Possible Red Raiders: A Weekly Recruiting Update - 12/31/13

Well that was something last night. 22-point underdogs Texas Tech beat #14 Arizona State by two touchdowns. And too add the icing to the cake, a lot of recruits took noticed and were really impressed by the victory. Here is what some of them said:

• Malik Jefferson (2015 98 rated OLB) said "Tech OMG...", Vincent Jackson Jr (2014 83 rated OLB) said "LOL @ESPN saying Tech were 22 point underdogs #GunsUP", James Lockhart IV (2015 97 rated DE) said "If Tech plays like this more often >>> (<3)", Kris Boyd (2015 93 rated CB) said " It's clear he didn't touch the ball!!!

There's more than that, but it's currently 3am and I'm not going to waste my time going through twitter accounts to see who was impressed. But the point is, a lot of good recruits were watching that game, and a lot were impressed by the display that Texas Tech put on. This was a low risk/ high reward game, and luckily Tech won and got many high recruits with their ears perked up. Kliff Kingsbury couldn't have said it any better last night when he said "We are about to get things rolling". Looks like my posts on this site got a little bit more interesting. Anyway, here is a look at some top rated 2015 runningbacks, including recruits like JaMycal Hasty, Ronald Jones II and DeUnte Chatman.

JaMycal Hasty - Athlete / Runningback (Longview HS, Longview, TX)

Height: 5'8" Weight: 185 lbs 40-time: 4.49

Ratings: 93 by 247 / 81 by ESPN / 5.8 by Rivals

Interest: Baylor (Warmer), Texas (Warmer), Texas A&M (Warm), Texas Tech (Warm)

If the name Longview rings a bell, that's because current Red Raider Pete Robertson went there and recruits like Zay-Coven Henderson also went there. Longview is a 4A hot spot for college football, and Hasty is no different. He's a small, speedy RB that has an impressive 40 time (247 has it at 4.31, but's that a little ridiculous). He has several offers from Texas and Big XII schools, including the Red Raiders. He has gone to TTU, A&M and TCU camps, along with visiting A&M (spring game), Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech (OKST game). He said that he "loved the student section" at Tech. Don't worry, I'll keep it going. Anyway, while is doesn't seem like at the moment Hasty could come here, we are in a good position as of now. On the his film. He seems incredibly fast in his video, but he has a great 40, so what do you expect. He seems to hit the holes go, and has a quick acceleration, to where defenders have to think quick on their feet. The best part I saw about his game is his ability to quickly switch another direction. There are times where he's heading toward a crowd and simply cuts to the inside or out and gains more yardage. Now he isn't a big back considering he's 5'8", so he won't run over people, but he's got a big upper frame which will help hi, gain a couple more yards. If I had to compare him to a player, it would probably be Ray Rice, with small frame with big upper body that can cut with speed. He also says that he would be willing to switch to slot if it made his team better. Also, in the video below, he talked about wanting to go to school with about 5 other guys. I'm sure who they are, but I'll see if I can figure it out later. Hopefully they all will have their guns up come February 2015.

Ronald Jones II - Runningback (McKinney North, McKinney, TX)

Height: 6'0" Weight: 185 lbs 40 time: 4.45

Ratings: 90 by 247 / NR by ESPN / NR by Rivals

Interest: Baylor (Warm), Oklahoma (Warm), Texas *(Warm), Texas Tech (Warm)

Ronald Jones II just recently on the coaches radar, getting his first offer from Texas Tech about a month ago. Since then he has picked up offers from teams like Oklahoma and Baylor, along with heavy interest from Texas. The unofficial visit he has so far is to the Texas/Texas Tech game in Thanksgiving, in which the outcome was not would we would have liked it to be. He has similar speed like Hasty, but Jones brings more of the heavy runner to his game. His weight is similar, but he runs with more power. So with that being said, let's go on to his film. He brings a power prescience to the position, he's not constantly running over players, but it'll take more effort to bring him down then other players. Along with this, he also brings an unexpected speed attack, where he and blow up once he finds some open space. He may not be able to cut has much as players like Hasty, but he still can do so. He can find the hole pretty well, so that helps him when he does cut. If I had to compare him to one player, it would be Adrian Peterson. Not saying he'll be as good, but like AP, he runs with authority, can find the open hole, and when he's past the front 7, it's going to be a struggle to catch him. Look for his recruiting trail to pick up during the offseason.

DeUnte Chatman - Athlete / Runningback (Summer Creek HS, Humble, TX)

Height: 6'0" Weight: 210 lbs 40 time: 4.50 Vertical: 35" Power Throw: 37.5"

Ratings: 82 by 247 / NR by ESPN / 5.5 by Rivals

Interest: Texas *(Warm), Texas A&M *(Warm), Alabama *(Warm), Texas Tech *(Warm)

The name Summer Creek may also seem familiar to you. Our current LB in this class thus far, Dakota Allen, played high school ball at Summer Creek, and that's where the Tech staff got a good look at DeUnte. He has Texas Tech very high on his list so far, gaining interest from Dakota about wanting to be a Red Raider. He doesn't have any offer so far however, even though the teams above are looking at him, including Oregon. Those are some good programs. Anyway, below is his film. There isn't really any film of him running (there was a catch however, where he strided a catch for a TD), but there were a lot of LB film. With his good size, weight and speed, he would make for a good OLB at the next level. He can get off the block quick or go back into coverage and play well. The film consisted of mostly him rushing, but I'm sure he would be able to drop back if needed. Out of the 3 recruits mentioned above, Chatman has the best chance of choosing Tech at the next level.

Here are some other updates:

Football 2014:

• Payton Hendrix, 85 rated S, committed to Texas Tech on Thrusday. Also had a long offer list that included finalist Arkansas and Notre Dame. Good pick up for the Red Raiders, and could play right away next season.
• Vincent Jackson Jr, 83 rated OLB, named his Top 4 on Saturday, including Alabama, Mizzou, Texas Tech and USF. He also has offers from USC, Ohio State, Oregon, Miami and Auburn. The most recruited player that Tech has on it's radar.
• Marcus Smith, 80 rated JUCO DT commit, it having eligibility issues and may enlist in the fall instead of the spring. Would be a blow, considering that Smith is a JUCO and Tech will need DT help right away next season.