Tommy Tuberville has really worked his butt off by giving Texas Tech its best ever recruiting class. Tech finished with 29 commitments in their 2011 class. Tuberville has always been a great recruiter, and he traveled all over the U.S. this off-season to bring some great kids to Lubbock. At his time at Auburn he had several recruiting classes that were ranked in the top 10. Tech finishes outside the top 10 this year but not by much. Tuberville’s commitment to the running game and his commitment to a strong defense really showed up in this year’s class.
Red Raiders top 5 recruits
Tony Morales-Center 6’4/300- Arlington, Texas
Morales is a top center in the country. At 6’4- 300lbs he is just what Tech needs to start running the ball inside. Morales has great footwork, which allows him to get to linebackers in the second level. They have even talked about moving Morales to guard because of his great feet.
Jace Amaro- TE 6’6/250/4.53-San Antonio, TX
The signing of a big name TE like Amaro, goes to show the different way Tech is going to run the offense. He is a top five TE on any recruiting site you look at. This is the most talented TE that Tech has ever received. In the past, Tech has never used a TE often in their passing game. When you now have a weapon that is 6’6 and runs a 4.53 you must find a way to get this talent the ball. Amaro is a complete TE and I am truly excited to see what he can do at Tech.
Brandon Jackson-OLB 6-4/225/4.60-McKeesport, PA
According to scout.com, Jackson is the 9th best OLB in this year’s class. Jackson was undecided into the very last day when he signed his letter-of-intent. What Tech wanted to improve on in this class was defensive speed, and this is just what the doctor ordered. The only knock on Jackson is his weight, but with a good off-season of bulking up, you may just see a lot of him in 2011.
Kenny Williams-RB 5-10/206/4.60-Plugerville, TX
With Tech’s commitment to running the rock, they must have a powerful RB and that is exactly what Williams is. Kenny Williams as a junior ran for 1700 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. What Williams lacks in speed he makes up for in punch. This is a RB that loves to hit and be hit.
Leon Mackey-DE (Juco) 6-5/260- Raymond, MS
Leon Mackey is a big man, and being a junior college-transfer he might get the start right away. Mackey was a last minute commitment to Tech, fooling all the experts that thought he was going to Mississippi State. With Tech struggling on the defensive side of the ball in 2010, it’s nice to see their commitment to bigger, faster, stronger defensive players.
How did they do compared to the rest of the Big 12?
Tech finished 3rd in the Big 12 in recruiting this year. They were behind Texas and OU. This is a big deal for Texas Tech because if you want to win a conference championship you have to recruit with the best in the conference. They also finished ahead of in state rival Texas A&M, which is a nice change for Texas Tech.
What I liked about best about this class?
The thing I liked best about this class was Tuberville’s attention to the defensive side of the ball. Two of their top five commits are defensive players. They went out and got some defensive players that are speedy and can get after the QB. Hopefully with this class, Tech will no longer have to out score teams like they have had to do in the past. With a few more consistent classes like this, Tech should be able to compete for a conference title.