The commits are letting the fax machines rumble!
Houston Miller | 6'3", 240 lbs | Defensive End
Keller High School (Keller, TX)
24/7: 84 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 4-Star
Miller has great instinct and play recognition. He doesn't bite on read option plays either, he lets the play develop in front of him and doesn't over-pursue. It's great seeing him anchor the defensive line commits and Miller should make an impact in the near future. Miller's stock went up a lot his senior season. At the time of his commitment, Miller was rated a 2-star by Rivals and 3-star by Scout. Now Miller is a 4-star recruit and top 300 talent according to Scout. After a great senior season Miller is prepared to step in right away and contribute for the Red Raiders.
Zach Adams | 6'7", 315 lbs | Offensive Tackle
Riverbend High School (Fredericksburg, VA)
24/7: 86 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
The Red Raiders snagged Adams from the state of Virginia which isn't necessarily a recruiting hotbed for Tech. Adams held a handful of offers including Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami, Penn State, Pitt, Virginia and West Virginia. I applaud the coaching staff in landing a recruit from out of state who held multiple Power 5 offers. Adams stands at 6'7" 320 pounds which is a great frame for an offensive tackle. Like Bruffy, Adams can get to the next level and deliver blocks in the open field. Adams has a great first punch and drives defenders off the line. I really like what Adams brings to the table, he should find himself being a key contributor on the offensive line for years to come.
Ivory Jackson | 6'3", 275 lbs | Defensive Tackle
Amarillo High School (Amarillo, TX)
24/7: 83 | Rivals: 2-Star | Scout: 3-Star
One leg up that Tech has on other programs is that they are able to recruit west Texas and find hidden gems that maybe not everyone knows about. Jackson is strong, he can fight through blocks and hit the ball carrier in the back field. He plays with a bull-rush mentality and fights off the blocker. I'm sure once he gets on campus the coaches will be able to work on his quickness and finesse moves, but either way it is nice to see more defensive recruits come our way and especially on the defensive line.
Joe Wallace | 6'0", 330 lbs | Defensive Tackle
Skyline High School (Dallas, TX)
24/7: 80 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
Wallace is the definition of an old school defensive tackle. His 6'0" 330 pound frame is perfect for filling gaps across the line and forcing running backs to go another route. Don't let his frame fool you though, Wallace is quick for his size. When watching his film you would not think he was 330 pounds because he moves a lot quicker than that. His Hudl highlights have him listed with 4.96 speed which isn't blazing fast but it's pretty dang good for someone of his size. I am really liking what I see in Wallace and can't wait to see him as a Red Raider.
Kevin Moore | 6'0", 190 lbs | Linebacker
Acadiana High School (Lafayette, LA)
24/7: 86 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
Kevin Moore hails from our neighboring state of Louisiana. Moore is a great player, last year he racked up 148 tackles and 5 sacks. He can drop back in coverage or make a play in the backfield. In a zone scheme he reads the quarterback and has great reaction speed to the ball. Texas Tech will be getting a great athlete. Moore will most likely transition to safety in college after playing a hybrid role in high school.
Antoine Cox-Wesley | 6'4", 180 lbs | Wide Receiver
Steele High School (Cibolo, TX)
24/7: 84 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
Texas Tech was Cox-Wesley's first offer and he must've been sold since he committed right away. Cox-Wesley was the Red Raiders first WR commit for 2016. At 6'4" Cox-Wesley has the height to give him the advantage over smaller defensive backs. At 180 pounds he should be able to play physical as well. When Cox-Wesley first committed he was a 79 rated recruit by 24/7, 2-star by Rivals and not ranked by Scout.
Bryson Denley | 5'10", 175 lbs | Athlete (RB, WR)
Steele High School (Cibolo, TX)
24/7: 85 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
First things first, Denley plays running back at Cibolo Steele but it has been reported he will play inside receiver for the Red Raiders. Since I am neither on the Red Raiders coaching staff nor have immediate ties to a coach I cannot confirm this, but at 5'10" and 175 pounds it would make sense if Denley slides over to play the slot. When given the ball on an off-tackle run play or pitch he can out run defenders to outside or he can make a cut and turn it up field. The same goes for when he catches a swing pass in the screen game. Once he gets past the first wave of defenders he has great field vision and can see the openings in the field or who he can make miss. Denley will make for a great addition at the slot position.
Douglas Coleman | 6'1", 175 lbs | Athlete WR/DB
Zachary High School (Zachary, LA)
24/7: 82 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
As a wide receiver Coleman had 62 catches for 1,482 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior season. A few weeks ago Coleman visited Tulane and committed a day after his visit. On 1/25 Texas Tech extended an offer to Coleman after showing a lot of interest in him over the past few weeks. After a visit to Lubbock, Coleman flipped his commitment from Tulane to Texas Tech. Coleman is expected to transition to corner which is good because the 2016 class lacks depth in the secondary.
Austin Deshay | 6'4", 230 lbs | Defensive End
Hendrickson High School (Pflugerville, TX)
24/7: 82 | Rivals: 2-Star | Scout: 3-Star
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.
Travis Bruffy | 6'8", 270 lbs | Offensive Tackle
Ridge Point High School (Missouri City, TX)
24/7: 79 | Rivals: 2-Star | Scout: 2-Star
Bruffy is from Missouri City, TX which is a place Tech has had recent success in recruiting when looking at Houston area recruits. Standing at 6'8", Bruffy towers over most defenders. He's great at keeping his hands inside and is seen pancaking a lot of the defenders he blocks. While he's good at blocking at the line, Bruffy can also get upfield and block at the next level. This is nice to see since Tech runs a lot of screen plays we need someone who is able to get out in the open and deliver blocks to sprig big plays. Bruffy is a nice addition to the o-line and will provide great depth.
Noah Jones | 6'5", 250 lbs | Defensive End
Southmoore High School (Moore, OK)
24/7: 84 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
Jones is from Moore, Oklahoma and held several different offers including in-state Tulsa. Jones has a great frame at 6'5", 250 pounds. At his size Jones can extend his arms and get his hands on the blocker before the blocker can get to him. This provides him with leverage and can steer the blocker towards the play then push him to the side. Jones can also fight through blocks and eventually get free in the backfield. Right now Jones is projected to play DE but if he does put on some more pounds it wouldn't surprise me if he slides inside to DT. I'm excited to see what ends up happening once he gets to Tech.
Jordyn Brooks | 6'1", 225 lbs | Linebacker
Stratford High School (Houston, TX)
24/7: 87 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
It's nice to see Tech continuously lure recruits out of Houston to come to the plains of west Texas. Brooks is quick off of the edge and can beat running backs to the outside. He can also fight through blocks on screens and has great pursuit. In a lot of the plays on his film, when he's the backside linebacker he is seen chasing down the running back from behind and bringing him down. This guy is a player and has great hustle. He'll be a nice addition to the Tech defense. Brooks saw a bump in all three sites throughout his senior year. When Brooks committed he was a 82 on 24/7 and a 2-star on both Scout and Rivals.
Clarence Henderson | 6'1", 240 lbs | Athlete (OL/DE)
Skyline High School (Dallas, TX)
24/7: 83 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
Clarence Henderson is from Skyline High School in Dallas, TX which is the same school RB commit Da'Leon Ward is from. Henderson played OT but at 6'1" 240 pounds that's not ideal at tackle for the next level. Some schools were recruiting him as a guard or center and others were recruiting him at defensive end because of his athleticism. Tech is one of the schools recruiting him at DE. Henderson is a very good athlete that should convert to defensive end pretty easily.
Mychealon Thomas | 6'2", 330 lbs | Defensive Tackle
Butler Community College (El Dorado, KS)
24/7: 84 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout: 3-Star
Thomas played high school football at Skyline (Dallas, TX) and was a 2-3 star recruit coming out of high school. At the time Houston, SMU, and Texas Tech were keeping their eyes on Thomas' situation but since he didn't qualify he went the JUCO route and ended up at Butler CC in Kansas. Thomas was not ranked by 24/7 when he committed and he was just a 2-star by Rivals standards. He isn't a hybrid type guy who will slide to DE, he's a DT and will play up the middle. At 330 pounds Thomas has some good size, he will be able to fill run lanes up the middle which we for sure need help at. While he might not be very fast, he uses his size by engaging the blocker and steering him towards the ball carrier. Thomas will make a great addition to the d-line and should really help in the run defense.
Gio Pancotti | 6'6", 275 lbs | Offensive Line
Episcopal High School (Houston, TX)
24/7: 83 | Rivals: 3-star | Scout 3-Star
The Red Raiders added Gio Pancotti early in the 2016 recruiting cycle. He is a 3-star recruit and is another Houston area recruit. He has a nice frame at 6'6" 290 pounds and his hudl profile lists him as both a guard and tackle. Not sure how the coaching staff plans on using him once he gets to Tech, but his size would indicate him playing tackle.
Da'Leon Ward | 5'11", 180 lbs | Running Back
Skyline High School (Dallas, TX)
24/7: 87 | Rivals: 3-Star | Scout 3-Star
Ward was Texas Tech's longest tenured commit and stuck it out with the Red Raiders. There were a few times during the recruiting process where it looked like Ward might go else where but he ultimately stayed put with the Red Raiders. Ward had 228 carries for 1,929 yards and 20 touchdowns during his senior season. Those numbers are great but it wouldn't surprise me if Ward is redshirted to preserve a year of his eligibility. We'll have to see what the coaching staff does.
Bailey Smith | 6'5", 300 lbs | Offensive Line
Lovejoy High School (Lucas, TX)
24/7: 79 | Rivals: 2-Star | Scout: 2-Star
Texas Tech was Smith's first offer but had been gaining interest from other programs. Standing at 6'5" 300 pounds, Smith has ideal size to play offensive line which is a need of Texas Tech's. The Red Raiders were needing another OL commit when they offered Smith and found it. Smith will add to Tech's offensive line depth which is much needed.