Texas Tech Recruiting Roundup, 6/4

The Red Raiders' 2016 class is starting to come along quite well and now sits at 12 commits so far. It's never too early to look at next year and I will be doing that in this week's recap. One recruit is a highly sought after running back, one is an offensive linemen Tech has had its eyes on for a while and the other is a Houston area defensive tackle whose older brother also holds an offer from the Red Raiders.

Eno Benjamin | 5'9", 190 lbs | Running Back

Wylie East High School (Wylie, TX)

24/7: 92 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: NR

Eno Benjamin has been on Tech's radar for a while now and offered him May 20th. Benjamin attended the Red Raiders' junior day back in March with Jack Anderson (see below) who is also a high target for the 2017 class. I'm not too sure why Scout doesn't have him ranked but in an interview with them back in April, Benjamin said that Anderson is his best friend and that the two were very high on Tech. In his sophomore campaign Benjamin racked up 1,724 yards on the ground along with 25 touchdowns. I really like Benjamin's running style. He is not only elusive but he lowers his shoulder and finishes the run. He can run over would-be tacklers or drive them back to gain an extra 5 yards. Benjamin is also not afraid to block, you can see in his film that he takes pride in his blocking. If Tech was able to add Benjamin he could be one of the up and coming backs for the Red Raiders as Tech advances towards a balanced offense.

Jack Anderson | 6'5", 285 lbs | Offensive Linemen

Frisch High School (Frisco, TX)

24/7: 94 | Rivals: 4-Star | Scout: 4-Star

The Red Raiders are one of the programs at the top of Jack Anderson's long list offers. As I mentioned above, Anderson attended Tech's junior day back in March and will also be going back to Lubbock June 15th-17th. Anderson is one of the top ranked interior linemen for the 2017 class and would be a huge commit for the Red Raiders. As you can see in his film below, he lines up at tackle a lot but would transition to the inside in college. This guy is a blocking machine. He is either driving rushers 5+ yards off the ball or pancaking them at the line. One thing I really like is he plays to the whistle and is relentless in his blocking. Anderson's play hasn't gone unnoticed, he will be attending The Opening in Oregon later this summer. If the Red Raiders land Anderson he would be a cornerstone recruit for the 2017 recruiting class.

Sam Miller | 6'3", 260 lbs | Defensive Tackle

Stratford High School (Houston, TX)

24/7: NR | Rivals: NR | Scout: NR

Texas Tech offered Sam's older brother, Alex Miller 2016 DT prospect, on May 21st and then offered Sam May 31st. As of right now Miller holds 3 offers from Tech, North Texas and SMU. It's always nice when you can get to a player early on because that shows them you had interest in them before everyone else starts to catch on. I'm not too sure if Sam is looking to go where older brother Alex goes or not. Sometimes you'll see brothers commit as a duo or some like to go their own way. Miller is a defensive end right now in a 3-4 scheme but figures to slide in at DT in college. Since he's only going into his junior year he can still grow and add on some more size. He can hit blockers with a nice swim move, simply run by them or engage blockers and shed the block. It's nice to see when he engages blockers he extends his arms making it easier to shed the block and get to the ball carrier. Only time will tell what happens with Miller's recruiting process but it's nice to see the Red Raiders getting to him early.

Texas Tech currently has a lone commit for its 2017 class in Tyler Castaneda. Tyler is the younger brother of Robert Castaneda who is currently a Red Raider offensive linemen. As you can see, sometimes brothers do like to stick together and attend the same school. Castaneda is projected to be a 3 or 4-star recruit and will be a solid offensive linemen commit for the Red Raiders. A lot of recruits for the 2017 class are starting to have offers come their way and when fall comes around we should have a better idea of what recruits will have Tech high on their lists.

2016 Football Commits

Da'Leon Ward: Running Back, Skyline High School (Dallas, TX)

Donte Coleman: Tight End, West Mequite High School (Mesquite, TX)

Emoree Giddens: Offensive Line, Coronado High School (Lubbock, TX)

Gio Pancotti: Offensive Line, Episcopal High School (Bellaire, TX)

Neiman Armstrong: Cornerback, DeSoto High School (DeSoto, TX)

Antoine Cox-Wesley: Wide Receiver, Steele High School (Cibolo, TX)

Jett Duffey: Dual-Threat Quarterback, Lake Ridge High School (Mansfield, TX)

Bryson Denley: Athlete (RB, WR), Steele High School (Cibolo, TX)

DeQuan Bowman: Wide Receiver, Hutchinson CC (Hutchinson, KS)

Derrick Willies: Wide Receiver, Trinity Valley CC (Athens, TX)

Mychealon Thomas: Defensive Tackle, Butler CC (El Dorado, KS)

Brayden Stringer: Linebacker, Cypress Ranch High School (Cypress, TX)