On paper, the Texas Tech football program is assembling one of its most highly acclaimed recruiting classes. On the 247Sports composite index of multiple recruiting services, the Red Raiders’ 2027 class is ranked No. 6 in the country and includes eight recruits among the nation’s top 105.
The Red Raiders are still open to under-the-radar prospects, though. Late Monday, June 22, Troy defensive lineman Tedricc Calhoun announced he’s committed to the Red Raiders. His Central Texas high school team last season listed Calhoun at 6-foot and 255 pounds, undersized for a Power Four conference defensive lineman.
Last year, however, Calhoun was credited with 77 tackles, including 20 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries. He was defensive player of the year in District 11-3A Division I.
Assuming Calhoun follows through and comes to Tech, he’ll hardly even need to change his helmet sticker. The Troy Trojans use a Double T that looks virtually identical to the one worn by the Red Raiders, except for color.
It’s unclear if Calhoun would be a scholarship player or a preferred walk-on. Tech coach Joey McGuire didn’t make the social-media post that normally accompanies the announcement of a prospect committing to a scholarship offer from the Red Raiders.
However, preferred walk-on status doesn’t always mean what it used to. Though Texas Tech stayed at 85 football scholarships — 20 less than the limit under the House v. NCAA settlement — during the 2025-26 school year, athletics director Kirby Hocutt told The Avalanche-Journal in August 2024 that Tech coaches could offer revenue-sharing money to players not on scholarship.
Wide receiver Micah Hudson is an example. After Hudson transferred back to Tech in 2025 following a brief departure to Texas A&M, McGuire said Hudson rejoined the program as a walk-on. However, McGuire later clarified that Hudson received revenue-sharing money to pay for school.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football gets pledge from Texas high school D-tackle
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | USA TODAY Network
