Much of Texas Tech’s incoming recruiting class, which is ranked among the top 25 in the nation by the recruiting Web site Rivals.com, is tailored toward Mike Leach’s high-powered passing attack.
The group of 22 oral commitments includes a handful of receivers whose sizes and skill sets translate well to the spread offense, and some of them were concerned Saturday afternoon whether the Red Raiders would continue to employ a similar scheme.
Leach was fired on Dec. 30, and Tommy Tuberville was hired as his replacement on Saturday. During his 14 years as a head coach in the Southeastern Conference, Tuberville built a reputation as a defensive-minded coach whose teams had strong running games.
“Right now, from what I hear, Tommy Tuberville is going to keep most of the offensive staff and hopefully keep all the plays and basically not change that much,” said Tech pledge Shawn Corker, a 6-foot-1, 189-pound wide receiver from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “… (The spread offense) was probably one of the biggest reasons I committed.”
Corker, who had spoken with Tech inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley earlier Saturday, said Tuberville was scheduled to meet with Tech’s assistant coaches at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Corker, who hoping Tech would hire interim head coach and defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, said he’s “still going to be with Tech no matter what.” But when asked if he might reconsider his non-binding commitment if Tuberville brings in an entirely new coaching staff, Corker said, “Possibly, yes.
“For the fact that I’ve been talking to them and getting to know all these coaches for the last few months or whatever, for him to bring in a new staff, it would just be awkward,” Corker said. “It just wouldn’t feel right.”
Since Leach was fired, Corker said he’s been contacted by coaches from Boston College, Clemson, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
The guardian of Lakeland, Fla., receivers Ben and Javares McRoy, who are part of Tech’s 2010 and 2011 recruiting classes, respectively, said they’ve been in a “holding pattern.” Bruce Mandish said the small, speedy McRoys are set on playing in a passing offense such as Leach’s, and they also have developed a strong relationship with Riley, who served as Tech’s acting offensive coordinator in last week’s Alamo Bowl.
“We’re just waiting to hear what they’re going to do with the offense, and who the offensive coordinator is going to be,” Mandish said on Saturday afternoon. “… We have contacted other schools, and we have another new offer from Louisville, but as far as de-committing, we haven’t done that. In their hearts they really want to go to Texas Tech and really want to play for coach Riley.
“If nothing changes with the offense at Texas Tech,” Mandish added, “we aren’t going anywhere.”
Corker said another of Tech’s prized receiving recruits, Kadron Boone of Ocala, Fla., feels much the same way as he and the McRoy brothers do.
“I talked to Kadron Boone today,” Corker said. “Right now he’s still shocked about the whole thing. We’ll see where he’s at in the next few days.”
Corker said another Tech pledge he’s been in contact with, defensive back Urell Johnson of New Orleans, is “going to be at Tech no matter what.”
Tech commitment Fred Harvey, a linebacker from Memphis, Tenn., said he wanted McNeill to be named as Leach’s successor. But he also said he’s heard Tuberville is a “real good coach,” and he doesn’t plan to look elsewhere even if McNeill is not part of the Red Raiders’ new coaching staff.
“Either way, I’m going to still come to Texas Tech,” Harvey said. “That’s who I committed to, and that’s the school I want to go to.”
Commitments are non-binding until the national signing period begins Feb. 3
Story courtesy of www.redraiders.com
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