2009 Recruiting Class Thoughts

Well my day is pretty much over at 9:30 (at least the work part of it) so I thought I'd do a little wrap up on recruiting.

Star of the class: A lot of people will point towards 4 Star DT Pearlie Graves as the biggest get for the Red Raiders. However, I'm going to go in another direction and take Eric Stephens, RB Mansfield Timberview. Initially committed to Minnesota, Stephens spent a long time looking at Tech (including multiple visits to Lubbock) before finally switching to the good guys after the Texas game. The reason I'm excited about him is that the pipeline at running back is WELL stocked for the next few years with Batch, Jeffers, and now Stephens. As we all saw this year, the emergence of the running game in the Air Raid had as much to do with this team's success as anything else. Stephens is rated by Rivals as the 3rd best RB in space and ESPN notes that he's arguably the most elusive back in this country this year with an ability to reach top speed in a few steps. Most importantly, he is by all accounts a great character kid who takes care of himself in the class and will represent Texas Tech very well. If the Red Raiders are to continue having 10 win seasons in the future, Eric Stephens will be a big reason for that success.

Sleeper of the Class: Derrick Mays, ATH Killeen Shoemaker. I debated whether to put him here or at Immediate Impact because there's a VERY good chance that Mays is on the field come August. He has low 4.4 speed and runs a sub 21 second 200m dash. If there's one thing that this team is missing...it's speed across the field (see Ole Miss game for further explanation). While Mays will likely end up playing CB in a few years for Tech, expect to see him returning kicks and punts in 2009 along with the occassional designed play for him on offense. Leach showed some wrinkles last year (Crabtree and EMo taking snaps, Harrell running a zone read, the play action pass to the FB in goalline situations) so I wouldn't put it past him to find a way to get the ball in the hands of Mays next year.

Immediate Impact: One player is already on campus as a spring enrollee and that is Eric Ward, WR Wichita Falls Rider. Ward literally jumped ship on the Sooners at the 11th hour, visiting and subsequently enrolling at Texas Tech in a matter of a few days as classes were starting back up this semester. Not only is Ward the highest rated WR of this class, he is already working out with the team and learning the various receiver roles in Leach's scheme. Expect to see him take over the H slot formerly filled by Amendola and Morris and bring a new level of athleticism to the position that hasn't been there in previous years.

Biggest Project: Myles Wade, DT unattached. Hard to think that I could label a guy that was an Army All-American and Rivals 100 member in 2007 as a "project." For those who aren't familiar with Mr. Wade, you are truly missing out an inspirational story of a young man that's already dealt with a lot in his life. Committed to Oregon out of high school, he was unable to qualify and Oregon placed him at a JUCO in Yuma, AZ. However, after playing there in 2007, Wade was then asked to sit out of competitive football in 2008 so as to preserve his eligibility (he has 3 years to play 3) for his eventual return to Oregon He spent the fall at a local college going to school and working out every day at 6AM with a trainer while also taking care of his terminally ill mother (she passed away in late December I believe). Unfortunately, Mike Bellotti and his staff pulled the plug on Myles this fall and said that he was no longer a fit for their program. Enter Coach Ruff and Texas Tech. They started talking with Myles and finding out that this is a kid who has done everything that's been asked of him in hopes of getting to the Division 1 level. Myles finally decided to visit in late January. After he left Lubbock, Ruff and Leach practically followed him back up to Portland to meet his father and sister. After a lengthy and emotional in-home visit, Myles committed to Texas Tech. I for one will be rooting like hell for this kid to make it. He's been through a lot to get to where he is today and it's hard not to applaud a kid for doing everything possible to improve his situation despite the obstacles that kept piling up in front of him.

Now that you've read his story...let me state the obvious for why I listed him as the biggest project. Yes he's got plenty of rust that he's going to have to work off before he'll be ready to play Big 12 football (insert Dan Hawkins voice.) However, he's my "biggest project" because if and when he gets to Lubbock, gets fully qualified, and gets himself adjusted to football at the highest collegiate level, he gives the Red Raiders an explosiveness on the interior d-line that they've never had before. Combined with Pearlie Graves, they could form one of the most formidable run stopping duos in the conference for the next few years.

Don't Get Too Excited: James Scott, LB Coldspring (HS), TX. While he certainly passes the eye test at 6'3" 220" w/ 4.5 speed and the limited footage on him is very impressive...he's got a long ways to go before he'll qualify. It's likely that Tech will place him in a JUCO and keep in touch with him for the next two years and try to get him in the fold after that.

Glad to be back in the world of blogging...have a good weekend everybody!

Recruiting Recap

(from the Texas Tech Media Relations Dept)

Donnie Carona
Kicker
6-0, 210
Beaumont, Texas (Kelly HS)

Handled placekicking and punting duties for four seasons as a standout specialist for Kelly, also lining up at linebacker and running back during his high school career … served as the team’s primary running back his senior year and received first-team TAPPS Division I All-State honors after leading the Bulldog attack with 792 rushing yards and nine touchdowns … converted four of his five field goal attempts, including a long of 48 yards, and succeeded on 37-of his-38 extra points as a senior … also a second-team All-State selection as a punter after averaging 42.2 yards on his 24 attempts, and boomed a reported 80% of his kickoffs into the opponent’s endzone for touchbacks … successful on seven of his eight field goal attempts as a junior … ranked as the No. 7 kicking prospect in the nation by Scout.com … coached privately by noted kicking consultant Rocky Willingham … chose Tech over Air Force, Baylor and Mississippi.

Cody Davis
Defensive Back
6-2, 205
Stephenville, Texas (Stephenville HS)

An extremely productive high school player, he helped lead Stephenville to a combined 33-5 record during his three years as a starter in the defensive backfield … named an Associated Press Class 4A second-team All-State selection, and was voted the District 8-4A Defensive MVP after a senior season that saw him total 109 tackles, five tackles for loss 11 pass break-ups and four forced fumbles … chosen to the Abilene Reporter-News’ Class 4A/5A All Big Country Team following his final prep campaign … 2007 team finished the season with a 10-2 record, an average margin of victory of 29.2 points, and a berth in the area round of the Class 4A playoffs … noted for having scored a touchdown five different ways during his high school career … one of 11 defensive backs in the state to be named to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal’s ‘Top 100 for 2008’ … a first-team Class 4A All-State pick by both the AP and the Texas Sports Writers’ Association as a junior in 2007, after racking up 99 tackles, 21 pass break-ups, nine interceptions, seven forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries for the Yellow Jackets … rated a three-star prospect and the No. 58 safety in the nation by Scout.com … the No. 86 safety in the country according to ESPN Scouts Inc … also a member of the varsity basketball team at Stephenville … chose Tech over Baylor, Duke, Houston, Oklahoma State, Mississippi and Vanderbilt.

McKinner Dixon
Defensive End
6-3, 265
Cisco, Texas (Lufkin HS/Cisco Junior College)

Returns to the program after earning freshman All-America honors as a standout pass rusher for the Red Raiders in 2005 … an aggressive, physical presence up front, he racked up 26 total tackles, including six for loss and two sacks, appearing in 10 games during his rookie season at Tech … played the 2007 season at Cisco Junior College, finishing with 68 total tackles (45 solo) and leading the defense with nine sacks, while also forcing two fumbles and recording an interception in just nine games … an honorable mention All-Conference choice for a Wrangler team finished with a 7-3 record and an average margin of victory of 17.3 points … regarded as a four-star prospect and the No. 15 overall player in the nation on Rivals.com’s Junior College Top 50 for 2008 … rated a four-star prospect and the No. 11 junior college defensive end by Scout.com … listed as the No. 12 defender and No. 18 overall defender on the SuperPrep JUCO 100 for 2008 … chose Tech over Louisville and TCU, but held offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas as a prep in 2005.

Seth Doege
Quarterback
6-2, 200
Wolfforth, Texas (Frenship HS)

One of the most promising prep quarterbacks in the state despite missing each of the last two seasons with injuries … displayed his abilities in 7-on-7 competitions for the Tigers, leading the team to the state tournament in College Station during the summer of 2007 … noted for his leadership, decision making and quick release, he appears to possess a number of qualities that will make him effective in operating the Tech offense … rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 71 overall player in the state on Rivals.com’s Texas Top 100 for 2008 … also listed as the No. 18 overall pro-style passer in the nation by Rivals … a three-star player according to Scout.com … a member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s ‘Top 100’ for 2008 … ranked the No. 4 quarterback and No. 43 overall player in the state on SuperPrep’s ‘Texas 110 for 2008’ … saw his last full-contact action as a sophomore, completing 115-of-171 attempts (67.2%) for 2,439 yards and 27 touchdowns at Crane High School in 2005 … also carried the ball 78 times, gaining 526 yards and adding three touchdowns on the ground his sophomore year … attended Texas Tech Football Camp prior to his junior year … will enroll for the spring semester and could be rehabilitated in time to join the team for off-season workouts … chose Tech over interest from Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Purdue.

Cornelius Douglas
Athlete
5-9,180
Lawton, Oklahoma (Lawton HS)

A gifted athlete with a dynamic skill set, he appeared at quarterback, defensive back and as a return man for Lawton … chosen as an honorable mention All-State selection on offense by The Tulsa World following his senior season …a first-team Class 6A All-State choice on defense by OKPrepXtra.com … completed 62-of-121 pass attempts for 828 yards and nine touchdowns from the quarterback position, also rushing for 413 yards and 14 scores during senior season en route to being named the District 1-6A Offensive Player of the Year … engineered the No. 4 ranked rush offense in Class 6A in 2007, a group that averaged 234.4 yards per contest … led his Wolverines team to a 7-4 record and a berth in the Class 6A state playoffs his senior year… also averaged a reported 42.5 yards per attempt on 10 punts in 2007 … completed 67-of-131 attempts as a junior, netting 1,033 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, while also picking up 612 yards and adding 11 scores on the ground … rated a three-star prospect and listed as the No. 3 athlete and No. 9 overall player in the state on Rivals.com’s Oklahoma Top 25 for 2008 … ranked the No. 53 overall player in SuperPrep Magazine’s ‘Midlands 86 for 2008’ a list that features the top players from a region encompassing 11 states … chose Tech over offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, New Mexico and Tulsa.

Joey Fowler
Defensive Lineman
6-4, 271
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Westmoore HS)

A tremendously strong high school prospect, he projects as a defensive end, but has the frame to move inside at the next level … a three-star player and the No. 37 strongside defensive end in the country according to Rivals.com … also the No. 3 defender and No. 12 overall player in the state on Rivals’ Oklahoma Top 25 for 2008 … a three-star recruit listed as the No. 33 defensive end in the nation by Scout.com … ranked the No. 40 overall prospect on SuperPrep’s ‘Midlands 86 for 2008’, a region that encompasses 11 states … rated the No.31 defensive end in the country by ESPN Scouts Inc. … named a Big All-City selection by The Oklahoman after finishing his senior season with 80 tackles, including 20 behind the line and six sacks in 10 games, despite being the subject of double teams for most of the year … a Class 6A first-team All-State selection by both OKPrepXtra.com and The Tulsa World following his senior season … totaled 104 tackles, including 16 for loss, five sacks and 22 hurries as a junior in 2006 for a Jaguar team that allowed just 11.2 points per game and finished the season 11-1 ... attended Texas Tech Football Camp prior to his senior year and bench pressed 225 pounds a reported 23 times … chose Tech over Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, New Mexico, and Oklahoma State.

Deveric Gallington
Offensive Lineman
6-4, 320
North Richland Hills, Texas (Richland HS)

A decorated offensive lineman who received first-team All-District 5-5A and second-team All-State Class 5A honors following his senior season at Richland, despite it being just his first on the offensive side of the ball … chosen as one of 88 players nationally to be invited to the annual Offense-Defense All-American Bowl, and started the game at right tackle for the West team … a second-team all-area selection on the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Super Team for 2007 … also a Dallas Morning News All-Area second-team selection, rated the No. 2 offensive lineman and No. 24 overall player in the area by the publication … one of seven offensive linemen to be named to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s ‘Fabulous 44’, an annual listing of the top high school players in the state … given a three-star rating and ranked as the No. 24 guard prospect in the country by Rivals.com … appears as the No. 65 overall player on Rivals’ Texas Top 100 for 2008 … a three-star prospect according to Scout.com, listed as the No. 32 offensive guard in the nation … listed as the No. 64 overall recruit in the state on SuperPrep’s ‘Texas 110 for 2008’ … boasts a reported bench press of 400 pounds and a squat of 600 … contributed as a member of the Richland varsity basketball team following his final football season … chose Tech over Arizona, Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Utah and Washington St.

Ryan Haliburton
Defensive End
6-4, 234
Wolfforth, Texas (Frenship HS)

Local product and three-year starter at defensive end for Frenship teams that collected a 35-8 record during his high school career … helped anchor a Tiger defense that yielded an average of just 15.5 points per game his senior year, posting two shutouts and holding opponents to 10 points or fewer on five occasions … an Associated Press Class 4A All-State honorable mention choice in 2007 after totaling 67 tackles, including nine for loss, seven sacks, and 29 quarterback hurries … also named first-team All-District 4-4A following his senior season … a member of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Class 4A/5A All South Plains team in 2007 … rated a three-star prospect and ranked the No. 30 strongside defensive end in the nation by Rivals.com … also the No. 94 overall player in the state on Rivals’ Texas Top 100 for 2008 … received a three-star rating from Scout.com and is listed as the No. 56 overall defensive end in the nation by the recruiting service … ranked as the No. 79 overall player in the state on SuperPrep’s ‘Texas 110 for 2008’ … attended Texas Tech Football Camp prior to both his junior and senior seasons … chose Tech over offers from Houston, Kansas State, Northwestern, Oklahoma State and Purdue.

Harrison Jeffers
Running Back
5-9, 210
Lawton, Oklahoma (Eisenhower HS)

An explosive ball carrier with impressive speed, he rushed for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns on only 164 carries, and caught 42 passes for 489 yards as a senior for the Eagles … regarded as a four-star prospect and the No. 1 running back, and No. 4 overall player in the state on Rivals.com’s Oklahoma Top 25 for 2008 … also ranked the No. 11 overall all-purpose back in the nation by Rivals … a three-star player listed as the No. 44 running back in the country by Scout.com … listed as the No. 59 recruit on SuperPrep’s ‘Midlands 86 for 2008’, a region that encompasses 11 states … represented the West team in the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State football game … named to the 2007 OKPrepXtra.com Class 6A All-State First-Team … led all players in Class 6A his junior year, gaining over 1,800 yards on the ground (2,069 yards from scrimmage) and finishing with 17 total touchdowns … also a standout in track, he holds a reported personal-best of 10.28 in the 100m and 21.56 in the 200m … chose Tech over Kansas State, Oklahoma State, SMU and Wyoming.

Joe King
Offensive Lineman
6-6, 297
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Putnam City North HS)

A strong player with an imposing frame, he seems to fit the physical mold for an offensive lineman at Texas Tech … rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 2 offensive lineman and No. 15 overall player in the state on Rivals.com’s Oklahoma Top 25 for 2008 … also listed as the No. 79 offensive tackle recruit in the nation by Rivals … ranked the No. 98 offensive tackle nationally by Scout.com … a member of the 2007 OKPrepXtra.com Class 6A All-State First-Team … started at tackle for a Panther offense that averaged 23 points per game and propelled North to an 8-3 record and a berth in the Class 6A state playoffs in 2007 … given an overall grade of 88 by the coaching staff his senior year … a second-team All-State selection by The Tulsa World following his senior season … participated in the Los Angeles NIKE Training Camp last April and was praised by camp coaches and observers for his performance in one-on-one drills against some of the top defensive line prospects on the west coast …for season chose Tech over Iowa State.

Broderick Marshall
Defensive Lineman
6-5, 280
Tyler, Texas (McCallum HS/Tyler Junior College)

Initially a member of Texas Tech’s 2006 signing class, his size makes him a candidate to play either defensive end or tackle for the Red Raiders … totaled 43 tackles (16 solo) two behind the line, and one and a half sacks, earning first-team All-Southwest Junior College Conference honors following his sophomore season at Tyler in 2007 … a four-star prospect and the No. 7 junior college defensive tackle prospect in the nation according to Scout.com … rated a three-star player and the No. 83 overall prospect on Rivals.com’s Junior College Top 100 for 2008 … also the No. 91 overall player on the SuperPrep ‘JUCO 100 for 2008’ … was the District 25-4A Defensive MVP as a high school senior in 2005, finishing with 47 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles and three pass break-ups on a McCallum defense that held opponents to just 14.9 points per game … originally chose Tech over offers from Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma State coming out of high school in 2006.

Terry McDaniel
Offensive Lineman
6-7, 330
Diana, Texas (New Diana HS)

A massive high school prospect with rare versatility, he was named first-team All-District 18-2A as both an offensive and defensive linemen following his senior season at New Diana … earned Associated Press second-team Class 2A All-State honors after totaling an impressive 72 pancakes and 43 knockdowns on offense and adding 96 tackles on defense during his final prep campaign … noted for not having given up a sack during his high school career in what amounted to more than 430 pass attempts … tallied 306 tackles, including 45 for loss, and 10 sacks over the course of his three varsity seasons on defense for the Eagles … also a second-team All-State selection on the offensive line following his junior season … named first-team All-East Texas by the Longview News-Journal on both offense and defense following his junior and senior seasons … chosen to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s ‘Top 100’ for 2008 … regarded as a three-star player and listed as the No. 71 offensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com … ranked as the No. 36 offensive tackle prospect in the country by the ESPN Scouts Inc. …also received a three-star rating from Scout.com and is ranked by the recruiting service as the No. 55 tackle nationally … attended Texas Tech Football Camp prior to his senior year … chose Tech over Arizona, Colorado, Kansas State, LSU and Oklahoma State.

Brandon Reid
Athlete
6-2, 208
El Paso, Texas (Canutillo HS)

One of the top running backs in the west Texas region, he will make the transition to linebacker at the collegiate level for the Red Raiders … rushed for just over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior, helping his Canutillo team to a 10-2 record and a berth in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs … named an honorable mention All-City selection by The El Paso Times in 2007… totaled more than 2,500 yards and scored 21 touchdowns on the ground during his three years on the varsity for the Eagles … a second-team All-District 2-4A selection following his senior season … given a three-star rating and ranked as the No. 88 athlete in the country by Rivals.com … also appeared at cornerback, linebacker and safety during his prep career … chose Tech over Arkansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas A&M and UTEP.

Jarrell Routt
Defensive Back
6-0, 205
Coffeyville, Kansas (Texas City HS/Coffeyville Community College)

A developing prospect with impressive speed, he could begin contributing immediately on special teams at the collegiate level … a three-star player according to Rivals.com, he’s clocked as low as a reported 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash … originally signed with Tech out of high school in 2006, and was placed by the coaching staff at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas … redshirted during his first year of junior college and now has three years to play three for the Red Raiders … was also a member of the Coffeyville track team and served as the first leg on a Red Raven 4X100 relay team that qualified for both the indoor and outdoor national meets his freshman year … a Class 4A All-State honorable mention selection following his senior season at Texas City, where he appeared at corner, wide receiver and running back for the Stingarees … a second-team all-district pick as a junior in high school, playing both receiver and defensive back for head coach Tim Finn … originally chose Tech over offers from Arkansas State, Iowa State, and Mississippi.

Brandon SeSay
Defensive End
6-6, 273
Atlanta, Georgia (Douglass HS/College of the Sequoias)

The premier defensive prospect to have signed with Texas Tech during the Mike Leach era … a dominating pass rusher with tremendous size and strength, he appears primed to make an instant impact at the Division I level … rated a four-star prospect and the No. 10 overall player on Rivals.com’s Junior College Top 50 for 2008 … also listed as a four-star prospect and the No. 6 junior college defensive end by Scout.com … registered 28 tackles (23 solo) including seven for loss and four sacks in six games for Sequoias in 2007 … racked up 63 tackles and an impressive 12 sacks in eight games as a freshman in 2006 at Northwest Community College in Mississippi … originally signed with Georgia out of high school in 2005 after totaling 50 tackles, including 15 for loss, 17.5 sacks, 24 hurries and eight forced fumbles as a senior at Douglass … a member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 following his final prep season … was ranked as the No. 3 defensive lineman and 10 overall player in the state on Rivals’ Georgia Top 40 for 2005 … reportedly received over 70 written scholarship offers during his final junior college season … has two years to play two … chose Tech over California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan, Oregon, and Tennessee amongst others.

Updated Recruting Rankings (1/17/08 edition)

This is an update to my post from last week. A few teams moved into the Top 25 in one or both polls (see South Carolina) but since they weren't in the Top 25 of either poll last week, they were omitted from this poll as well. I'll fix that problem next year and keep the older rankings.

Also, I factored in a % change into the points to see if a school is gaining or not late in the season. The formula is now 72.5% stars, 22.5% points, 5% percent change in points from the previous week. The data also shows you what change, if any, occured from last week's rankings.

Here are the Top 10 + all Big 12 schools (last week in ()'s):

1. Notre Dame (3)

2. Oklahoma (2)

3. Ohio State (4)

4. USC (1)

5. Florida (5)

6. Alabama (8)

7. Michigan (6)

8. Florida St (7)

9. Georgia (9)

10. UCLA (10)

Other Big 12 Schools
11. Texas (11)

15. Texas A&M (16)

16. Colorado (13)

26. Texas Tech (26)

27. Oklahoma St (29)

28. Missouri (28)

A deeper look into recruiting rankings

The following information is taken from the Rivals.com Recruiting information.  I think most of us on here will agree that the "Avg Stars" ranking (quality-based) is a more accurate ranking that the "Rivals Points" system (quantity-based). However, there is something to be said for bringing in a lot of commitments. 

I took a few minutes to put the two ranking systems up against each other...and then to create a "weighted average" in which I gave 75% weight to "Avg Stars" and 25% to "Rivals Points." Those weights are purely arbitrary and can of course be adjusted. There are 20 schools that were ranked in the Top 25 in both groups and 10 schools that were in the Top 25 in one of the groups. Below are the rankings under my weighted average along with their straight line average rank in ()'s. Info is current as of today and I'll try to update this once a week (probably on Tuesdays) after each weekend of January recruting visits.

1. Notre Dame (1)
2. USC (5)
3. Ohio State (3)
4. Georgia (2)
5. Oklahoma (7)
6. Florida St (8)
7. Florida (8)
8. Alabama (6)
9. Michigan (11)
10. UCLA (9)
11. LSU (10)
12. Texas (12)
13. Auburn (14)
14. Miami (13)
15. Pitt (16)
16. Colorado (17)
17. Texas A&M (15)
18. California (21) 
19. Va Tech (18)
20. Oregon (22)
21. Clemson (19)
22. Penn State (23)
23. UNC (29)
24. Illinois (20)
25. Maryland (25) 
26. Texas Tech (30)
27. Arizona (24)
28. Missouri (26)
29. Oklahoma St (27)
30. Minnesota (28)

I hope this makes some sense. If you have any suggestions on changes I should make to the weights given to each ranking then please share them as I'm always open to new ideas. Here is the data I used.

Something that should be pointed out to WR recruits

when thinking they have to go to a big name school to have a chance in the NFL:

1. Jerry Rice...Mississippi Valley St
3. Issac Bruce...Memphis
4. James Lofton...Stanford
5. Marvin Harrison...Syracuse
7. Henry Ellard...Fresno St
8. Andre Reed...Kutztown College
9. Steve Largent...Tulsa
10. Terrell Owens...Tenn-Chattanooga

- 8 of the Top 10 All-Time NFL Receivers (by receiving yards) didn't play at big name programs. The two exceptions are Tim Brown (Notre Dame) and Cris Carter (Ohio State).
- 6 of them were drafted in the first 2 rounds, 1 in the 3rd and 3 in the 4th round.

Unlike at many other positions, teams do not hesitate to take WR's from smaller schools. The best receivers in the game will get drafted in the first few rounds...regardless of what school they played at. It's all about demonstrating your abilities in college and getting your game ready for the next level. Are you better suited to do that in a system where you can catch 100+ balls per year or 50 balls per year???

Back in a bit with some mid-week musings and a bit of Cows talk...

Bowl picks for this weekend

Since I don't know if I'll be by my computer this weekend...here are picks on the games that I'll be watching:

Texas Bowl (Houston, TX) TCU vs Houston - I'm not a TCU fan...though their offense started showing signs of life late in the year. However, the highly touted defense has been less than spectacular and Tommy Blake has dropped from 1st Round to a late 2nd day draft pick after reportedly going off the deep end mentally. I'm biased towards Houston because Abilene product Case Keenum is their starting QB. That said...Art Briles is gone and that places some big ? marks on offense. Houston's defense still can't stop anyobdy. I don't know if they'll win...but they'll cover 6.5 points. If anything, I would take the over in this game as 57.5 is a ridiculously low number.

TCU 38
Houston 34

Meineke Car Care Bowl (Charlotte, NC) Connecticut vs Wake Forest - This is essentially a home game for the Demon Deacons (80 miles). The Deacs are coached by one of the most respected yet underrated coaches in the country in Jim Grobe. He does more with less talent than any coach this side of Hawaii, and he's doing it in the ACC. Other than their stumble against Clemson, their other 3 losses were by a combined 14 points to @ BC, Nebraska, and @ Virginia. Riley Skinner is and 2nd year starter (lead the Deacs to the ACC title as a frosh) and could turn into the ACC's next Matt Ryan over the next 2 years. UConn beat a bunch of terrible teams (Duke, Maine, Temple, Akron, Syracuse, and Pitt) and were fortunate to get the bounces/calls against South Florida and Louisville. Cincy and WVU cleaned them out late in the season. Yes...I'm a homer in this game...but I just don't think UConn has what it takes. Take Wake FoFo (-1.5) and the under of 47.5

Wake Forest 23
UConn 20

Alamo Bowl (San Antonio, TX) Penn State vs Texas A&M - The Aggies were terrible under Fran in bowl games...when they made it to one. They're also 1-6 in their last 7 bowl appearances, including a 24-0 loss to Penn State in their last Alamo Bowl appearance. However, their offense looked very good against Texas and rumor has it that Fran wasn't the one calling the plays but rather OC Les Koennig was. Look for the Aggies to continue to open up the field by allowing McGee to throw the ball some. Even though I'm down on the Big 10 as a conference, I'll take the Nittany Lions to win but not cover as this game barely goes over 52 points.

Penn State 31
Texas A&M 27

Independence Bowl (Shereveport, LA) Alabama vs Colorado - This game means a lot to Alabama and Nick Saban. A loss and the Tide faithful will be up in arms over a losing season. A win and a good recruiting year (current class ranked #2 in the nation) will buy Saban some time in 2008. Colorado is a nice team and Dan Hawkins is making some dents in recruiting CA and TX. This game doesn't mean near as much to them. Long and short...CU would like to win but Bama is DESPERATE for a win. Bama (-3.5) wins but can't quite cover in this shootout.

Alabama 34
Colorado 31

I'll be back with more next week. Time to track down the story behind the Julio Jones committing to Texas Tech rumor that has been circulating the internet all day. While that would be nice...I have a feeling we won't know anything until he visits Tech just before signing day.

Alive and Engaged...let's talk recruiting

Sorry for the "dead blog" for almost two weeks now...sometimes life can get in the way. Anyways...since I've last posted I did have one exciting bit of semi-Texas Tech related news to throw out there...I'm engaged!!!

She's finishing up law school at TT in May before returning to Dallas. No worries...I made sure to set a wedding date 2 1/2 weeks after the Red Raiders win the 2009 B(C)S National Championship!!! January 2009 can't get here fast enough.

Ok...putting away my homer hat for a second. Let's talk recruiting. Yesterday was JUCO signing day and Tech signed 3 players to the defensive side of the ball.

McKinner Dixon - Originally signed with Texas Tech out of high school. Played often and sometimes started as a true freshman. He finished the 2005 season with 29 tackles (6 for a loss), 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Academic problems forced him to transfer to Cisco JC but he'll be back and ready to make an impact again in 2008. He was the #15 JUCO prospect according to Rivals.com

Jarell Routt - He originally signed with Tech in 2006 but has spent the past 18 months at a JUCO in Kansas. At 6ft and with reported 4.4 speed, he should help the secondary for the next two years.

Brandon Sesay - Another highly regarded JUCO prospect at DE. The #11 JUCO player according to Rivals.com, Sesay, had offers from Cal, Florida, Michigan, Tenn, and Oregon but committed to Tech early and stuck by his committment. At 6'6" and 270lbs, he will be in contention to start opposite Brandon Williams in the fall. He signed with Georgia out of HS.