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Texas Tech football: 300-LB JUCO defensive tackle commits to Red Raiders

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - OCTOBER 11: General view of the end zone pylon prior to the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 11, 2014 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. West Virginia won the game 37-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - OCTOBER 11: General view of the end zone pylon prior to the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 11, 2014 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. West Virginia won the game 37-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Friday, the Texas Tech football program picked up a commitment from 2021 JUCO defensive tackle DeMeco Roland.

Matt Wells’ drought on the recruiting trail has finally come to an end.  Seventy days after picking up his last verbal commitment in the class of 2021, the Texas Tech football coach added another piece to the puzzle on Friday when JUCO tackle DeMeco Roland committed to the Red Raiders.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound product of Hutchinson C.C. will certainly add some beef to the middle of the Red Raider defense when he arrives.  But given that he’s not rated by 247Sports, one has to wonder how ready he will be to play right away.

After all, we know that JUCO players often take a full year to adjust to life at the FBS level.  That’s because the programs at that level typically lag when it comes to nutrition and weight training.

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What’s more, he was only a part-time contributor last year as a reserve.  He registered just nine tackles and one sack as a true freshman.

But on the other hand, he holds offers from Arkansas, Syracuse, North Texas, Nevada, and UTSA.  Thus, Tech isn’t the only program that believes Roland is capable of playing at the FBS level.

It is entirely possible that he might need to be ready to play next fall because this year, Tech will graduate defensive tackle Nick McCann, who will split time with sophomore Jaylon Hutchings in the middle of the Red Raider defensive line.  Tech has also added true freshman defensive tackle Solomon Wright from Oklahoma to the 2021 class and he too could see some early action next fall.

But to get a look at just what Roland could max out as, we don’t have to look back too far.  We should all hope that the newest Red Raider JUCO commit has the same type of two-year career in Lubbock that former JUCO DT Mychaelon Thomas had.  From 2016-17, the 320 lb DT racked up 49 tackles including five for loss.

The bulk of those came in his senior year when he was credited with 41 stops.  Those numbers again highlight the unavoidable reality that the vast majority of JUCO players that come to the FCS ranks, especially in a Power 5 conference like the Big 12, need a year to get their feet under them both on and off the football field.

Even with Roland now in the mix, Tech has tons of work to do on the 2021 recruiting trail.  The Red Raiders still have only nine players committed, the second-fewest of any Big 12 team.  What’s more, Wells’ current class is just No. 9 in the Big 12 and No. 64 nationally.

The all-decade Texas Tech defensive line. dark. Next

Though the addition of an unrated JUCO DT doesn’t help Tech’s ranking in the eyes of the scouting services, it at least puts an end to a two-and-a-half-month dry spell for the program.  Hopefully, this will be the first snowflake in what will soon be an avalanche of commitments for the 2021 class.

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