Texas Tech Gets Defensive Surprises In Recruiting Run
LUBBOCK (AP) - Tommy Tuberville got a few pleasant surprises Wednesday in his first start-to-finish recruiting run as Texas Tech coach.
Three out-of-state defensive players Tuberville hadn't counted on ended up signing with the Red Raiders. They included a pair of Pennsylvania high school linebackers in Branden Jackson and Desimon Green and defensive end Leon Mackey of Mississippi.
Tuberville also picked up Cooper Washington, a defensive end from nearby Muleshoe who had orally committed to Oklahoma.
Tuberville often said last season he was looking for a tight end. He got one in 6-foot-5, 237-pound Jace Amario from San Antonio.
"I've never coached a football season without a tight end. I don't think many people have," he said. "Jace is a guy that fits exactly what we do. He does a lot of things."
Amaro, Tuberville said, blocks well and can catch the ball.
The defensive signees come less than a month after James Willis, last year's defensive coordinator, left the program.
Texas Tech, which finished 8-5 last season, signed 16 players from Texas, three from Florida, two from Pennsylvania and one each from Alabama, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Virginia and Wisconsin.
"The thing that I'm excited about is the potential of this class and how it can help us immediately and how it can help us three or four years from now," Tuberville said. "This class has the attitude and the expectations to be very, very good."
There were two physical qualities Tuberville was looking for in recruits.
"The thing that you really can't teach and coach and bring along is the quickness and speed," he said. "We've got to have that more here on our football team."
The Red Raiders signed three running backs -- their biggest haul at one position. Pflugerville's Kenny Williams, Bradley Marquez from Odessa and Sugar Land Marshall's DeAndre Washington will join Texas Tech.
"There were times this year where we looked like we can make a play, and once we broke out in open and we were going to score but just couldn't get it done," Tuberville said. "Our main objective this year on offense was to get some difference makers when they got the ball in their hand. We really didn't worry about size."
Tuberville, as he's said since he took over a year ago, said the Red Raiders will continue to pass more than run.
"We want to run the ball, but we want to throw the ball to set up the run," he said. "If you look at all the positions we signed, they're pretty much the type of players that fit into the offense that we ran last year."
Cooper, whose family had ties to Oklahoma, will probably see playing time next season. Tuberville called him "tough" and "hard-nosed." He spent time at quarterback.
"You could tell he was a difference maker on his team. Players looked up to him," Tuberville said. "He is the type of guy that's played different positions and we'll try to find the area that he'll fit in the quickest."
While there were good surprises, there were also players who orally committed and who decided to go elsewhere.
James Castelman from Amarillo decided on Oklahoma State and Spring's Jon Lewis signed with TCU.
One of the nation's top recruits at cornerback, Marcus Roberson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., committed to Texas Tech two weeks ago and on Monday said he'd be going to Auburn. He ended up signing with Florida.
Tuberville, though, said he felt "very good" about how the day ended.
"This is basically our last game of the year," Tuberville said of signing day. "We had some success during the season, and I think today was a major victory for us."
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