Texas Tech football lands 4-star, 6-figure linebacker recruit

Texas Tech football has been thriving in the NIL era. They are dominating on the recruiting front, having reeled in some major recruits and players from the transfer portal. They are building something, and it will take more time to get it done, but with the way they are recruiting, it could happen sooner than later, especially under head coach Joey McGuire.

The most recent pickup for Texas Tech shows just how serious the Red Raiders are in college football recruiting. According to On3’s Pete Nakos, 2027 linebacker Jhadyn Nelson committed to Texas Tech because Tech was the first school to offer him, and the deal was one he could not pass up.

That deal certainly was massive for a high school linebacker. According to On3, Texas Tech is expected to pay Nelson $375,000 in Year 1. The deal is on par with the linebacker market for top recruits, which appears to be around $650,000.

It is worth noting that Nelson had major offers from schools across the country. Nelson had offers from Ohio State, Texas A&M, Miami, Texas, Houston, SMU, and TCU, among others. His recruitment took off in recent months, as he did not hold an offer entering 2026. Then, Texas Tech was the first school to offer Nelson on Jan. 20, and the avalanche started from there.

As a junior at Houston’s Langham Creek, Nelson recorded 71 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, an interception, three forced fumbles, and three pass breakups. The four-star recruit is scheduled to visit Texas Tech on April 11 for spring practice. Nelson could be exactly what they need to get over the hump.

“This program has great coaches. They are great coaches, and also great people,” Nelson told On3. “Coach [James] Blanch[chard], coach [Joey] McGuire, coach [Brian] Nance, coach [Shiel] Wood. They’re all great people, and I love to surround myself with great people. Shiel Wood is the defensive coordinator and also my position coach, so he’s gonna put me in a position to make plays.

“I’ve heard stories about Ccach McGuire, and they sent me a video of him working out with the team. That’s something I wanna be a part of.”

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