Sixteen Players Join the Red Raiders On Signing Day

Class highlighted by fourth-ranked defensive end group; six enrolled in January.

Athletics

Texas Tech Football recently completed its 83rd year on the South Plains and has an all-time record of 491-387-32.

With 36 players from last season’s Gator Bowl returning to next season’s roster, Texas Tech landed a nice crop of student-athletes to complement the wealth of talent and experience the Red Raiders will enjoy in 2008. Sixteen players comprise this season’s signing class, including six who enrolled at the university in January.

“Our coaching staff did a great job of bringing in another solid class to Texas Tech,” Red Raider Head Coach Mike Leach said. “We wanted to focus this year on defense and did a nice job of attracting some of the top talent in the country along the defensive line. We also got a shot in the arm on the offensive line with a solid group there as well. Overall, we are pleased with this group and look forward to coaching them in the fall.”

Emphasis on Defense

Texas Tech signed the nation’s fourth-ranked class of defensive ends. Highlighting the group is McKinner Dixon, who was a freshman All-American for the Red Raiders during Texas Tech’s Cotton Bowl season in 2005. Dixon redshirted the 2006 season at Cisco Junior College, before leading the CJC defense with nine sacks and 68 tackles during the fall. Dixon, along with defensive ends Joey Fowler and Ryan Halliburton, enrolled in January. Broderick Marshall, a Tech signee in 2006, will join the program during the summer, after wrapping up the spring semester at Tyler Junior College, while four-star junior college end Brandon Sesay also will arrive in the summer.

The Red Raiders added a pair of defensive backs to the secondary with the addition of corner Jarell Routt and safety Cody Davis. Routt was a member of Texas Tech’s 2006 signing class and spent the last two seasons at Coffeyville Junior College in Kansas, where he did not play football, but participated in track. The Texas City native will have three years to play.

Texas Tech Football

The Texas Tech Football program ranks 19th all-time with 31 postseason bowl appearances and has won five of its last six bowl games.

It has produced numerous All-Americans including 26 first-team honorees, six individual position trophy winners and countless all-conference selections.

Texas Tech Football has excelled off the field as well, with several Red Raiders named to academic teams each year. The AFCA annually recognizes Texas Tech as one of the top programs in graduation rates.

Since 1938, fifty-seven players have been selected in the NFL Draft (includes AFL, AAFC, AAFL).

The Offensive Line

The offensive line, which returns all five starters, got a boost with the addition of four prominent standouts from the prep ranks. The group averages 6 feet 6 inches tall and 308 pounds, including 6' 7", 330-pound Terry McDaniel from Diana, Texas. Omar Castillo was originally signed in 2007, but spent the season as a grayshirt. He officially joined the program in January, while Joe King and Deveric Gallington will arrive in the summer.

Others joining the program include quarterback Seth Doege, who enrolled in January. Despite missing his final two high school seasons with injuries, Doege still garnered national attention with interest from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Florida and Purdue. The Wolfforth Frenship High School graduate was rated the No. 4 quarterback in the state of Texas.

Running back Harrison Jeffers is the lone offensive backfield addition and was listed as the No. 1 running back and No. 4 overall player in the state of Oklahoma, following a standout career at Lawton Eisenhower High School. Donnie Carona became the first placekicker to sign a National Letter of Intent in the Mike Leach era. Carona could possibly be looked upon immediately to replace All-Big 12 Conference first teamer Alex Trlica. The Beaumont, Texas, native was a first-team, all-state selection and played on offense and defense as well.

Wrapping up the class are a pair of highly regarded athletes – Cornelius Douglas and Brandon Reid. Douglas prepped at Lawton High School, where he was an all-state quarterback, defensive back and return man for LHS. Reid was a bruising running back at El Paso Canutillo High School.

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