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Texas Tech football: Red Raiders make the cut for No. 2 JUCO offensive tackle

ByMatthew Conner|
WACO, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the sidelines during the game against the Baylor Bears on October 12, 2019 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
WACO, TEXAS - OCTOBER 12: Head coach Matt Wells of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the sidelines during the game against the Baylor Bears on October 12, 2019 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

The Texas Tech football program has made the cut for the nation’s top JUCO tackle, Caleb Etienne, but the competition for his services will be fierce.

There’s no question that the 2021 Texas Tech football signing class needs to add some offensive linemen before signing day.  That’s why Caleb Etienne is a name Red Raider fans should keep an eye on.

The 6-foot-8, 310-pounder is the No. 2 JUCO tackle in the nation according to 247Sports.  And on Friday, he cut his list of schools down to six.  Fortunately, Tech is one of the programs still in the fight.

Also still vying for the Fort Scott C.C. product’s services are Oregon, Mississippi State, Houston, Oklahoma State, and South Carolina.  In other words, this is going to be a tough recruiting battle for Matt Wells and offensive line coach Steve Farmer to win.

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The New Orleans, LA native was at one time a commit to Ole Miss back when he was a high school prospect in the class of 2019.  Now, he’s become one of the most coveted JUCO players in the nation and he will soon be a huge boost to the recruiting class of one lucky school.

Hopefully, that will be Texas Tech because the Red Raiders are woefully behind when it comes to adding offensive linemen to the 2021 class.

With under five months to go until December’s early signing window, Wells’ program has just one offensive lineman, Jack Tucker, verbally committed.  While the 3-star product of Argyle, Texas is a nice addition (he’s the No. 73 tackle in the nation), Tech still needs to add another tackle as well as at least two more interior linemen.

Don’t forget that the Red Raiders are set to lose two senior tackles this season, grad transfer Josh Burger and Zach Adams, both of whom will compete for starting jobs this falls and who are expected to be in the two-deep rotation at worst.  Also, the offensive line is almost certain to see right guard Jack Anderson depart for the NFL next offseason even though he could return in 2021 after missing nine games last fall.

Then, there is the possibility that center Dawson Deaton could also head to the NFL after this year.  Last season he emerged as one of the most reliable centers in the nation (Pro Football Focus recently Tweeted that he did not allow a sack in 2019 on 612 snaps) and if he puts together another standout campaign in his junior season, he might have an opportunity to play on Sundays earlier than expected.

A full offensive line class is considered to be at least four players but preferably five.  However, in recent years, Tech has not been able to meet those numbers.

For instance, in the 2020 class the Red Raiders brought on board just three linemen.  Even worse, the 2019 class included just two.

While Tech has gone to the transfer market to add some depth to this critically important position group, that method of talent acquisition is often more of a stop-gap measure rather than a long-term solution.   While adding Etienne would not necessarily be a long-term option being as he will have just two years of eligibility remaining, it would be a significant boost to an offensive line that needs an immediate influx of talent as he would likely be a walk-in starter.

Keep a close eye on this recruiting battle because Wells needs to start bringing some quality linemen into the class of 2021.  Hopefully, he’s able to close the deal with this elite JUCO talent.

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