
🎶 it's 4am and I just put a brisket on the smoker, oooohhhhh aaaaahhhhh yeah yeah yeah 🎶
this might be the busiest and best time of the year for fans of college football recruiting, there is just so much going on
it's Friday, let's Flare...
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WEEKLY LINKS
Transfer Portal bonanza: Tech set to host 8 prospects on OV's this weekend
Red Raiders offer 2025 Shawnee (KS) Mill Valley WDE Jayden Woods
At A Glance: Cal
McGuire talks bowl game decisions after selection to Shreveport
2024 Texas Tech commits and targets tracker: Playoffs week four
Joey McGuire outlines Tech's roster strategy as transfer portal opens
McCasland Notebook - Omaha
JUCO TE Alex Lines commits to Texas Tech
Walton stars as Tech rolls Omaha 87-58 in first home game in 20 days
McCasland pleased with win over Omaha, notes on Lindsey, others
Postseason Texas Tech football roster and scholarship counter
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TTU RECRUITING THIS WEEK
this was another wild week on the recruiting trail where the Texas Tech coaches landed two (2) new commitments, we review the official visits from last weekend and preview the official visitors coming into town this weekend, the Rivals national team updated the 2024 rankings and the TTU class is looking very well rounded, the coaches offered - checks notes - a shitload of new targets, plus the TTU coaches were on the road for in-home visits with 2024 commits...
new commits
the coaches landed a commitment from one of the official visitors in town this past weekend, Garden City C.C. (Kansas) tight end Alex Lines. the 6-foot-5, 255-pound JUCO prospect will graduate this month and arrive in Lubbock next semester with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. originally from Arizona, Lines started at UNLV out of high school and then transferred to Arizona after one season, played at Arizona for two seasons, then under a new coaching staff he played in only four (4) games in the 2022 season - maintaining his extra year of eligibility.
this season at Garden City C.C., Lines put up 31 catches for 309 yards and two (2) touchdowns - full story from @B. Golan linked above
the coaches landed a PWO commitment from University of West Georgia quarterback Cameran Brown this week. listed at 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, the D2 signal-caller finished with 914 yards and 10 touchdowns to six (6) interceptions passing along with 76 attempts for 478 yards and six (6) touchdowns rushing in nine (9) games played this season. Brown's performance earned him the Gulf South Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year award.
this is a low risk, high reward take for the coaches...especially as a preferred walk-on, it gives Brown an opportunity to join a P5 program and potentially earn a scholarship with his play, plus it gives the coaches much needed depth in the QB room.
watching his highlights, Brown moves very well for a 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback...the coaches could get creative with how they use his size in short yardage or goaline situations in the future.
speaking of his frame, allow yourself to imagine what young Cameran will look like after eating and training in a D1/P5 program after 7-8 months...he might turn into a monster
the Georgia native will arrive next semester with three (3) years of eligibility remaining
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portal season is here...continued

when the Flare was posted last Friday, there were three (3) Red Raiders who had entered the portal
later that day and over the last week, several more players announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal...there are now 14 Red Raiders who have entered the portal - shoutout to @FoxRaider who started the transfer portal discussion thread, which features a very kickass spreadsheet updated with transfers, new offers/targets and much more
*make sure to follow the Rivals Portal Transfer Tracker, a tremendous resource to track the transfer portal action across the country
let's recap the list of portal entries...
QB Tyler Shough (committed to Louisville)
WR Jerand Bradley
WR Nehemiah Martinez
WR Myles Price
WR Tyler King
WR Loic Fouonji
WR J.J. Sparkman
TE Jayden York
OL Landon Peterson
OL Matt Keeler
OL Monroe Mills
OL Seth Martin
DB Nate Floyd
P Brook Honore
the majority of these were expected, players who were buried in the depth chart and mostly guys who originally committed to the previous coaching staff that stuck around to compete - so props to them
the hits here would have to be your starting left tackle Monroe Mills leaving and potentially punter Brook Honore, only because McNamara is leaving and Honore was the only other punter on the current roster...that being said, the coaches commented on that situation and mentioned there are plenty of specialists wanting to play at Texas Tech, so they do not seem too concerned
in my opinion, this roster turnover is never 'great' but it really does allow McGuire and his coaching staff to start plugging holes in the roster and improving talent across the board - more on that below
for anyone frustrated with the offense this season, we are going to see an entirely new offense line + a refreshed WR lineup + a new RB rotation + a very experienced Behren Morton as your QB1 going into next season
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new offers
we cover new offers in the Flare every week and this week is unique, because the coaches offered 15 (!!!) new targets this week
the coaches offered Monmouth wide receiver Dymere Miller this week. the 6-foot, 180-pound receiver entered the portal as a graduate transfer with one (1) year of eligibility remaining. Miller is originally from Connecticut and signed with Monmouth out of high school in the 2019 recruiting class. This season Miller - a Team Captain - led the FCS in receiving yards (1,293) and receiving yards per game (117.5), earning First Team All-CAA honors. since entering the portal, Miller has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Rutgers, FAU, Pitt, East Carolina, UConn, UAB, North Texas and Memphis. per the Rivals Portal rankings, Miller is rated a 5.7 three-star prospect and the No. 64 overall prospect nationally.
the coaches offered Memphis offensive lineman Davion Carter this week. the 6-foot-3, 285-pound lineman entered the portal as a graduate transfer with one (1) year of eligibility remaining. Carter is originally from Mississippi and graduated high school in the 2020 class, then went the JUCO route at Northwest Mississippi C.C. and committed to Memphis as part of the 2022 recruiting class. since entering the portal, Carter has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Boston College, Kansas and Michigan State. per the Rivals Portal rankings, Carter is rated a 5.8 four-star prospect and the No. 7 overall prospect nationally.
the coaches offered North Texas offensive lineman Howard Simpson this week. the 6-foot-8, 325-pound lineman entered the portal earlier this week with three (3) years of eligibility remaining. Simpson signed with UNT in the 2022 recruiting class out of Humble. out of high school, Simpson was listed as a 5.2 two-star prospect and chose North Texas over other offers from Texas Southern and Texas State with listed interest from Texas Tech. fast forward to this week after entering the portal, Simpson has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Memphis, Tulsa, Houston, Cal, Louisiana Tech, North Carolina, Kentucky and SMU.
the coaches offered San Jose State offensive lineman Fernando Carmona Jr. this week. the 6-foot-5, 325-pound lineman entered the portal earlier this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Carmona Jr. is originally from Las Vegas (NV) and signed with San Jose State as a tight end in the 2021 recruiting class, ranked as a 5.3 two-star prospect. since entering the portal, Carmona Jr. has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Auburn, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Pitt, Michigan State and Arkansas.
the coaches offered North Texas offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu this week. the 6-foot-4, 316-pound lineman entered the portal earlier this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Nwaiwu graduated from Coppell and signed with UNT in the 2021 recruiting class as an unranked prospect with one other offer from Illinois State. since entering the portal, Nwaiwu has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Cal, Oklahoma, Boston College and Vanderbilt.
the coaches offered Montana State offensive lineman Omarrian Aigbedion this week. the 6-foot-3, 308-pound lineman entered the portal earlier this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Aigbedion graduated from Katy and signed with Army in the 2021 recruiting class, ranked as a 5.3 two-star prospect and chose West Point over 12 total offers. He spent one season at West Point, then transferred to Montana State for the last two seasons - earning 2nd Team All-Conference honors and a PFF grade of 89.6 with zero sacks allowed in 12 starts this season. since entering the portal, Aigbedion has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Texas State, North Texas, UMass, Liberty, Boston College, UCF, Arizona State, BYU, Memphis and Arkansas.
the coaches offered Syracuse linebacker transfer Leon Lowery this week. the 6-foot-4, 239-pound defender entered the portal this week and announced offers from your Red Raiders and Purdue...all of that being said, yesterday Lowery announced his commitment to Wisconsin - so that's that.
the coaches offered Valdosta State offensive center Michael Marotta this week. the 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman entered the portal this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Marotta graduated from Spring Hill Christian Academy (FL) and signed with Valdosta State in the 2020 recruiting class. since entering the portal, Marotta has announced offers from your Red Raiders, McNeese State, Tennessee-Martin, Mercer, UTEP, UMass, Old Dominion, Eastern Kentucky, UCF, Georgia State, Western Kentucky, San Diego State, USF and West Virginia.
the coaches offered Tennessee-Martin running back Samuel Franklin this week. the 5-foot-10, 200-pound back entered the portal this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Franklin graduated from Central (Arkansas) and signed with UT-Martin in the 2021 recruiting class. he took a redshirt as a freshman, then burst onto the scene in 2022 with 84 carries for 676 yards and eight (8) touchdowns - earning Freshman All-American honors and was named the OVC Freshman of the Year. this season, Franklin's success continued with 223 carries for 1,386 yards and 11 touchdowns - earning OVC First Team honors, nominated as a Walter Peyton Award Finalist (Heisman for D2) and named to the Phil Steele Midseason All-American first team. since entering the portal, Franklin has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Oklahoma, Memphis, Indiana, USC and South Carolina.
the coaches offered Alabama State wide receiver Kisean Johnson this week. the 6-foot, 209-pound receiver entered the portal this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Johnson graduated from Ramsay (Alabama) and signed with Alabama State in the 2020 recruiting class. through 10 games this season, Johnson finished with 793 yards (12.8 yards per reception) and seven (7) touchdowns. since entering the portal, Johnson has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Alcorn State, FAMU, AAMU, Grambling State, Jackson State, Vanderbilt, Morgan State, NIU, Bethune Cookman, UAB, South Alabama and Southern Miss.
the coaches offered Kansas State defensive end Nate Matlack this week. the 6-foot-5, 249-pound lineman entered the portal this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Matlack graduated from Olathe East (Kansas) and signed with the Wildcats in the 2020 recruiting class, choosing K-State over six (6) other offers, including an offer from the Red Raiders. he had 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in his career at Kansas State. since entering the portal, Matlack has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Colorado State, Pitt, Arkansas, Texas State and UCF.
the coaches offered Elon tight end Johncarlos Miller II this week. the 6-foot-5, 242-pound tight end entered the portal this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Miller II graduated from Dudley (NC) and signed with Elon in the 2021 recruiting class. in 10 games this season, Miller II finished with 25 receptions for 453 yards and four (4) touchdowns. since entering the portal, Miller II has announced offers from your Red Raiders, West Virginia, UConn, Arkansas State, Houston and Pitt.
the coaches offered Oregon State defensive back Jermod McCoy this week. the 6-foot, 180-pound defender entered the portal this week with three (3) years of eligibility remaining. McCoy graduated from Whitehouse (home of TTU great Patrick Mahomes) and signed with Oregon State in the 2023 recruiting class, ranked as a 5.4 two-star prospect and chose the Beavers over 14 total offers. as a senior, he was the Texas Long Jump and Triple Jump State Champion. since entering the portal, McCoy has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Washington, Oregon, SMU, Michigan State, Utah, Louisiville, Houston, TCU, Auburn, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas, USC, Colorado, West Virginia and Florida.
the coaches offered Houston offensive lineman Tyler Johnson this week. the 6-foot-5, 320-pound lineman entered the portal this week with one (1) year of eligibility remaining. Johnson graduated from Conroe Oak Ridge and signed with Texas in the 2019 recruiting class, ranked as a four-star Rivals 100 prospect and chose the Longhorns over 22 total offers. he has been a starter for two (2) seasons with the Cougars at Guard. since entering the portal, Johnson has announced offers from your Red Raiders, Virginia Tech, Colorado and Maryland.
the coaches offered Memphis offensive lineman Makylan Pounders this week. the 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman entered the portal this week with two (2) years of eligibility remaining. Pounders graduated from Byahlia (Mississippi) and signed with Memphis in the 2021 recruiting class, ranked as a 5.5 three-star prospect and chose the Tigers over eight (8) total offers. since entering the portal, Pounders has announced offers from your Red Raiders, South Carolina, Auburn and Pitt.
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official visits recap + weekend preview
the coaching staff hosted several prospects on campus for official visits last weekend, yielding two (2) new commitments covered above.
portal recruiting goes very fast, and our team does not necessarily get to speak with each target and learn their full story before a decision is made. that being said, we do have a pretty good idea on how the weekend went and how things are trending with some of the targets who were in town this past weekend.
the players pictured above - CB Isaiah Crosby and OL Alan Herron - really enjoyed the visit and both could be prospects to watch as potential additions to this recruiting class. in addition to these two (2) targets, UTEP offensive lineman Justin Mayers is another prospect to watch.
again, this is portal recruiting and things change daily...these kids all have a rush of offers and are most likely taking multiple visits over the next few weeks.
in addition to that, the coaches really like getting these visitors on campus to see them in person, get measurements and get to know them in a more intimate setting vs. over the phone or social media....that goes both ways, meaning the coaches could start really pushing for certain prospects or pump the brakes on others who show up under-sized or maybe the 'vibe' isn't there - hope that makes sense
*** now onto this weekend ***
the coaches are set to host another group of official visitors this weekend, and the group includes some instant impact targets with P5 experience...
OL Montavious Cunningham - Georgia State
OL Vinny Sciury - Toledo
OL Davion Carter - Memphis
OL Sterling Porcher - Middle Tennesse State
OL Febechi Nwaiwu - North Texas
TE Jalin Conyers - Arizona State
WR Dymere Miller - Monmouth
P Jack Burgess - Weber State (from Austrialia)
also, since we are in the postseason and portal season, the coaches are able to host prospects for mid-week visits - so names you have seen throughout the week will be in Lubbock during the week as well
WR Josh Kelly - Washington State
WR Kisean Johnson - Alabama State
if you review the outgoing players, then you see a lot of OL and WR, so naturally on these visitor lists you see the same positions being targeted
to me, guys like Davion Carter and Dymere Miller are the headliners - of course you would like another crack at landing former West Texas standout Jalin Conyers, but is this the time that TTU is the 'right fit' for young Jalin...guess we will see
Carter and Miller are immediate impact, plug and play type of guys for the offense
as we touched on earlier, Punter is very much a need and the coaches have another Austrialian punter coming into town with Jack Burgess
last weekend resulted in two (2) public commitments and potentially even more verbal / non-not yet-public commitments, so I'm definitely looking forward to see how another action packed weekend of visitors shakes out for the coaching staff
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Rivals rankings updated - 2024 class
do not start to act like seeing this is 'normal' or that you are used to it...the Texas Tech Red Raiders are signing the No. 6 player in the nation, let that sink people
but we have long known about Hudson and his status/ranking among the best in the nation, and no it did 'dip' or 'fall' because of his commitment to Texas Tech 🙃
the national team updated the 2024 rankings this week starting with the five-star rankings, then the Rivals 250 and then positional / state rankings...let's take a look
Texas Tech 2024 Recruiting Class - No. 22 ranked in the nation
the Red Raiders now have four (4) commitments ranked in the Rivals 250 national rankings...
No. 6 - WR Micah Hudson
No. 200 - QB Will Hammond
No. 224 - OLB Cheta Ofili
No. 227 - S Peyton 'Cai' Morgan
just outside of the Rivals 250 is Prosper offensive tackle Ellis Davis, who is rated a 5.8 four-star prospect
the Red Raiders now have eight (8) commitments with a 5.7 three-star rating, which is just under the four-star ranking - usually reserved for 'all-conference' and 'starter / impact' type players at the college level
the new Texas Top 100 was also released this week and the Red Raiders have a record 12 commitments listed...
No. 1 - WR Micah Hudson
No. 34 - QB Will Hammond
No. 36 - OLB Cheta Ofili
No. 37 - S Peyton 'Cai' Morgan
No. 45 - OT Ellis Davis
No. 69 - S Malik Eaquerra
No. 74 - ATH Chandlin Myers
No. 80 - OT Holton Hendrix
No. 88 - RB J'Koby Williams
No. 94 - DE Edward Smith
No. 98 - OT Jacob Ponton
No. 99 - ATH Oliver Miles III
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in-home visits
these are just a few examples - Cameron Dickey, Peyton 'Cai' Morgan and Ashton Hampton - of the TTU coaches on the road seeing 2024 commitments for in-home visits
I'm certain they have seen every commitment or will have seen every commitment by the end of this week, but it is that time of year and signing day is only a week and a half away
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TTU in Top 12 for 2025 target
Shadow Creek 2025 outside linebacker Anthony Williams released a Top 12 this week and included the Red Raiders, along with Nebraska, TCU, Texas, Auburn, Houston, Oregon, Baylor, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Kansas and Arizona.
an interesting Top 12 from an underclassmen with 17 total offers, but hey a win is a win amirite?
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scattershooting TTU news and links for the week
drumroll please...it is Shreveport, Louisiana folks! sure, not the sexiest bowl game, but a great test against another P5 opponent and another few weeks of practice for the team, which is never a bad thing
the coaches put both Kicker Gino Garcia and Wide Receiver Jordan Brown on full scholarship this week, no tricks or surprises here...but these videos are always so cool to see, congrats to these guys!
hmmm...no more road game at Oregon, but now a road game against Washington State? womp womp, maybe the coaches can take the Cougars top receiver in the portal first 🙃
no surprise here, but great to see Tony Bradford Jr. get recognized for his work off the field - winning the Pop Warner Award, described as 'recognizing a senior who has made a difference on the field, in the classroom and in the community, and serves as a role model to Pop Warner's young student-athletes'
sounds like Tony to me...such a great young man and a great Red Raider - congrats Tony!
more postseason honors for the Red Raiders - this time from Dave Campbell's Texas Football
Tahj Brooks wins the Offensive Player of the Year and Best Running Back
Austin McNamara wins the Best Special Teams Player
Dadrion 'Rabbit' Taylor-Demerson with Second Team all-state honors
congrats!
speaking of DCTF, both QB Will Hammond and WR Micah Hudson were announced as finalist (only 10 in the state) for the Mr. Texas Football Award this week
this is just a cool picture shared by the head coach himself, the progress is coming along and the new South Endzone is set to be ready for next football season

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Salute The Troops
one of the best traditions in college football is the Army vs. Navy game having a weekend all to themselves
2pm - Army @ Navy on CBS
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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 Red Raiders 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 - and removed Oklahoma and Texas
Texas Tech - 22 total commitments, No. 22 class in the nation
the Red Raiders added a new commitment this week...
TE Alex Lines
TCU - 20 total commitments, No. 31 class in the nation
the Horned Frogs did not add a new commitment this week...
UCF - 17 total commitments, No. 31 class in the nation
the Golden Knights did not add a new commitment this week...
Cincinnati - 22 total commitments, No. 43 class in the nation
the Bearcats did not add a new commitments this week...
Arizona - 18 total commitments, No. 45 class in the nation
the Wildcats did not add a new commitment this week...
Kansas - 16 total commitments, No. 46 class in the nation
the Jayhawks did not add a new commitment this week...
West Virginia - 18 total commitments, No. 49 class in the nation
the Mountaineers did not add a new commitment this week...
Oklahoma State - 16 total commitments, No. 52 class in the nation
the Cowboys did not add a new commitment this week...
Iowa State - 17 total commitments, No. 53 class in the nation
the Cyclones did not add a new commitment this week...
Colorado - 10 total commitments, No. 55 class in the nation
the Buffs added a new commitment this week...
OL Jordan Seaton
Utah - 11 total commitments, No. 58 class in the nation
the Utes added a new commitment this week...
ATH Quimari Shemwell
BYU - 16 total commitments, No. 60 class in the nation
the Cougars added two new commitments this week...
Baylor - 13 total commitments, No. 63 class in the nation
the Bears did not add a new commitment this week...
Kansas State - 12 total commitments, No. 67 class in the nation
the Wildcats added a new commitment this week...
DB Zashon Rich
Houston - six (6) total commitments, *no national ranking
the Cougars did not add a new commitment this week...
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have a great weekend everyone!