Tag: Texas Tech

2025 NFL draft: 4 potential Chargers targets that stood out on Day 3 of East-West Shrine Bowl

Day 3 of the East-West Shrine Bowl offered plenty of standout players that should have caught the attention of the Los Angeles Chargers.

The 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl continued on Monday, marking the third day of the event. It offered a handful of draft prospects that stood out to NFL evaluators.

Here are four that could’ve garnered the attention of the Chargers.

DL Jordan Phillips, Maryland

The Maryland product, who is only 20 years old, has packed a punch (literally) this week. His domination carried over to today. The 320-pounder’s power profile and explosiveness made life difficult for blockers. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be the first player from this all-star game selected, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the next is Phillips.

TE Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech

The Chargers must revamp the tight end position by adding capable pass catchers. Conyers was a problem for defenders, consistently getting open with excellent short-area quickness and catching everything thrown at him, showing off his ball skills. For being 6-foot-3 and 263 pounds, Conyers is athletic and moves well. He’s also willing as a blocker.

EDGE Tyler Batty, BYU

The Chargers would benefit from adding some pass-rush juice to the edge defender room. Batty has a great frame at 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds, and he uses it well by generating power to push blockers back. But today, Batty showed some finesse with a nice dip move to get underneath and around a tackle to get into the backfield.

OL Thomas Perry, Middlebury

It’s been a trend for a small-school offensive lineman to come to these all-star games and blow it up. This year, Perry is that guy. The Division III product is primarily a guard, but he’s lined up at center, a position he’s only been learning for a month. Perry was a brick wall in 1-on-1s, stymieing defenders with a strong anchor, technique, and athleticism. Perry is currently working with offensive line developer Duke Manyweather.

Texas A&M freshman WR shows off his speed on the track during the Corky Classic

Texas A&M wide receiver Ernest Campbell makes his track and field debut at the Corky Classic

When Texas A&M coach Mike Elko arrived, he wanted to make it a point to bring in speed to make his team dynamic, and one player he could hang on to was wide receiver and return specialist Ernest Campbell.

If we are 100% honest, it might be a while before he sees time on the football field, given his size and where he currently sits on the depth chart. Entering Texas A&M, he stood at 5’6″ and maybe 160lbs soaking wet.

However, as a true freshman, he shines the most with his elite speed. The four-star prospect was a 2A champion in the 100m and 200 m meters while attending Refugio High School and signed with A&M to play football and run track.

While he did not log any playing time on the football field, he did see his first action on the track in Lubbock, Texas, at the Corky Classic. Competing in the 60m dash, Campbell came second in heat 2 with a time of 6.74, sending him to the semi-finals. Even with a slight improvement to 6.73, he missed out on the finals, but he had a strong start to his indoor season with minimal practice.

Below, you can watch Campbell in action on the first day of the meet.

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Former NFL head coach’s name has popped up in Saints’ search

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach and Washington Commanders play caller Kliff Kingsbury popped up in the New Orleans Saints’ search, but there are more conflicting reports:

Here’s another name for the New Orleans Saints head coach search: Kliff Kingsbury, per NFL insider Josina Anderson. The Washington Commanders offensive coordinator and former Arizona Cardinals head coach has shown a knack for developing talented quarterbacks, but a lack of team success has led to some thought that he’s best suited as a coordinator, not a top-level decisionmaker.

However, The Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Matthew Paras (a former Commanders beat writer) says the Saints “have to make a request to speak with him at this time.” That would make Kingsbury the third head coach candidate to reportedly receive an interview request from the Saints only for that to not be the case this week alone, joining the Denver Broncos’ David Shaw and Davis Webb.

Kingsbury must be a great interview. He only went 35-40 (.425) as a college coach at Texas Tech but parlayed that into a jump to the NFL, where he went 28-38-1 (.467) with the Cardinals. Arizona only competed in a single playoff game, which was a lopsided first-round loss to their division-rival Los Angeles Rams. He’s faced criticism throughout his career for fielding offenses that start hot and cool down as the season continues, failing to make adjustments once opponents stock up on film to study.

But maybe he’s learned some things after taking a year off from the NFL to work with Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans. He’s certainly put rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in a great position, with the No. 2 overall draft pick going into a playoff game with a Rookie of the Year award waiting on him. We’ll see if this goes further than an initial interview or if the Saints are truly interested at all. Anderson adds that several other teams are interested and the Chicago Bears, who drafted Caleb Williams out of USC, have also formally filed an interview request.

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Texas A&M projected to land talented Big 12 wide receiver out of the transfer portal

On3’s Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos predict A&M to land Texas Tech WR Micah Hudson

Mike Elko is off to a solid start during the transfer portal season getting veteran UAB Jacob Zeno to commit to Texas A&M after a visit earlier this week. With that settled for now, the next position of need they are attacking aggressively is wide receiver.

It has been tough to recruit and maintain top talent at the wide receiver position at A&M, no matter the staff. They have recently lost a handful of receivers in the portal, like Evan Stewart last year and Cyrus Allen and Micah Tease this season.

On top of those transferring out, three receivers are out of eligibility causing a depth issue immediately. However, Elko has shown that he is not afraid to hit the portal hard to fill needs.

As a show of that they are hosting numerous talented wide receivers starting with Texas Tech receiver Micah Hudson out of Temple, TX. The former two-time District 4-5A Division I MVP had A&M in his final choices before ultimately signing with the Red Raiders.

Unfortunately for Hudson, his first year was hampered by an injury that limited his action and only played minimal snaps through eight games. Looking for a change of scenery Hudson enters the portal early this week with A&M as one of his first visits

After visiting on Tuesday, On3’s Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos confirmed that the talented receiver is predicted to land with Texas A&M. This would be a big step to adding more talent to the room to pair with the incoming class.

He completed the 2023 season with eight catches for 123 yards and zero touchdowns. Being that A&M was in his final choices the Aggies have a hand up in his recruitment.

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Texas Tech football drops uniform collaboration with Patrick Mahomes

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes collaborated with Texas Tech on a new uniform that the Red Raiders will debut against Colorado this weekend.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is known for the strong connection he has with his alma mater, Texas Tech. Since his rise to stardom in the NFL, Mahomes has always been one of the most recognizable ambassadors for the Red Raider football team.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP regularly attends both Texas Tech football and basketball games and even signed six of the Red Raiders’ athletes to an NIL deal with Adidas.

On Thursday, Texas Tech Football announced a uniform collaboration with Mahomes in a post to their Twitter account.

The new threads will be worn by the Red Raiders on Saturday, November 9 when Texas Tech will face the University of Colorado with a chance to advance their record to 7-3.

Mahomes’ logo can be seen on the model player’s gloves, and even on his jersey.

It is unclear whether this combination might be used by Texas Tech moving forward, but the Chiefs’ signal-caller is sure to be excited to have played a role in bringing the interesting uniform to life.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes delivers ‘All In’ speech to Texas Tech football team

Kansas City #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes delivers ‘All In’ speech to Texas Tech football team | @EdEastonJr

The start of the new college football season has many fans and current NFL players excited. Every team gets a clean slate and eyes on a national championship. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is one of the many stars pushing to support their alma mater in any way possible as the 2024 campaign begins.

Mahomes recently returned to Texas Tech to provide extra motivation for the football team as they prepare for the start of the new college football season.

“I give y’all one thing: if I don’t give y’all anything from this entire speech that I learned from my time at Texas Tech and in the NFL, and it’s what I live by today, is when you play this game, you got to be all in,” said Mahomes. “You got to be all-in on everything you do. And if I have one regret about my time at Texas Tech, I don’t believe I truly was all in. We had great offenses and exciting teams. I got drafted in the first round, but was I all in? Was I all in on doing whatever it took in my extra time to win that Big 12 championship? And so, when I look back at my career, I don’t believe I was. I went to class, practiced hard, worked out, and had a good time. I had a great time, but you could do all that and still be great in everything you do.”

The three-time Super Bowl champion intently stared at every player in the room as he delivered his speech motivating the group ahead of their 2024 season opener next weekend.

“I’ll let you all know one thing: for winning the Super Bowl Championship, you have a way better time doing that than that extra stuff you’re gonna do on the weekends or whatever that is. So when y’all step in this building, are you all in? When you’re at practice and need to get in that extra rep, are you all in? There has to be a commitment to greatness, and that commitment is what will take y’all to that Big 12 championship.” said Mahomes. “And trust me, I believe, I believe in all y’all. I’ve seen the work; I’ve seen the brand. I’ve been watching the videos, all the hype stuff, but at the end of the day, it comes down to how you’re gonna play on that football field. I believe y’all have everything it takes right here. So make sure When you come to work every single day, when you step out of this building or step into it. You’re all in.”

During his illustrious career as a Red Raider, Mahomes accumulated 11,252 passing yards and 115 total touchdowns in three seasons. The Chiefs selected him tenth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, but he maintained a strong bond with the university, supporting the program’s growth.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reveals Texas Tech’s new partnership with Adidas

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reveals Texas Tech’s new partnership with Adidas | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes’s offseason work isn’t over. He recently helped deliver a special announcement from his alma mater. Texas Tech is starting a new 10-year partnership with Adidas, making the brand the university’s official footwear, uniform, apparel, and accessory provider.

Mahomes took to social media to help reveal the news of Texas Tech joining the Adidas brand by continuing the theme of “ripping off the tape” to celebrate the start of the new partnership. In 2019, he had previously worn a shirt with tape covering the former team brand partner Under Armor during a visit to watch the basketball team.

Mahomes has been part of the Addisas family since joining the NFL and is prominently featured in the campaign to reveal the long-term partnership. The reigning Super Bowl MVP’s logo is also on display, adding another signature touch to the collaboration.

During his college career at Texas Tech, Mahomes accumulated 11,252 passing yards and 115 total touchdowns in three seasons. He was selected tenth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chiefs and has consistently supported the Red Raiders program.

Mahomes was inducted into Texas Tech University’s Ring of Honor in 2022, enshrined with the greatest players in school history.

Texas Tech head coach to serve as Lady Vols’ assistant

Lady Vols hire Texas Tech head coach Craig Snider.

Tennessee announced on Sunday the hiring of assistant coach Craig Snider. Snider served as Texas Tech’s softball head coach from 2023-24, compiling a 60-43 record.

“This position generated a lot of interest, and we could not have found a better fit,” Lady Vols’ head coach Karen Weekly said. “Craig is widely known as one of the best hitting coaches and offensive minds in the game of softball.

“His track record for developing versatile and dynamic offenses speaks for itself. He is a teacher who loves helping players reach their potential, and his players love working with him. Building strong relationships is key in both recruiting and player development, and Craig has proven to be exceptional in that regard.”

Snider will serve as the Lady Vols’ hitting coach.

Bryan Terry/USA TODAY Network

UDFA CB Rayshad Williams not signing with Dolphins after phone mix-up

Rayshad Williams thought he was signing with the Dolphins. The problem is that he was talking to the Raiders the whole time.

Texas Tech cornerback Rayshad Williams was one of the first additions to the Miami Dolphins undrafted free agency tracker after Justin Melo of The Draft Network reported that he was headed to South Beach.

Just one problem: Williams never spoke to the Dolphins.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Williams got an offer from the Las Vegas Raiders, but his representation mistakenly believed the were talking with the Dolphins the whole time.

According to Jackson, the Dolphins extended a training camp invite to Williams after they were contacted by the cornerback’s representatives who were seeking clarity about the mix-up. The Raiders offered a full contract and he chose Las Vegas, which makes sense considering that was the team that was actually interested in the first place.

Williams is a 6’3, 215-pound cornerback who could’ve been intriguing addition to the Dolphins secondary. But Miami is reportedly signing defensive backs Storm Duck of Louisville and Isaiah Johnson of Syracuse in undrafted free agency.

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Micah Shrewsberry selected as assistant for U.S. junior national team

Congrats, Coach!

[autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] is trying to remake Notre Dame into a winner, and he’s going through a tough road in doing so. But don’t think his coaching abilities haven’t gone unnoticed, specifically by USA Basketball. His reputation is solid, and it likely was among the many reasons he has been picked as an assistant coach for this year’s U.S. men’s junior national team.

Shrewsberry will be part of the staff to lead the U.S. during this year’s FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup, the date and location of which have yet to be determined. Leading the staff will be Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, and Shrewsberry’s fellow assistant is Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland.

This is Shrewsberry’s first experience as a coach for a U.S. national team. He was a court coach with the U19 team a year ago. That team included Vanderbilt forward Ven-Allen Lubin, who transferred from Notre Dame after one season.

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