Texas Tech Football Recruiting 2014 | Texas Tech's Second Junior Day

Texas Tech had their second junior day and with some internet sleuthing, I was able to determine some of the players who were in attendance. This is not an exclusive list, just a list of players that I could figure actually attended. If you have additional players you'd like to add, feel free to add a bit in the comments. Also, make sure and do not provide any paywall information. Most of the information I was able to obtain regarding these players visiting was via Twitter with other bits and pieces everywhere.

I can also tell you that just about everyone of these players said that the loved Lubbock, that they had a great time, that the coaches were great and that Texas Tech is one of their top choices. I believe that I can say that because that's pretty much the stock answer for all of these players when they talk to Texas Tech recruiting services. If they were tweeting this information, it would be followed with an "ayeeee" and the hashtag "#blessed".

QB/ATH DeVontay Bell | 5-10/180 | Corsicana (Corsicana, TX) | Video

Bell is a really nice athlete and plays quarterback for Corsicana. A lot of zone-read on his highlights and he really does have some nice athletic moves. I think a lot of his passes are in the 10 yard range. I’d imagine that his coaches love how he gets his teammates open by being a dual threat. There don’t appear to be a lot of players in routes, but that probably makes Bell and Corsicana that much more difficult to defend. Bell is a similar player to Dee Paul, Caleb Woodward, Reginald Davis or Dominique Wheeler. All players that were pretty darned good quarterbacks for their respective high school team, but will most likely play at another position.

OL Ty Barrett | 6-5/285 | Skyline (Dallas, TX) | Video

Barrett has a really nice frame. He’s obviously big, but he’s still got room to grow. He’s a really nice athlete and I think he has a very good idea of what he’s doing. He is playing left tackle and he has some issues with technique I think. Plays a little tall, but he does play with a mean streak and I like that. He’s looking to hit opposing players. Like a lot of guys his size, he needs to work on the handling speed rushers, but that’s not uncommon.

LB Christian Sam | 6-2/205 | Allen (Allen, TX) | Video

Sam is a sometimes hand down and sometimes standing up outside linebacker. Really good athlete (I am sure I will say that about all of these players). Can get up and down the line of scrimmage very easily. He’s got a lot of speed and really gives opposing offensive tackles some pretty serious trouble. Just like every linebacker his size, he’ll need to add weight if he wants to play on the outside. He’ll be a linebacker one way or another, just not sure if he’ll play outside with his hands down or if he’ll play a weakside linebacker. Just depends on his much weight he can add.

WR Ian Saddler | 5-11/190 | Argyle (Argyle, TX) | Video

Receiver, punt returner and kick returner extraordinaire. A smooth athlete and doesn’t look as fast as he is, or the competition is very slow. I don’t think that’s the case. Argyle plays in the same district as Celina. Really a sneaky smooth athlete that finds the open space. I think Saddler also plays soccer, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he has a good perspective on the field in general and a pretty good idea of spacing. He also played a bit of running back and took everything outside. That will give you a pretty good idea of his speed, i.e. if everyone knows it is on the way and you still run it.

LB Sam Sizelove | 6-3/230 | Argyle (Argyle, TX) | Video

This is a pretty famous clip. This is Sizelove knocking the crud out of Jake Raulerson. That is Saddler returning the punt. Sizelove already has the size that Sam lacks, but Sizelove might be really close to a finished product in terms of his ability and size. I can’t imagine him getting much bigger unless he adds even more size and eventually transitions to a defensive end. He’s just so good at the linebacker spot, you would hate to move him if he’s an accomplished linebacker (which he is).

OL Connor Mayes | 6-5/330 | Van Alstyne (Van Alstyne, TX) | Video

The linked video is from Mayes’ sophomore year. Mayes really likes to finish his blocks. Of course it helps that his brother is Alex Mayes, who signed with Minnesota and is the guy that posted the helmets. In any event, I really like Mayes. He has good size, stays low, engages his man and just doesn’t let go. Still trying to figure out how he’s just a sophomore in that video. Really excellent strength and I’m trying to figure out why he doesn’t have more offers. I’d love to know where Mayes is playing know, whether it still be inside or as a tackle. I’d really like to see his footwork and see how he is in space.

S Derrick Dixon | 5-11/185 | Skyline (Dallas, TX) | Video

How in the heck did Skyline lose any games last year? Seriously, with the talent they had on their team, I don’t get how they lost 2 games. As to Dixon, he’s a heck of a safety prospect. Loves to hit, very rangy and he’s fast enough to play cornerback in high school and it’s really not even a question if I think he could play either position in college. There is also a play of him playing running back. Yes, I would guess that he can do it all. Rangy free safeties and/or strong safeties that can man up or play in space are tough to find. Most of the time, they are converted cornerbacks, but Dixon is playing that spot right now and he looks like a natural.

WR Willy Ivery | 5-9/180 | Sulphur Springs (Sulphur Springs, TX) | Video

Slick, nimble and athletic. That’s a pretty good summary. Not a lot of wide receiver action in his video, but a lot of him in the slot, catching the ball on screens and making something out of nothing. Also some plays with Ivery at running back and I’m guessing that a lot of colleges see him converting to receiver, but at 5-9 he’s maybe a slot receiver or a running back or perhaps in the secondary. I’d be fine with him at running back, he’s got plenty of moves there and he has a second gear that you don’t normally see at the running back spot. If Ivery is really going to play receiver, then he probably needs to get some serious film out there with him catching passes and making plays.

ATH Cedric Dale | 5-10/185 | Timber Creek (Ft. Worth) | Video

Dale might be a bit underrated as he broke his arm in the 4th game last year (see the video in the intro). He looks like a Texas Tech running back, really almost like Ivery. Slick, nimble and athletic. Yes, they aren’t the exact same players, but they are awfully similar in that they both out-run opponents. He’s a good athlete and he doesn’t come down easy. He plays multiple positions. Dale looks really smooth coming out of the backfield for a screen pass or just getting into a route and catching the ball. It does seem that he might have that advantage on Ivery. And if his highlight video is just four games worth of film, I’d hate to be the opposing coach to see what he does for an entire year.