Holy smokes! It seems as if the football staff is intent on keeping me busy beyond belief. Here we go, Texas Tech secured its 25th commitment in defensive back Marcus Roberson, who by those that know best, is one of the top 5 players at his position in the nation. Like everything else in life, don't get too caught up will he be here and yes, we're talking about a 18 year old kid, but this is huge and I find it incredibly encouraging that head coach Tommy Tuberville is able to secure a commitment from one of the best defensive players in the country is impressive.
And to add to this, Texas Tech apparently also picked up a 2012 commit in OL Christian Okafor, little brother to current Red Raider LT Mickey Okafor. I'll have to get to Christian's profile over the weekend, but it's obviously been busy.
The Measurables:
Marcus Roberson
Position: DB
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1
Rivals Profile6.0
Scout Profile
ESPN Profile
Ht: 6'0"
Wt: 170 lbs
Forty: 4.52
High School: St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
More after the jump.
The Player Speaks: LAJ's Don Williams didn't actually talk with Roberson, but he did text with him:
Asked in an A-J text message to confirm he had committed to Tech, Roberson responded, "Yes, but I’m still open."
Asked to put a percentage likelihood on his signing with Tech, Roberson replied, "50 50."
As some of you and as Williams notes, a big reason why Roberson is considering Texas Tech is because of his uncle, Otis Mounds, a graduate assistant at Texas Tech. And yes, Otis is a former Auburn defensive back with quite a colorful history (you'll have to scroll down to 5/22/1999):
To compartmentalize Mounds' life:
Spends 10 months at a state correctional institution at the age of 15 for selling cocaine. ... Called out of the stands at halftime by the public address announcer to play his first game at Auburn. ... Spends nearly seven months on the set of Oliver Stone's movie, Any Given Sunday,playing L.L. Cool J's stunt double. Oh, yeah, he's a defensive specialist for the Bobcats.
"It's been a rollercoaster," Mounds says. It's also a life that could have gone seriously wrong at a very young age. After all, Mounds was just a kid when he was convicted and charged as a juvenile for selling cocaine. "I ran back then with an older crowd," Mounds said. "It was my mistake." With the help of teachers and coaches at Dillard High School, Mounds graduated, was named All-County and was regarded as one of the top tailbacks coming out of high school in 1990. But Mounds' past caught up with him, and colleges and recruiters were reluctant to take a chance on a kid who had done time.
Having Mounds on board is a huge part of Roberson's commitment, but it's not over just yet. Roberson is still going to visit Florida next week. Hold your breath.
Video: This is the only free video I could find of Roberson actually playing football. Look for #6 on the field and although there are only a few places where you'll see Roberson, he makes a fantastic play at about the 5:40 mark and a similar play at the 8:15 mark. Those two plays, you can see why he's so highly rated.
Scouting Report: Because my viewing of Roberson is relatively limited, I'll let the experts weigh in on Roberson. From Roberson's Scout profile:
Roberson can be considered a big corner or a thin safety depending on where he ends up playing. He is outstanding in coverage, although he gets a little too close with his hands on jerseys at times. He is physical with the receivers and can turn and run with them well. Should become more of a factor against the run as he gains size and strength in the weight room, but with his height and frame, his size overall is a plus - Scott Kennedy
From his Rivals profile:
On the Hoof: Long and lean defensive back with hips on a swivel. He definitely has the physical look of a point guard.
Needs Improvement: His ability to come up in run support and make the big hit. Adding some strength should help him in this area along with keeping his head up and sinking his hips into the ballcarrier.
Most Impressive: For being so tall he has a smooth backpedal and the ability to pounce. His ball skills are tremendous and he does a nice job of keeping the receiver in front of him at all times. He has enough size and versatility to play some free safety along with cornerback. Roberson has the coveted height to combat taller receivers.
Conclusion: Could see early playing time in nickel and dime situations. He has all the tools to become a difference maker while earning all-conference honors.
Marcus, welcome to Texas Tech and Git Your Guns Up!
The 2011 Class: Again, I know that some grades have changed and that will have to wait for the weekend.
| Position | Commitment | Ht/Wt | High School/State |
Rivals
|
Rivals Rating |
Scout
|
ESPN
|
ESPN Grade |
| QB | Michael Brewer | 6-0/175 | Lake Travis (Austin, TX) | 3 | 5.7 | 3 | 3 | 78 |
| RB | Kenny Williams | 5-10/210 | Hendrickson (Pflugerville, TX) | 4 | 5.8 | 4 | 4 | 80 |
| RB | Bradley Marquez | 5-11/180 | Odessa (Odessa, TX) | 3 | 5.7 | 4 | 4 | 79 |
| WR | Derek Edwards | 6-1/163 | Brenham (Brenham, TX) | 4 | 5.8 | 3 | 3 | 79 |
| WR | Marcus Kennard | 6-4/205 | Butler County C.C. (El Dorado, KS) | 4 | 5.8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| WR | Jakeem Grant | 5-7/157 | Horn (Mesquite, TX) | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 3 | 75 |
| TE | Jace Amaro | 6-5/237 | MacArthur (San Antonio, TX) | 4 | 5.9 | 4 | 3 | 78 |
| OL | Tony Morales | 6-4/300 | Sam Houston (Arlington, TX) | 4 | 5.8 | 3 | 3 | 78 |
| OL | Alfredo Morales | 6-3/287 | Sam Houston (Arlington, TX) | 3 | 5.7 | 3 | 3 | 76 |
| OL | Le'Raven Clark | 6-6/245 | Rockdale (Rockdale, TX) | 3 | 5.7 | 4 | 3 | 79 |
| OL | Matt Wilson | 6-7/270 | Coldspring-Oakhurst (Coldspring, TX) | 3 | 5.5 | 2 | 0 | 45 |
| DL | James Castleman | 6-4/255 | Amarillo (Amarillo, TX) | 3 | 5.7 | 4 | 3 | 77 |
| DL | Dennell Wesley | 6-3/315 | Butler County C.C. (El Dorado, KS) | 3 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DE | Kindred Evans | 6-6/215 | South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, TX) | 3 | 5.6 | 3 | 3 | 75 |
| LB | Terrell Hartsfield | 6-4/215 | Hargrave MA (Chatham, VA) | 4 | 5.8 | 3 | 2 | 74 |
| LB | Blake Dees | 6-0/234 | Spanish Fort (Spanish Fort, AL) | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 2 | 73 |
| LB | Sam Eguavoen | 6-2/220 | Lakeview Centennial (Garland, TX) | 3 | 5.6 | 2 | 3 | 75 |
| LB | Justin Cooper | 6-1/205 | University School of Nova South (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | 3 | 5.5 | 0 | 2 | 74 |
| DB | Freddie Warner | 5-9/170 | L.G. Pinkston (Dallas, TX) | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 3 | 76 |
| CB | Jeremy Reynolds | 5-9/166 | Oak Ridge Military Academy (Oak Ridge, NC) | 3 | 5.5 | 2 | 3 | 77 |
| DB | Marcus Roberson | 6-0/170 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL) | 4 | 6.0 | 4 | 4 | 79 |
| ATH | Ronnie Daniels | 6-1/195 | La Cueva (Albuquerque, NM) | 3 | 5.6 | 3 | 3 | 76 |
| ATH | LaDarrin Robertson | 6-3/215 | Longview (Longview, TX) | 3 | 5.5 | 3 | 3 | 77 |
| ATH | DeAndre Washington | 5-9/183 | Marshall (Missouri City, TX) | 3 | 5.7 | 3 | 3 | 78 |
| ATH | J.J. Gaines | 5-11/175 | Irving Nimitz (Irving, TX) | 3 | 5.6 | 3 | 3 | 77 |
| Averages | 3.28 | 5.66 | 2.84 | 2.64 | 69.40 |