Texas Tech Recruiting Roundup, 7/23

After a few weeks of no commitments, the Red Raiders landed two this week. The 2016 recruiting class now sits at a strong 21 commits and believe it or not the majority of those commits are on the defensive side of the ball. It's great to see Gibbs getting the guys he wants and now has 11 guys to play for him in the future. This week I'll check out the two newest defensive commits along with another possible defensive recruit for the Red Raiders.

Nick McCann | 6'2", 290 lbs | Defensive Tackle

Arkansas High School (Texarkana, AR)

24/7: 87 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: NR

The first commit of the week was Nick McCann. McCann also held offers from Baylor, SMU, and Kansas and is the 8th ranked player in the state of Arkansas. When someone is 290 pounds you imagine them to be a little slower off the ball, but this isn't the case with McCann. He is a slender 290 pounds and still gets off the ball with explosiveness. He plays with speed off the edge as a defensive end or can fight through blocks in the interior. He's a great get for the Red Raiders and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a late push by Arkansas, hopefully we can hang on to him though.

Austin Deshay | 6'4", 230 lbs | Defensive End

Hendrickson High School (Pflugerville, TX)

24/7: 82 | Rivals: 2-Star | Scout: 3-Star

The second commit of the week and second of the day came in the form of defensive end Austin Deshay. Deshay held offers from Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State, and Toledo. Deshay has great height to him and can be disruptive in the passing game when he jumps to swat the ball down. He has some quickness to him as well and can get around the tackles on the edge. Texas Tech adds another good recruit to its 2016 defensive line class and it's great to see the Red Raiders focusing on a position group that has struggled in the past.

Malcolm Roach | 6'3", 250 lbs | Defensive End

Madison Prep Academy (Baton Rouge, LA)

24/7: 89 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star

Malcolm Roach is being heavily pursued by Texas Tech along with a handful of other programs. Roach holds a ton of offers including California, Missouri, Mississippi State, Houston, Kansas, and NC State. As we all know by now, Kevin Curtis is the main recruiter for Louisiana and this would be a great get for him. Roach is a great player and has borderline 4-star talent. He plays linebacker and tight end at the moment but it's expected that he'll play defensive end at the next level. From watching his film you can see he has a great nose for the football. He's a big body out there and will do what it takes to get to the ball. If Tech was to land Roach then the defense would be looking even stronger.

The Red Raiders are looking great with 21 commits for its 2016 class. The class may not have big flashy names but it's compiled of guys the coaching staff likes which is good. It's nice to see them pursuing players who are get-able instead of focusing all of their recruiting efforts on the big name recruits. I expect this class to come to Lubbock, get some practice under their belts and contribute for the Red Raiders in the years to come.

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)

Ivory Jackson: Defensive Tackle, Amarillo High School (Amarillo, TX)

T.J. Vasher: Wide Receiver, Rider High School (Wichita Falls, TX)

DaMarcus Fields: Cornerback, Taylor High School (Taylor, TX)

Johnathan Picone: Linebacker, Mandeville High School (Mandeville, LA)

Houston Miller: Defensive End, Keller High School (Keller, TX)

Noah Jones: Defensive End, Southmoore High School (Moore, OK)

Jordyn Brooks: Linebacker, Stratford High School (Houston, TX)

Nick McCann: Defensive Tackle, Arkansas High School (Texarkana, AR)

Austin Deshay: Defensive End, Hendrickson High School (Pflugerville, TX)