Possible Red Raiders: A Weekly Recruiting Update - 2/18/14

There isn't going to be a lot of info this week because of the lack of information going on and the busy week I've had this past week. However, Junior Day is this weekend. We don't have a huge list of guys going because I lot of that is behind a paywall and they haven't been really announcing it on twitter. Saturday will be the day when we have a better idea of who is going to be in Lubbock. The only thing going on that day for me in the baseball team (Shout out to them, beating #3 Indiana in 3 out of the 4 games!!!), so I should be giving updates that day on who is at Junior Day. The list we have so far will be later on in the story. But right now we'll look at some recruits you wanted me to look at, DT Zach Abercrumbia, OC Fred Ulu-Perry and WR Tyron Johnson.

Zach Abercrumbia - Defensive Tackle (Skyline HS, Dallas, TX)

Height: 6'3" Weight: 255 lbs

Ratings: 85 by 247 / NR by ESPN / NR by Rivals

Interest: Texas Tech (Cool), TCU (Cool), Texas State (Cool), Oklahoma *(Cool)

Zach Abercrumbia went to Dallas Skyline high school, which has produced a Tech signee in Derrick Dixon, some former targets in Ty Barrett and Victor Evans, and some resent targets in Carlos Strickland and Anthony Wheeler. Zach got his first offer from TCU a few weeks ago followed shortly by Texas Tech and Texas State soon after and according to Landon Wright, he will be visiting Texas Tech in their upcoming junior day. Last class, Tech had four JUCO D-linemen sign with Tech, and now that we have got two years to find some good high school linemen without the pressure of needing starters and bodies right away. Eric Morris is responsible for the recruitment of Abercrumbia, which I'm not sure how this came about. If I had to guess, he was with Kliff Kingsbury a lot during the contact period, so maybe they stopped by Skyline with they were in DFW. So let's take a look at Zach's film. They speatate his film into pass rush and running plays, and Zach looks to be better defending the rush. He has the ability to drive back linemen and make clean tackles on the ballcarrier, along with being able to locate the ball and read what is going on. Although the speed and reaction time from the snap of the ball isn't great, his ability to drive linemen back helps make up for it. He will probably have to gain a few pounds at the next level, weighing only 255 now, along with being quicker off the snap of the ball to get better leverage and get to the backfield quicker to redirect the runner or passer. During the season he had 72 Tackles, including 17 TTL, along with 20 hurries, 2 sacks and 2 forced INTs. Hopefully Zach Abercrumbia has a good junior day with Texas Tech.

Fred Ulu-Perry Jr - Offensive Center/Tackle (St. Louis, Honolulu, HI)

Height: 6'2" Weight: 310 lbs

Ratings: 92 by 247 / 81 by ESPN / 5.7 by Rivals

Interest: Texas Tech (Warm), Washington State (Warm), Colorado (Warm), Hawaii (Cool)

Mike Smith ran across Fred Ulu-Perry while visiting Breiden Fehoko in Hawaii. He was what he liked, and then a couple weeks ago officially offered him, making us only his 3rd offer. Hawaii and Washington State had already offered, and Buffalo offered on Friday. Weird that Fred has so little offers right now, considering that he is a Top 150 (or around that) player according to most recruiting services. So with little offers, Tech is obviously high on list right now. Another sleeper may be Colorado who recently offered him and signed his teammate earlier in the month. Could he end up going to the Buffs? The process is long from over though, and I'm sure he will get plenty more offers. Let's look at what he can do on the football field. I really liked looking at Ulu-Perry. He can keep the man in front of him, and deliver a hit of incoming defenders and can get out to block for a screen. On play that stuck out to me was when a defender charged straight toward Ulu-Perry at full speed. Perry just simply sticks him and knocks him to the ground. Now 247sports list Ulu-Perry at a 5.35 40 time, but there is no way he is that slow. On many screen he ran quickly to guys and knocked them to the ground, so I think that 40 time is inaccurate. We'll see if Mike Smith and get Fred Ulu-Perry on board with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Tyron Johnson - Wide Receiver (Warren Easton, New Orleans, LA)

Height: 6'1" Weight: 185 lbs

Ratings: 97 by 247 / 84 by ESPN / 6.0 by Rivals

Interest: Texas Tech (Warm), LSU (Warm), Texas A&M (Warm), Tennessee (Cool)

Tyron is a top 50 player in every recruiting site, so it's good to see Texas Tech within the top schools here. Tyron Johnson plays 4A ball in New Orleans, and was named to his All State 4A All State team. Warren Easton has a lot of good players, with Texas Tech recruits Arthur McGinnis and Deshawn Capers-Smith also going to that school. Some other big teams are in the race for Johnson too, as A&M and LSU are hot on his trail. He has unofficially visited both schools (LSU multiple times), while also visiting LSU last weekend for their junior day. This next weekend, the weekend of Texas Tech's junior day, he will visit Tennessee, who keeps on referring to themselves as "WRU" (Ok, whatever you say).It'll be extremely tough to get Tyron in Lousiana, but hopefully Kliff and Co can do so. Now on to his highlights. He first thing I noticed about Tyron is his he plays tough and makes all the tough catches. Numerous times he goes back for the ball and brings it down or jumps up on a defender and snags the ball. You could've basically thrown it anywhere and he could've caught it. Not only that, but when he has the ball, he can juke out the opponent, sidestep, even spin to gain those few extra yards needed. ESPN has his 40 time at a 4.85, and while he isn't a speedster. I think his 40 time is a little better than that. He will definitely be a playmaker at the next level.

Here are some more updates:

2015 Football:

• Sam Tecklenburg, 85 rated OT/DE/TE, plans to attend Texas Tech's junior day. His dad was a former OT for the Red Raiders in the 80's, and Sam has shown serious interest in the Raiders
• DeAndre McNeal, 83 rated ATH, has picked up an offer from the Red Raiders and will attend their junior day. There is an unnamed 5-star recruit going to Tech's junior day, and McNeil will be taking a teammate with him, and the only on listed is Malik Jefferson, so I think that he could be that 5-star going. He will decide between Texas and Tech's junior day.
• Arthur McGinnis, 86 rated OLB, received an offer from Texas Tech last week. He is teammates with Tyron Johnson. Right now A&M and UCLA look to be in the lead.
• Carlos Strickland, 90 rated WR, looks to be highly recruited by the Red Raiders. In an paid interview with Scout, the teaser mentions that Tech is making a huge push for the 6'5" receiver from Skyline (teammate of Derrick Dixon and recruit Zach Abercrumbia. Oklahoma State, TCU and LSU also pushing for him.
• Kemah Silverand, 92 rated WR, got offered by Texas Tech this past week. The 6'0 receiver from Houston has A&M and Texas at the top of his list right now. Tech has some work to do to get him highly interested in Tech.
• Conner Dyer, 90 rated OT, will be going to Texas Tech's Junior Day. He has already been to A&M, Oklahoma, and TCU's junior day, along with visiting Baylor last weekend, and now will go to Tech's Junior Day.
• Jamile Johnson, 89 rated S, committed to OU over the weekend. On of the top DB targets for the Red Raiders this class.
• Deshaun Elliot, 81 rated S, got rated an 89 last week. Amazing what an offer from A&M and Oklahoma can do to your rating. Texas Tech, Baylor and Oklahoma State were the first to offer, with Baylor named the leaders at the time. Going to look hard to keep Elliot interested in Tech.
• Richard Moore, 83 rated OLB, will be one of the recruits at Tech's junior day. Baylor looks to be in the lead right now.
• Jarrett Stidham, 96 rated QB, does not plan to take any junior days this weekend. Don't know the thought behind this decision. He could make a visit last mintue but doesn't plan on it. Did mention he might visit the weekend after however.
• Tony Nicholson, NR DT QB, and Jaelan Austin, 88 rated WR, will go to Texas Tech's junior day this weekend. They are teammates at South Grand Prairie HS, with Austin having a scholarship offer
• Greg Peace, NR CB/WR, will also be attending Texas Tech's junior day. He currently doesn't have an offer from Texas Tech and looks to be friends with the Grand Prairie recruits.
• Kingsley KeKe, 89 rated DE, got an offer from Texas Tech today. Matt Clare tweeted then quicklydeleted that Kingsley is recruited as an OT for the Red Raiders. Also holds offers from TCU and Florida.

2015 Basketball:

• Tyrone Haughton, NR JUCO C, has gotten an offer from the Red Raiders. Tubby has been going after a lot of Iowa JUCO players, including Justim Jamison and DeVaugntah Williams. Was committed to USC two years ago (for academics) and South Carolina last year, but didn't go to either.
• Justin Jamison, 84 rated JUCO C, will visit SMU, Pittsburgh, Oregon and Texas Tech after the season is over. All are high on Jamison's list.

2016+ Basketball:

• Trae Young, 2017 SG from Atlanta, has gotten his first offer from Tubby Smith and Co. Interesting enough, his dad has none other than Rayford Young, a guard for Tech in the 90's. Don't really know what he's like, cause his only film is from the 8th grade.