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Texas Tech football lands 3-star RB Velton Gardner

By Matthew Conner

STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 25: The Texas Tech Red Raiders flag flies outside the stadium before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys September 25, 2014 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Red Raiders 45-35. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 25: The Texas Tech Red Raiders flag flies outside the stadium before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys September 25, 2014 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Cowboys defeated the Red Raiders 45-35. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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Saturday, the Texas Tech football team picked up a commitment form 3-star running back Velton Gardner from Dallas.

This past weekend was a big one on the recruiting trail for the Texas Tech football team.  Hosting a number of prospects for the final home game of the season, the Red Raiders had an opportunity to add to the 2019 class just over a month before the December signing period.

Saturday, Dallas, Texas product Velton Gardner, a three-star running back, verbally committed to the Red Raiders.  The product of Skyline High School had been committed to Big 12 rival Kansas State until last week but now he is set to join the Texas Tech signing class.

The website 247Sports.com ranks Gardner as the No. 101 overall prospect in Texas.  In addition to Texas Tech and Kansas State, he holds offers from Colorado, Syracuse, SMU, Tulsa, North Texas and others.

Playing quarterback for Skyline, Garnder has passed for 1,924 yards, rushed for 514 yards and scored 29 total touchdowns so far in 2018.  But the 5-foot-9, 190-pound prospect is considered a potential all-purpose back at Texas Tech where he will likely play a role similar to that of freshman running back Ta’Zhawn Henry.  It is also possible that he could move to inside receiver.

Gardner will become the latest Skyline high school prospect to join the Texas Tech football team.  Sophomore running back Da’Leon Ward, and sophomore defensive tackle Joseph Wallace also starred at Skyline, which seems to turn out numerous college football prospects each season.

This is an important pickup for the Red Raiders because it fills a need at a position that will lose to seniors after this season in Tre King and Demarcus Felton.  Gardner is the second running back to commit to the Red Raiders joining preferred walk-on Chux Nwabuko who committed to the Red Raiders last month.  But with two running backs set to graduate, don’t be surprised to see the Red Raiders add another runner in this class, potentially a bigger, more traditional back.

Gardner was the first of two 2019 prospects to commit to the Red Raiders this weekend joining Austin defensive tackle Cooper Lake.  That brings the Texas Tech recruiting class to 19 players.

Related Story. Turnovers doom Red Raiders in loss to UT. light

247Sports rates Tech’s current class 42nd in the nation, one spot ahead of West Virginia and fifth in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, Texas, TCU and Iowa State.

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