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Texas Tech In Top 5 For 4-Star WR Stephen Guidry

By Matthew Conner

Oct 15, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kingsbury looks on before the game with the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kingsbury looks on before the game with the West Virginia Mountaineers at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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4-star JUCO wide receiver Stephen Guidry announced his top five college choices on Friday and Texas Tech made the cut.   What are the chances Kliff Kingsbury can land this big-time prospect?

The recruiting trail has been kind to Texas Tech in the past three weeks.  But after landing ten 2018 prospects in June, the Red Raiders are not content to settle.

Friday, one of the top prospects in the nation, Stephen Guidry , released his top five choices and Texas Tech was among the group.  The 4-star JUCO wide receiver is also considering Oregon, Arizona State, LSU and Mississippi State.

The native of Morganza, Louisiana (40 miles northwest of Baton Rouge) originally committed to LSU out of high school but did not qualify academically.  He played his first season of JUCO football at Hinds Junior College in Mississippi last fall.

In eight games, Guidry caught 30 passes for 547 yards and five touchdowns.  The 6-foot-4 prospect is a deep threat averaging 18.2 yards per reception.

Last fall, Guidry once again recommitted to LSU but decommitted after the firing of former Tigers’ head coach Les Miles.  He then chose to commit to LSU again only to find out that he would have to return to Hinds this fall to meet NCAA academic requirements.

Now he is once again weighing his options.  Out of high school, Guidry was courted by LSU, Alabama, Georgia and several other top programs.

The competition for his services this time around looks to be equally as fierce.  But one must wonder if he can be lured away from his home state.

Texas Tech has learned first-hand how difficult it can be to steal top Louisiana talent from LSU.  Though the Red Raiders have made it a priority to establish a presence in the Bayou State, those efforts have yielded only marginal results.

Most notably, Texas Tech lost out on top Louisiana prospect Tyron Johnson in 2015.  The New Orleans product was the No. 1 receiver in the nation and had flirted heavily with Texas Tech only to stay home in the end.  (Johnson did leave LSU though after his freshman season when he decided to transfer to Oklahoma State.)

Another factor working against Texas Tech is the uncertain future of Kliff Kingsbury.  Of the five schools on Guidry’s list, only Texas Tech enters the season with a coach squarely on the hot seat.  Dan Mullen has taken Mississippi State to new heights in his eight seasons in Starkville.

Willie Taggart is entering his first season as head coach at Oregon as is Ed Orgeron at LSU.

Arizona State’s Todd Graham’s future is somewhat muddy though.  The Arizona State board of regents recently refused to give him a contract extension though his contract stipulated he was to receive one following last season.

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However, Kingsbury’s status is the least tenable of the group.  That could hurt the Red Raiders in their pursuit of Guidry.

Also, Texas Tech is expected to sign a small class in 2018 and it currently has four receivers already verbally committed.  However, Kingsbury would likely create room for a talent like Guidry.

Still, given Guidry’s long on-again-off-again relationship with LSU, the Tigers must be considered the frontrunner.   Keep in mind that prospects can sign letters of intent in December this year for the first time.  It is unknown whether that will hasten Guidry’s decision but it would behoove Texas Tech to have a strong start to the season to instill confidence in recruits that Kingsbury’s job is safe.

One factor that could work in Texas Tech’s favor is new running backs coach Jabbar Juluke.  He is a former New Orleans high school head coach what spent last season as the running backs coach at LSU.  He likely has fostered a relationship with Guidry but to what extent is impossible to know.

Next: New Facilities Paying Off For Texas Tech Football

Texas Tech currently has 13 verbal commits for 2018.  However, none of them are rated as 4-star prospects as is Guidry.  He would be a dangerous weapon in the Air Raid offense.  “Wreck ‘Em Red” will have any updates on this recruiting battle as it unfolds.

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