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Should Texas Tech be Recruiting more in West Texas?

By Stephen McLellan

Nov 5, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot on the field before the game with the University of Texas Longhorns at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot on the field before the game with the University of Texas Longhorns at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Texas Tech has a fertile recruiting destination in its own backyard, and it needs to focus on targeting that talent, too.

Texas Tech fans, what does the name Zach Thomas mean to you? What about the name Lloyd Hill, Mike Smith, or Kevn Curtis ? If you have been following the program since the early 1990s you probably have fond memories of these players. If you are a knowledgeable fan, or junkie like myself, you are aware these players, before starring at Texas Tech, starred on the Gridirons of West Texas.

In fact , all four players spanning from Hill (Odessa Permian,) to Thomas (Pampa), to Curtis, and Smith–who played right down the street at Coronado High School–went on to be drafted by NFL Teams.  In particular, Zach Thomas went on to an extraordinary NFL career warranting legitimate Hall of Fame consideration.

The second week of June 2017 proved to be a very encouraging week for Kliff Kingsbury and the Texas Tech Football Program.

Coach Kingsbury has garnered  2018 commitments from several players from both sides of the ball, including Grapevine QB Alan Bowman, with virtually all of the commitments coming from recruiting hotbeds Dallas-Fort Worth, and Greater Houston.  However, for someone like me who shared the campus as a student with both Lloyd Hill, and Zach Thomas, I am most excited about a 2019 commitment of MASSIVE offensive lineman from the sleepy panhandle West Texas town of Wellington, Texas.

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Who is this player, you ask? Trevor Robinson.

I realize Robinson has not yet begun his junior year of high school, and yet, he’s a nationally sought recruit who seems to be telling the world of college football that he wants to stay at home.

There is still a huge value in players families having the option to make a day trip to watch their son play, as opposed to having to travel across the country, and for many, this is a huge recruiting draw. No one can fault other former panhandle prep stars such as Cedric Benson (Midland Lee) or David Thomas (Frenship) for leaving the panhandle in order to head to the bright lights of Austin.

Yet with virtually every Division 1 team being televised routinely in some form or fashion, nothing replaces having lifelong friends and dear family members in the stadium cheering you on.

My challenge, therefore, to Coach Kingsbury and staff is yes, absolutely recruit DFW and Houston hard; go after players from coast-to-coast; but do not forget about the talent in your own backyard.

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