Texas Tech lands 16 on early signing day – LubbockOnline.com

Joey McGuire says he doesn’t accept the notion that’s hard to recruit football players to West Texas in general and Lubbock in particular. 
Texas Tech’s new coach did his best to prove it in a rush to college football’s mid-December national signing period that began Wednesday. 
On the job for just 32 days, McGuire signed 16 prospects. It’s a collection that recruiting services have, for the moment, as a top-40 class pending what else transpires between now and the traditional national signing day in February.
“If you think about the sprint that happened from the day I got the job until now, what an incredible, incredible experience,” McGuire said. “I think we signed a great class. I’m really excited about the guys. I think it says a lot about the staff before, and guys staying and really loving Texas Tech says a lot about the new staff.”
Of the 16 newcomers, seven pledged with former Tech coach Matt Wells. McGuire retained them and added nine more. 
Rivals and 247Sports both had Tech’s class ranked No. 39 nationally as of late afternoon Wednesday. Both have five Tech signees rated among Texas’ top 100 prospects, though not all the same five.
Two of the biggest dominoes falling in Tech’s favor did so just before signing day as McGuire’s staff persuaded Mansfield Summit defensive end Joseph Adedire and Mansfield Timberview safety Landon Hullaby, both state top-100 prospects.  
Adedire had been committed since July to TCU, but Tech hired defensive line coach Zarnell Fitch off the Horned Frogs’ staff last week. Hullaby had been pledged to Oregon since February, but McGuire also just hired defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and secondary coach Marcel Yates off the Ducks’ staff.
Both recruits visited Tech this past weekend.
“It had to happen quick,” McGuire said. “Luckily, we have relationships with them. They’re both from the Metroplex. I know both their head coaches, we’re really close and so those guys helped a bunch. Both of them face-timed me this morning during their (signing ceremonies) and were fired up for their athletes.”
Hullaby, listed by Tech at 6-foot and 195 pounds, had scholarship offers from a long list of power-five schools, among them Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Southern Cal, Texas and Utah.
He was one of three players Tech signed who were not publicly committed to the Red Raiders going into signing day. The others were Trevon McAlpine, a 6-3, 280-pound defensive tackle from Saraland, Alabama, and Seth Martin, a 6-3, 300-pound offensive tackle from Everman.
McAlpine had visited West Virginia, Kansas State and Arizona State. Martin had scholarship offers from TCU and several smaller programs.
“Coach Zarnell Fitch did a great job with Joseph (Adedire) and Trevon,” McGuire said. “He had a relationship with them and whenever he jumped on board (to Tech), they said, ‘We’re jumping on board, too.’ “
Of the 16 newcomers, 11 are projected on the defensive side: four linemen, three linebackers and four in the secondary. That was somewhat, but not totally, by design. McGuire said he prioritized adding speed and length on defense for this class. But he still wants a couple more offensive linemen to go with the three he signed and would’ve taken a tight end had the right one been receptive. 
McGuire said he’s OK with signing only Tyler Legacy’s Bryson Donnell at running back and Alief Taylor’s Tyler King for receiver. And after losing out to Texas in the competition for high-profile quarterback transfer Quinn Ewers from Ohio State, McGuire isn’t feeling any urgency to sign a QB in this class.
Tyler Shough, Donovan Smith, Henry Colombi and Behren Morton, the Red Raiders’ top four, all have eligibility remaining.
“The quarterback room, I think, is as good as anywhere in the nation,” McGuire said, “and so really excited about those guys. At receiver, we’ve got great depth, got great length. In the running-back room, we’ve got some older guys and some young guys. They’ve been a great fit and have been real responsive on what we’re going to try to do.”
In addition to McAlpine and Adedire, the other defensive linemen are end Harvey Dyson and tackle Syncere Massey, both from Cedar Hill.
The linebackers are Ben Roberts from Fort Worth Eaton, Ty Kana from Katy and Tavares Elston from Gulf Shores, Alabama.
In addition to Hullaby, the other new defensive backs are safety prospect Hut Graham from state finalist Gunter and cornerback prospects Jalon Peoples from Cedar Hill and Maurion Horn from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
In addition to the 16 incoming freshmen, Tech continues to beef up its roster via the NCAA transfer portal. On Tuesday, Tech announced three such additions: wide receiver Brady Boyd from Minnesota, safety Tyler Owens from Texas and linebacker Dimitri Moore, who spent the 2021 season at Missouri State after four years at Vanderbilt.
All three were state top-100 recruits coming out of high school, Boyd from Southlake Carroll in 2021, Owens from Plano East in 2019 and Moore from Cedar Hill in 2017. They fit McGuire’s stated preference regarding transfers, to take those with Texas high-school backgrounds who want to return closer to home. 
The national signing periods are Wednesday through Friday for high-school recruits who want to sign early, Wednesday through Jan. 15 for mid-year junior-year college transfers and Feb. 2 through April 1 for the regular signing period.
December signees (x-expected to enroll at Tech in January): Bryson Donnell, 5-10, 204, RB, Tyler Lee; Tyler King, 5-10, 175, IR, Alief Taylor; Seth Martin, 6-3, 300, OG-C, Everman; x-Kaden Weatherby, 6-6, 295, OT, Centennial (Colo.) Eaglecrest; Sheridan Wilson, 6-5, 275, OT, Argyle; x-Joseph Adedire, 6-2, 250, DE, Mansfield Summit; Harvey Dyson, 6-3, 250, DE, Cedar Hill; Syncere Massey, 6-5, 290, DT, Cedar Hill; x-Trevon McAlpine, 6-3, 280, DT, Saraland, Ala.; Tavares “B.J.” Elston, 6-0, 205, LB, Gulf Shores, Ala.; x-Ty Kana, 6-2, 225, LB, Katy; Ben Roberts, 6-3, 215, LB, Fort Worth Eaton; Maurion Horn, 6-0, 170, CB, Broken Arrow, Okla.; Jalon Peoples, 6-0, 175, CB, Cedar Hill; Hut Graham, 6-1, 175, S, Gunter; x-Landon Hullaby, 6-0, 195, S, Mansfield Timberview. 
Non-binding commitments: Gavin Freeman, 5-9, 172, WR, Oklahoma City Heritage Hall; Erik Gray, 6-2, 280, C-OG, Amarillo.

source