PLAYERS REPORT | Yesterday was the first day that players reported. I posted a FanShot yesterday of DTN's Texas Tech Twitter feed and for those of you who think that Twitter is about a bunch of people talking about what they had for lunch, you know that Twitter can be a great source of information depending on who you follow.
The official reporting roster (PDF) was released yesterday, RB Harrison Jeffers was not on the roster due to a back injury, but will be on the roster when school starts. I don't know that I understand that, but I'm rolling with it. I did notice a couple of things while scrolling through the roster: CB Junior Osunde is now Happiness Osunde . . . S Terrance Bullitt is up to 206 pounds and CB Tre Porter is up to 200 pounds, I think that's an additional 20 pounds for each of them . . . RB DeAndre Washington is only 5'7" and IR Jakeem Grant is only 5'6" . . . in other news, IR/RB Ben McRoy is a giant at 5'9" in comparison to DeAndre and Jakeem . . . LB Cqulin Hubert weighs 237, which is more than LB Tyrone Sonier . . .
MACKEY ARRIVES | My man-crush, DE Leon Mackey arrived and he's apparently incredibly dreamy. LAJ's Don Williams talked with Mackey:
"It was a long road, but I felt like it was needed to make me the person who I am," said Mackey, a prized defensive end signee from Hinds (Miss.) Community College who is 22 years old. "It was needed, so I didn’t complain to anybody. … It’s something I felt like I would get my turn when it was time for me to get my turn."
And head coach Tommy Tuberville said that Mackey is one of the hardest workers on the team:
"He’s been up here more than any player I’ve ever seen, first-year player, working out, trying to catch up and get in shape," Tuberville said. "We’re expecting big things. We don’t expect him to be the whole team obviously. We want him to fit into his position, do his job and make us a better pass-rush team."
BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER | It seems like this was the mantra of my coaches when I was in high school and it hasn't worked as I'm still 5'9" and about 165. However, this did work for the football team as it's being reported that the players look in terrific shape. DMN's & RRS.com's Mike Graham is pulling double-duty and says that the team is bigger, faster, stronger. A lot of players are crediting the work of strength and conditioning coach Joe Walker and Tuberville credits the team for being self-motivated to have those voluntary workouts:
"Your team is built in the offseason and usually when the coaches are not around," Tuberville said. "If coaches have to be around to get your team motivated, you don't have good chemistry or work ethic. My understanding through our strength coaches and the leaders of the team, the guys that have been out there every day is that we've had great participation."
I also appreciated freshman DE Branden Jackson's story about working out at home in Pennsylvania and then working out at Texas Tech:
"The first time I came down here I thought I was in shape," true freshman defensive end Branden Jackson said. "I didn't lift as much as I should have but I ran so I thought I'd show up in shape. The first workout, I threw up twice. The next workout I threw up three more times and I knew I better do something and get used to (the workouts). They're a lot harder, a lot more intense than back home and I'm still getting the hang of it."
NOTES, NOTES AND MORE NOTES | LAJ's Don Williams reports that ATH Pete Robertson (he was formerly LaDarrin) isn't sure where he's going to play, but he does know that he wants people to call him Pete:
"Ever since I was little, all my elementary teachers, high school, middle school — all my teachers and friends have been calling me Pete," Robertson said.
Consider it done, Pete.
LAJ's Williams also has a lengthy notebook, with news that as of today, DT Delvon Simmons has not been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse, but Tuberville expects him to be cleared . . . RB/IR Bradley Marquez has until August 15th to sign with the New York Mets and it sounds like he's still considering his options, but wants to continue to play football, no matter what, at Texas Tech:
"That’s not the plan, really," he said. "Really, I’d like to be able to do both. That’s kind of been the discussion. I don’t see myself leaving Texas Tech; put it that way. I’m coming to get a degree. My mom and my family want me to get a degree. I as well want a degree. That’s something I’d like to do now, not have to come back to."
. . . freshman TE Jace Amaro talks about when he was a junior in high school and tore his ACL, former head coach Mike Leach and UT dropped him as a possible recruit, but he improved over the course of his senior year to be one of the best tight ends in the country . . . freshman OL LaRaven Clark gained 50 pounds and will most likely redshirt . . .
DMN's Mike Graham writes that RB Aaron Crawford is ready for his senior season:
"This is the best I've felt in a very long time. I know that I battled through pain and stuff and tried to be tough and go through things but now I'm fully healthy and this is the best that I've felt in a long, long time."
MEET THE TWO-DEEP | The series continues, this time with CB Jeremy Reynolds (watch via YouTube), "The best ability is accountability."
VIDEO | The official site has some good video of players arriving and talk to TE Jace Amaro . . . KAMC with a story on players arriving and talking to Leon Mackey . . . Fox34 (couldn't link to an actual link, so this is to the Fox34 sports page) with some video, including talking to QB Seth Doege . . . I couldn't find any video of the Sportstacular Pete Christy (I really do like Pete, I think he's funny), I need those folks to step up their game and get some video posted . . .
MISCELLANEOUS| The LAJ has two articles that popped up on their RedRaiders.com website this morning, one is about the freshmen needing to play and the second is about the Pistol offense. Both of those articles were published on the LubbockOnline.com site earlier this week, which is why I didn't link to them above . . . per DMN's Brandon George, former Red Raider WR Lyle Leong had his best day at Dallas Cowboys training camp . . . per the Log Cabin Democrat, LB/DE Joe Carmical will transfer to Central Arkansas St. . . . per the Vikings, former Red Raider DT Colby Whitlock was released by the Denver Broncos earlier this week, but was signed by the Minnesota Vikings yesterday . . .