2-1 in conference play, 3-3 overall on the season...the backhalf of the season starts tomorrow night with a home game, a night game blackout.
it's Friday, let's Flare...
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WEEKLY LINKS
Texas Tech missing starting offensive lineman against Baylor
Tech stifles Baylor 39-14, Cupps hauls in two scores to down Bears
McGuire recaps defensive clinic in 39-14 win over Baylor
Brooks, Cupp have career nights in dismantling of Baylor
Taylor-Demerson, Pierre ignite defense in return to lineup
Final assessment of Tech's win over Baylor
Film Review: Baylor
Grading the Red Raiders: Shutdown defense powers TTU past Bears
2024 Texas Tech commits and targets tracker: Week Seven
McGuire ready for war in trenches against Kansas State
DeRuyter scheming strong run defense at season midpoint
Kittley adjusting to run-heavy style at midpoint of season
Lux, Esters settling into roles in hard-nosed Tech defense
2023 Red Raiders in the NFL: Week five recap
Price, Mills give perspective on revamped Tech offense
Mid-Season Red Raider Report Card
EMAWOnline's Fielder talks double-edged Wildcats' sword
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TTU RECRUITING THIS WEEK
the coaches lost a PWO commitment and there were a handful of new offers...
Lee reopens his recruitment
last night, Frisco Lone Star defensive end Jaxon Lee announced his decommitment from the Red Raiders. a PWO commitment, Lee was highlighted only a few weeks ago as the Ford Built Tough Defensive Player of the Week and has been having a great senior season.
the 6-foot-3, 220-pound prospect lists 14 total offers from programs around the country and should receive more opportunities with his recruitment now back open again.
this is a loss, but the coaches can still stay after Lee or use the PWO spot on another target in the coming weeks.
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Beckville running back and longtime Texas Tech commitment J'Koby Williams does a little bit of everything for his team. The 5.7 three-star prospect is having a very productive senior season and it appears the coaches have another hit at the running back position for this 2024 class.
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new offers this week
the Texas Tech coaches offered Shadow Creek 2025 wide receiver Rahim Hutchins Jr. this week. the 6-foot, 160-pound junior standout now holds two (2) offers from your Red Raiders and Grambling. per MaxPreps, Hutchins Jr. has six (6) receptions for 169 yards and two (2) touchdowns through four (4) games this season. Shadow Creek has played six (6) games, so not really sure how accurate or updated these stats are. Hutchins is also a standout on the Shadow Creek varsity track & field team, participating in the 100m, relays and long jump.
the Texas Tech coaches offered Cypress Falls 2025 linebacker Kaleb Burns this week. the 6-foot-1, 210-pound junior standout now holds two (2) offers from your Red Raiders and UNLV. in six (6) games played this season, Burns has 38 tackles with five (5) sacks, 11 tackles for loss, eight (8) quarterback rushes and one (1) pass breakup.
the Texas Tech coaches offered Captain Shreve (Louisiana) 2025 offensive guard Lionel Prudhomme Jr. this week. the 6-foot-2, 291-pound junior standout now holds six (6) offers from your Red Raiders, Grambling State, Lamar, Mississippi State, Sam Houston State and Southern University. Prudhomme Jr. was in attendance for the Red River Rivalry last weekend and announced plans to visit LSU this weekend. the coaching staff landed a Captain Shreve prospect in the 2023 class - Marquez Stevenson - so there could be a window of opportunity here.
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Linton breaks out against BU
there was a lot of hype and conversation coming into the season about Syracuse transfer OLB/DE Steve Linton coming into the season, but the upside and skill set that was talked about coming into the season never really showed until this past weekend against Baylor.
Linton recorded three (3) sacks, three (3) tackles for loss and forced one (1) fumble against the Bears
don't get me wrong, Linton has not played poorly at all, but in terms of a pass rushing specialist and potential NFL Draft pick...that guy had not arrived
the hope is that Linton can roll this momentum into the remainder of the season. sometimes transfer players just take a little while to get acclimated to a new defense, new setting, new opponents, etc.
one major upside to this performance was Linton getting a spotlight from both the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl following his performance.
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speaking of standout transfers
the Remington Trophy is awarded to the best Center in the country, and the social team from the Remington highlighted Texas Tech center Rusty Staats this week. the WKU transfer is another TTU player rounding into form in Big 12 play and his consistency will only help a young quarterback.
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OLB Esters III breakout game?
the Red Raiders signed Cedar Hill outside linebacker/defensive end Charles Esters III in the 2021 class. although he is from Cedar Hill, Esters III was already around when Coach McGuire took over at Texas Tech.
now listed at 6-foot-3, 260-pounds, Esters III was a 5.5 three-star prospect who chose the Red Raiders over offers from Air Force, Army, Colorado State, Illinois State, Kansas, Missouri State, North Texas, Toledo and UTSA.
to say Esters III was 'lost' in the rotation would be misleading, but he did not really see the field during his first two (2) seasons with the Red Raiders.
he stuck with the program through a coaching change, where new DC Tim DeRuyter came in and had a difficult conversation with Esters III - essentially telling him that he wasn't sure Esters III was a Big 12 caliber football player.
now whether that was blatant honesty or a motivational tactic, it clearly resinated with Esters III and I found the whole story + his comments very intriguing
Esters III and several of his 2021 classmates are seeing quality playing time and contributing for this team
against Baylor, Esters III lived in the backfield, finishing with four (4) tackles and two (2) sacks
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homecoming weekend, TTU edit of the week
most of the time, simple is better...I really like this edit from the TTU social team for the homecoming game this weekend against Kansas State
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Slay queen...
not sure if videos of Dwayne Slay hitting people will ever get old...
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that Mahomes guy is good at football
Mahomes is the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat all other 31 teams before the age of 30...(he is 28 years old)
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the CFB weekend - what to watch
let's look at what to watch in week four around college football this week...
tonight
9pm - Stanford @ Colorado on ESPN
Saturday
11am - Arkansas at No. 11 Alabama on ESPN
11am - Iowa State at Cincinnati on FS1
2:30pm - No. 8 Oregon at No. 7 Washington on ABC
2:30pm - Texas A&M at No. 19 Tennessee on CBS
2:30pm - No. 23 Kansas at Oklahoma State on FS1
2:30pm - BYU at TCU on ESPN
6pm - Auburn at No. 22 LSU on ESPN
6pm - Kansas State at Texas Tech on FS1
6:30pm - No. 10 USC at No. 21 Notre Dame on NBC
6:30pm - No. 25 Miami at No. 12 North Carolina on ABC
7pm - No. 18 UCLA at No. 15 Oregon State on Fox
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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 - 25 total commitments, No. 6 class in the nation
the Sooners added a new commitment this week...
OL Daniel Akinkunmi
Texas - 18 total commitments, No. 14 class in the nation
the Longhorns did not add a new commitment this week...
Texas Tech - 20 total commitments, No. 24 class in the nation
the Red Raiders did not add a new commitment this week...
UCF - 18 total commitments, No. 26 class in the nation
the Golden Knights 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...
TCU - 17 total commitments, No. 42 class in the nation
the Horned Frogs did not add a new commitment this week...
Arizona - 21 total commitments, No. 43 class in the nation
the Wildcats did not add a new commitment this week...
Cincinnati - 21 total commitments, No. 44 class in the nation
the Bearcats did not a new commitment this week...
Iowa State - 17 total commitments, No. 52 class in the nation
the Cyclones did not add a new commitment this week...
Kansas - 15 total commitments, No. 52 class in the nation
the Jayhawks did not add a new commitment this week...
Baylor - 14 total commitments, No. 58 class in the nation
the Bears did not add a new commitment this week...
Oklahoma State - 13 total commitments, No. 60 class in the nation
the Cowboys did not add a new commitment this week...
Utah - 11 total commitments, No. 62 class in the nation
the Utes did not add a new commitment this week...
Colorado - 10 total commitments, No. 66 class in the3nation
the Buffs added a new commitment this week...
DE Amontrae Bradford
BYU - 14 total commitments, No. 69 class in the nation
the Cougars did not add a new commitment this week...
Houston - eight (8) total commitments, No. 94 class in the nation
the Cougars did not add a new commitment this week...
Kansas State - seven (7) total commitments, No. 98 class in the nation
the Wildcats did not add a new commitment this week...
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have a great weekend everyone!
