox
11am - Auburn @ Texas A&M on ESPN
11am - SMU @ TCU on FS1
2:30pm - No. 19 Colorado @ No. 10 Oregon on ABC
2:30pm - No. 23 UCLA @ No. 11 Utah on Fox
2:30pm - No. 15 Ole Miss @ No. 13 Alabama on CBS
2:30pm - BYU @ Kansas on ESPN
2:30pm - Texas Tech @ West Virgina on ESPN+
6pm - Arkansas @ No. 12 LSU on ESPN
6pm - No. 14 Oregon State @ No. 21 Washington State on Fox
6:30pm - No. 3 Texas @ Baylor on ABC
6:30pm - No. 6 Ohio State @ No. 9 Notre Dame on NBC
6:30pm - No. 24 Iowa @ No. 7 Penn State on CBS
7pm - UCF @ Kansas State on FS1
9:30pm - No. 5 USC @ Arizona State on Fox
9:30pm - Cal @ No. 8 Washington on ESPN
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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 updated and the Sooners retain the top class in the conference...
*listed in current Big 12 rankings order, new programs now officially added to the Rivals rankings list - plus a new 'look' or design from the Rivals team on these lists/pages
*per request, I have added the 'new' Big 12 programs that will join the conference next season - Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Arizona State
Oklahoma - 24 total commitments, No. 5 class in the nation
the Sooners added a new commitment this week...
DE Danny Okoye
Texas - 17 total commitments, No. 17 class in the nation
the Longhorns did not add a new commitment this week...
Texas Tech - 20 total commitments, No. 23 class in the nation
the Red Raiders did not add a new commitment this week...
UCF - 18 total commitments, No. 25 class in the nation
the Golden Knights did not add a new commitment this week...
Arizona - 21 total commitments, No. 39 class in the nation
the Wildcats did not add a new commitment this week...
West Virginia - 20 total commitments, No. 40 class in the nation
the Mountaineers did not add a new commitment this week...
Cincinnati - 20 total commitments, No. 43 class in the nation
the Bearcats did not add a new commitment this week...
TCU - 17 total commitments, No. 45 class in the nation
the Horned Frogs did not add a new commitment this week...
Arizona State - 17 total commitments, No. 47 class in the nation
the Sun Devils did not add a new commitment this week...
Kansas - 15 total commitments, No. 50 class in the nation
the Jayhawks did not add a new commitment this week...
Iowa State - 16 total commitments, No. 53 class in the nation
the Cyclones did not add a new commitment this week...
Baylor - 14 total commitments, No. 57 class in the nation
the Bears did not add a new commitment this week...
Oklahoma State - 13 total commitments, No. 61 class in the nation
the Cowboys did not add a new commitment this week...
Utah - 10 total commitments, No. 65 class in the nation
the Utes did not add a new commitment this week...
BYU - 14 total commitments, No. 68 class in the nation
the Cougars did not add a new commitment this week...
Colorado - nine (9) total commitments, No. 72 class in the nation
the Buffs did not add a new commitment this week...
Houston - eight (8) total commitments, No. 92 class in the nation
the Cougars did not add a new commitment this week...
Kansas State - seven (7) total commitments, No. 97 class in the nation
the Wildcats did not add a new commitment this week...
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have a great weekend everyone!
