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Recruiting on the South Plains | DT LaDarrius Kidd Commits to Texas Tech

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Spo

Texas Tech receives a commitment from Mississippi defensive tackle, LaDarrius Kidd.

PLAYER: LaDarrius Kidd

POSITION: Defensive Tackle
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 275
FORTY: N/A
HIGH SCHOOL: Harrison Central (Gulfport, MS)
VIDEO: Clip 1
RECRUITING SERVICES: Rivals 5.3 | Scout N/R | ESPN N/R | 24/7 Sports N/R
CUMULATIVE RANKING: N/A
VTM PROFILE DATE: January 23, 2026

OFFERS | UAB, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech,

STATS | No idea.

THE PLAYER SPEAKS | Not yet.

UPDATE:  The coaches were in Kidd's home last night when he committed and Kidd talked about committing to Texas Tech (via RP).

"I bonded real well with the coaches on the visit and don't want to pass up an opportunity to play at a BCS school," Kidd said Thursday night. "Mostly it was the coaches and Lubbock felt like home to me. That's what I wanted mostly, a place that felt like home."

Kidd also said that Oklahoma offered this week and Oregon was starting to show interest this past week.

SCOUTING REPORT | Players in the south usually aren't over-looked. The idea is that the geography of the South is more compact, a bit different than Texas, where things are spread out over four or five hours or even more between stops. While in the South, you can drive to different locations relatively easy. Plus, Gulfcoast has their own JUCO, so this isn't a case of folks not really knowing where it is. In any event, the strange thing here is that Texas Tech now has a commit from a 6-3/275 or 315 pound defensive tackle that is still relatively unknown. Three of the four scouting services don't have Kidd even rated.

So, what's there? Yeah, I really like his film, and that's the other confusing part. I like the way Kidd plays and that just doesn't make any sense, that a kid his size has the ability to play as well as he does. Kidd made his all-region first team and made the South Honorable Mention. And if Mississippi's high schools are anything like Texas, it's not as if he is playing in a small district as he is in the 6A division. Kidd isn't a complete unknown.

Kidd has really nice size and strength. Pretty good quickness for someone his size and can get the line of scrimmage. Kidd has the ability to split double-teams and motor all over the field. If I see this film and I don't know who it is, I'm thinking he can play and I'd give him a spot, especially if he has the grades. I suppose this is similar to offering Donte Phillips a couple of years a ago. A high school project that you hope makes an impact in some capacity by the time he's a senior.

LaDarrius, welcome to Texas Tech and Git Your Guns Up!

2014 Commits

Player Position Ht/Wt School VTM Profile
Patrick Mahomes QB 6-3/198 Whitehouse (Whitehouse, TX) April 24, 2025
Justin Stockton RB 5-9/175 Steele (Cibolo, TX) January 21, 2026
Demarcus Felton RB 5-7/179 Dekaney (Spring, TX) April 18, 2025
Jakari Dillard WR 6-4/185 Princeton (Princeton, TX) August 13, 2025
Cameron Batson IR 5-9/165 Milwood (Oklahoma City, OK) April 23, 2025
Ian Sadler WR 5-11/192 Argyle (Argyle, TX) April 25, 2025
Byron Daniels WR 6-0/170 Madison (San Antonio, TX) May 8, 2025
Devin Lauderdale WR 5-11/170 Navarro College (Corsicana, TX) December 28, 2025
Deionte Noel OL 6-3/300 Steele (Cibolo, TX) April 17, 2025
Justin Murphy OL 6-8/275 Belton (Belton, TX) June 10, 2025
Robert Castaneda OL 6-5/315 Round Rock (Round Rock, TX) June 10, 2025
Dontae Levingston OL 6-5/285 Santa Monica C.C. (Santa Monica, CA) December 22, 2025
Keland McElrath DT 6-5/290 Coahoma C.C. (Clarksdale, MS) September 25, 2025
Marcus Smith DT 6-3/305 Highland C.C. (Highland, KS) December 15, 2025
Rika Levi DT 6-2/350 College of San Mateo (San Mateo, CA) January 16, 2026
Brandon Thorpe DT/DE 6-5/275 Highland C.C. (Highland, KS) January 19, 2026
LaDarrius Kidd DT 6-3/275 Harrison Central (Gulfport, MS) January 23, 2026
Dakota Allen LB 6-2/225 Summer Creek (Humble, TX) August 17, 2025
Tevin Madison CB 5-10/160 Fayette County (Fayette, AL) April 26, 2025
Derrick Dixon S 5-9/187 Skyline (Dallas, TX) June 19, 2025
Joseph Clark DB 5-9/180 Chapel Hill (Tyler, TX) July 28, 2025
Jah’Shawn Johnson DB 5-10/172 Ennis (Ennis, TX) August 13, 2025
Connor Wilson S 6-2/205 Argyle (Argyle, TX) September 18, 2025
Jamarcus Howard CB 5-11/190 Coffeyville C.C. (Coffeyville, KS) November 4, 2025
Josh Keys DB 6-2/190 Miss. Gulf Coast C.C. (Perkinston, MS) December 15, 2025
Payton Hendrix S 6-3/190 Bishop Dunne (Dallas, TX) December 27, 2025
Nigel Bethel CB 5-9/170 Booker T. Washington (Miami, FL) January 9, 2026

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