Texas Tech football: Red Raiders and Huskers battle for key 2019 addition

Though we are just a few weeks away from the start of the Texas Tech football team’s fall practices, the Red Raiders could still pick up a potential impact addition in 4-star JUCO DT Jahkeem Green.

As the month of August draws near, the Texas Tech football program is preparing for the start of fall camp.  However, the Red Raiders are still trying to add at least one more potential impact player on the defensive line.

JUCO defensive tackle Jahkeem Green, a 4-star prospect, is reportedly down to either the Red Raiders or the Nebraska Cornhuskers according to Tobias Richmond of Blastingnews.com.   In fact, Richmond spoke to one of Green’s former assistant coaches at Highland Community College, Judd Remmers, who said that the decision is essentially a “coin flip”.

Remmers says that word on Green’s commitment could come as soon July 31 when Greens’ summer school class is completed and he is able to enroll at a 4-year college.  And should he pick the Red Raiders, the South Carolinian would help reinforce the roster at one of the more thin position groups.

Ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 JUCO defensive tackle and the No. 18 overall JUCO recruit in the class of 2019, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder could be a great second nose tackle to pair with senior Broderick Washington, one of the better defensive tackles in the country.  Washington registered 41 tackles and three sacks last fall en route to earning honorable-mention All-Big 12 recognition.

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But behind Washington, there is reason to be concerned.  The two other nose tackles on the roster, junior Nick McCann and redshirt freshman Jaylon Hutchings have made just 31 combined tackles in their collegiate careers.  What’s more, Tech’s defensive tackle depth took a significant hit this offseason when 2018 starter Joe Wallace left the program after not gelling with Matt Wells and the new Red Raider coaching staff.

As for Green, he put up 115 tackles in two JUCO seasons.  That included 15.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks.

It has been an odd journey through the college football world thus far for Green.  A quirky SEC rule is preventing him from signing with South Carolina, as he had intended when he committed to the Gamecocks in March of 2018.  The math course he is taking this summer is not through Highland C.C. which will make him ineligible to sign with any SEC school thus forcing him to reopen his recruitment.

In fact, Green’s original plan was to enroll at South Carolina in the spring of 2018 but he was unable to meet the academic requirements in time so he had to play a second JUCO season.  And since he has been back on the market, he has had his share of suitors, including Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi State to go along with Tech and Nebraska.

"“His strength is his strength,” Remmers told Omaha.com. “He has a pretty good get-off, and he does a good job of using his hands. He has long arms, he can create separation and he runs to the football. He’s not just a plugger. He can run to the football.”"

Technically, Green is a current Nebraska commit which might give the Huskers a slight edge.  However, Texas Tech has become a legitimate option since Green visited Lubbock earlier this summer.  Now, we wait to see if Matt Wells can add a 4-star player to bolster his defense just days before preseason practices commence.