Finding elite size to man the line of scrimmage is a task that every college football program in America spends plenty of resources on. That's why Katy, Texas defensive tackle Daryl Campbell has options when it comes to where he will play his high school football. Fortunately, the Texas Tech football program is still in the mix to land Campbell after he released his top ten schools earlier this week.
The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder is rated a 3-star recruit by the 247Sports.com composite rankings. On that site, he's listed as the No. 58 defensive lineman in America and No. 72 overall player in Texas for the class of 2026.
Also still in the mix in this recruiting battle are North Carolina (which is now coached by legendary former NFL head coach Bill Belichick), Kansas, Houston, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, Cal, SMU, Sam Houston, and Colorado State.
#AGTG Then there was 10.@TXTopTalent @Perroni247@GPowersScout @HSFBscout@ChadSimmons_ @CoachCarthel@MikeRoach247@RivalsCorey @samspiegs @gabrieldbrooks @GHamiltonOTF @GPowersScout @adamgorney@DemetricDWarren@TylerTyre @MohrRecruiting@TFloss32@vypehouston @dctf… pic.twitter.com/VxndZvvbNl
— Daryl Campbell (@D2ThaTaker) April 1, 2025
247Sports shows that Campbell has set up a number of official visits to teams on his list in the upcoming weeks and months. That includes a trip to Lubbock set for June 13.
Of course, finding players who bring that type of size to the roster is always important, especially along the defensive line. That's something that Tech has tried to prioritize in recent years.
This offseason, the program brought in standout UCF transfer Lee Hunter. A second-team All-Big 12 defensive tackle in 2024, he checks in at 325 pounds and will be asked to anchor a rebuilt Red Raider defensive line this fall.
However, Hunter has only one season of eligibility remaining. What's more, 300-pound defensive tackle E'Maurion "Dooda" Banks is also entering his senior year. Thus, Tech can't rest in its pursuits to add more beef to the defensive front.
Fortunately, 300-pound DT Anthony Homes Jr. (an offseason transfer addition from Houston) has two years of eligibility left, and 315-pound Jayden Cofield has three years left to play.
However, when there is an opportunity to add a player of Campbell's stature to the mix, the Red Raiders are going to try to do whatever they can to win that recruiting battle. So keep an eye on this pursuit as the summer months approach because players of this size and talent aren't easy to find.