It took nearly the entirety of his first year at the helm, but Texas Tech football coach Matt Wells got one of his men.
On Monday, Texas Tech landed the first four-star recruit of the Wells era when four-star Midland (Texas) Lee wide receiver Loic Fouonji committed to the Red Raiders. The lanky and athletic 6-foot-4 dynamo committed to Tech ahead of scholarship offers from Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU and eight other major Division I programs.
Committed🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/YUszVbDyhl
— Loic Fouonji (@LFouonji) November 25, 2019
Fouonji has not explicitly spoken about what drew him to Lubbock, but statements from Wells himself may speak to some of the values that convinced the emerging wide receiver the West Texas Big XII city was the right fit for him, particularly when combined with Lubbock’s proximity to his hometown of Midland.
“I think it’s clearly describing and painting a picture to parents and recruits and high school coaches of, this is what we do and this is how we do it. I think we pride ourselves on being very transparent. We try to be very real. We have a passion about what we do. We have a passion for that logo. I’ve grown in my passion for this logo and respect for this logo, the alumni, the guys that have played here, the boosters are our supporters, our most loyal supporters. Mine has grown, and I think people can know that I sometimes wear my emotions on my sleeve and they can see right through me. I think we just try to be genuine.”
Fouonji is the 18th commitment in Texas Tech’s Class of 2020 and the first four star, as previously mentioned. His pledge to Tech drives the Red Raiders recruiting class all the way up to fourth in the Big XII and 40th nationally, more than 20 spots better than in 2019.