Ever since head coach Joey McGuire took over in Lubbock, Texas Tech recruiting has transformed. The results on the recruiting trail have exceeded traditional standards seen at Texas Tech. However, with the news on Monday night, McGuire and his Director of Player Personnel James Blanchard have proven that the Red Raiders are a serious player to be the new flagship program of the Big 12. Five-star recruit Micah Hudson announced on Monday his commitment to the Red Raiders. Hudson is the number eight overall prospect in the 247 composite rankings, and the second-ranked wide receiver in the nation.
Hudson’s Commit Makes Recruiting History
With Hudson’s commitment, he becomes the first five-star recruit in the 247 composite era to sign with Texas Tech. He carries an impressive 0.9960 player rating from 247. The previously highest-rated recruit to commit to the Red Raiders was four-star recruit Breiden Fehoko with a play rating of 0.9752. A couple of things stand out about this historical recruiting event for the Red Raiders. McGuire and his staff have made it very clear that they are going to find prospects early, mostly in Texas, and try to secure commitments before those prospects find themselves coveted by the rest of the major players in college football.
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Texas Tech Recruiting Strategy Breaks Through
This is exactly what happened last recruiting cycle with Calvin-Simpson Hunt. When the Red Raiders discovered him, the cornerback from Waxahachie, Texas did not even have a recruiting ranking in Fall 2021. Texas Tech was able to secure a commitment from Simpson-Hunt before he broke onto the national recruit scene and earned a four-star ranking. He eventually de-committed and signed with Ohio State. It appeared that McGuire’s strategy was good for a middle-tiered Big 12 program. But the Red Raiders would not be able to compete with the blue bloods of the sport.
However, Hudson’s commitment shatters the previous glass ceiling of Texas Tech recruiting. Hudson has been a national top-100 prospect since he received a ranking. He has also been a five-star for more than a year. This is a recruit that had over 30 scholarship offers from every top-tier program across the nation. And yet, Texas Tech stood its ground and battled toe-to-toe with all of the programs. Now it certainly didn’t hurt that Hudson’s dad, Desmond Royal, played defensive line for the Red Raiders from 1985-1988. But make no mistake; the credit for this recruiting victory lies with the relentless efforts of the Texas Tech coaching staff. And they will have to keep it up through signing day to officially secure Hudson to the roster.
Shifting Landscape in College Football?
College football has been as top-heavy as it has ever been. Due to the clustering of elite talent at so few schools, there is a level of predictability with who can win a national championship. Some think this is hurting the game. However, Hudson’s commitment could be a continuing trend amongst elite recruits. Five-star EDGE Elijah Rushing committed to Arizona in early July. Most prospects in Hudson’s and Rushing’s positions ultimately want to play at the big-time programs.
However, there are still a significant amount of players who just want to feel appreciated by the coaching staff. This is a great reminder that the underdog can win these recruiting battles. If college football is looking to add parity in the sport, it won’t magically happen with a 12-team playoff. It will happen with more recruits like Hudson and Rushing playing at non-traditional powerhouses. Spreading out the top-tier talent across more teams is what will ultimately give real hope to more fan bases that they can indeed compete for a national championship.
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