Soccer
More info on #TexasTech‘s 11 signees to this year’s #GunsUp17 class – https://t.co/469m2N4j94 #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/CuJrHZj3fP
— Texas Tech Soccer (@TexasTechSoccer) February 1, 2017
Lady Raider Basketball
RECAP | Kansas State Holds Off Lady Raiders, 65-53
📰: https://t.co/Ew0RR9dyWR pic.twitter.com/rKk4qiMgLS— Lady Raider WBB (@LadyRaiderWBB) February 2, 2017
Track and Field
.@KittleyWes joined the #GunsUp17 National Signing Day Special to recap his signing class. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/APCo6CMxWx
— TTU Track & Field/XC (@TTU_TF_XC) February 1, 2017
Football
The LAJ (they haven’t been assigning writer attribution recently, which is why I’m not giving credit, I simply don’t know) has a position-by-position rundown of the 2017 signees and how it affects the depth chart. There’s lots of good there, but I want to point this out (emphasis mine):
Keep in mind, though, the Red Raiders have 13 scholarship defensive linemen returning. Eight are sophomores and freshmen, and the coaches seem especially high on sophomore defensive tackles Broderick Washington and Joe Wallace and equally pumped about end Eli Howard, a transfer from North Texas who sat out last season.
Depth could come from 2016 redshirts Noah Jones, Nick McCann and Houston Miller. Kingsbury said Jones is back in good stead after his future was in limbo toward the end of last season, and Miller’s up to about 280 pounds. D-line coach Kevin Patrick hopes the pass rush could come from Kolin Hill, who’ll be moved from end to rush end, his more natural position.
Sweet Jesus. I never thought I’d see the day that the staff actually acknowledges that they need to be bigger at the defensive end spot, but here we are. Mark your Palm Pilots and remember this day.
Also of note, Tony Jones will start at at weakside and strongside linebacker.
LAJ’s Don Williams has a football notebook and offensive coordinator Eric Morris says that he’s taking over more of a role on offense:
Some of those tasks seemingly have fallen on Morris’ lap. The Red Raiders’ offensive coordinator said Wednesday that, “(Kingsbury) is going to put more on me, but once we get into it we both game plan and talk about it together and will do the same thing on game day we have done for a long time.”
Kingsbury also said that he expects Jett Duffey back for the fall semester and expect him to compete at a high level. Kingsbury also expects David Gibbs to be back as the defensive coordinator as long as Kingsbury is there. Gibbs added:
“We are excited for the future,” Gibbs said. “This is my third signing day and that has to be a record going back to (former Texas Tech defensive coordinator) Ruffin (McNeill). We have a lot of work to do, and I am going to be positive and we are going to keep working until we get this thing right.
“Hopefully, this class gets us pretty darn close.”
Jordyn Brooks will be out the spring to repair a shoulder injury that happened i the preseason. that Be still my beating heart, defensive line coach said it again (emphasis mine):
Some recruiting analysts think freshman DE Nelson Mbanasor, now listed at 6-3 and 270, could grow into a DT. Gibbs said he’s in no hurry to make that happen. “He’s 270, but if he walked up to you and said he was 290, you wouldn’t doubt it,” Gibbs said. “One thing I’ve learned, in this conference the offensive tackles on everybody’s teams are 320, 330 pounds and we’re playing with 240-pound guys at end and rush, so I’d like to have a bigger body out there if I can.” Patrick said Mbanasor has “a very high football IQ.”
Woah. So, defensive ends that weigh more 240 pounds. I’m excited. Genuinely excited.
LAJ’s Don Williams has a general recap of the day and the good thing is that we got to hear from David Gibbs a bit, one of the two or three times during the year we get to hear from the assistant coaches. Here’s Gibbs on Octavious Morgan:
The Red Raiders, coming off a 5-7 season, added six defensive backs and five offensive linemen. The DBs included three from junior colleges who’ll be expected to help right away: Jaylon Lane, described by Gibbs as “a true corner,” Vaughnte Dorsey — “definitely a safety,” Gibbs said — and Octavious Morgan, not to be pigeonholed.
“He could play safety, corner, nickel, dime,” Gibbs said of the 6-foot, 200-pound mid-year transfer from Butler (Kan.) Community College. “He’s got an NFL skill set. When we started recruiting him, honestly, I wasn’t sure if we could get him because of his skill set.”
Miscellaneous . . . the LAJ has the top 20 2018 recruits that Texas Tech will go after . . .