Mays hopes to fill Tech need for speed receiver
BY DON WILLIAMS
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Killeen Shoemaker’s Derrick Mays wasn’t the most prolific pass catcher on his team, let alone a heavily recruited football player. But the fact he’s often the fastest guy on the field makes him a prospect.
Mays, who finished fourth last spring in the Class 5A 200 meters and averaged 24.5 yards per catch this season, switched his oral commitment Sunday from Texas-El Paso to Texas Tech. Mays said he is 5-foot-11 and 168 pounds.
Tech coaches began seriously courting Mays just recently and didn’t offer him a scholarship until he took a campus visit this weekend. But they’ve been following him since last spring.
“They came down before my state track meet and told me about how they needed some speed and all,’’ Mays said. “After the (Cotton Bowl) against Ole Miss, they told me they needed a speed receiver. (The Rebels) were manning them up, and (Tech receivers) couldn’t get off of it. They needed a guy to (run underneath routes), and they thought I was the guy.’’
Mays said Tech coaches want him to try the “H’’ inside receiver spot that’s been manned the last two years by Eric Morris. He said he was also told he could try split end, which sounded more appealing.
“I would rather be out wide,’’ he said. “I don’t really want to be on the inside yet.’’
Tech also picked up a commitment Sunday from Jarvis Phillips (6-0, 190), who played quarterback for Dallas Carter but will switch positions in college. Phillips led his team to a 12-1 season in 2008, rushing for 884 yards and 10 touchdowns and passing for 904 yards and eight TDs. He could not be reached Sunday for comment.
The additions of Mays and Phillips give Tech 20 oral commitments. The Red Raiders are likely to sign 22 or 23 players when the national signing period begins on Feb. 4.
Mays caught 24 passes for 587 yards and eight touchdowns this season, making second-team all-district for the second year in a row. He caught an 86-yard scoring pass in a September game against Bastrop, but did the most damage late in the season. He had an 80-yard touchdown catch against College Station A&M Consolidated; 42- and 22-yard TD receptions in the regular-season finale against Temple; and 32- and 51-yard scores in a first-round playoff loss to Tyler John Tyler.
Shoemaker finished 4-7 after making the playoffs for the first time in the program’s nine-year history.
“He’s real fast,’’ Shoemaker coach Ken Gray said. “He has good hands, though. What separates him from other people is he’s a physical kid. He’s not just a track kid that plays football. He’s a football player. He’s the complete package. He does a great job blocking.’’
Mays said he has the coaches’ approval to run track for Tech, too. He went to the Tech Invitational track meet over the weekend and visited with Tech coach Wes Kittley.
Mays’ best time in the 200 meters, his specialty, is 21.09 seconds. Last May in Austin, his time of 21.19 was good for fourth in the 200 to Lewisville’s Markus Henderson (20.80), who was a much-coveted signee for the Tech track team. In the District 13-5A track meet in 2007, Mays and current Tech receiver Detron Lewis ran 1-2 in the 200.
“Detron was my host (this weekend),’’ Mays said. “We were joking about that, how I beat him.’’
In high school, Mays also squared off in the same district with current Tech split end Rashad Hawk, who also was a track standout.
To meet freshman eligibility requirements, May said he needs a 2.4 grade-point average to go with the 18 he has on the ACT. He said his GPA is 2.36, but he expects to make the grade.
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My question is does Tech even try for the highly recruited players, or is there not any strong prospects that are even looking our way. No offense but with so many good players still on the board, why are we offering 1 star recruits scholarships, is there something that the coaches see that the other hundreds of coaches don’t. Probaly not.
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Crab was only a 2 star out of high school, and that seemed to work out for us.
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Correction…. Crab was a 4 satr recruit.
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Joseph. you need to read the release on Ward who changed his mind and enrolled at Tech rather than OU. Definitely one of the highprofile receivers. OSU’s Dez Bryant the other receiver on most AA teams made a final decision between Tech and OSU a couple of years ago. I’ve been to Stillwater and have never figured out what the appeal is.
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t-boone’s $$$!!!
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The player’s ranking go down when Tech is mentioned. Add a couple stars to our guys…
There is a top QB available that Fox Sports has as a top 25 national ranking player. BTW Texas has about 5 in the list. :-( Tech – none!
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Hope he is successful at Texas Tech if no, t he missed out on an excellent opportunity at Texas-El Paso.
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Hope he is successful at Texas Tech if not, he missed out on an excellent opportunity at Texas-El Paso.
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You don’t have to pass the TASP test to enroll in the state of Oklahoma. They get to recruit players that Texas schools don’t.
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Old Man63 you’re trying to figure the appeal of Stillwater and I’m trying to figure out why any kid from Dallas would choose to spend 4 years in a pit like Lubbock.
I’ve never been to Stillwater but it can’t possibly be any worse than Lubbock.
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First of all getting one decent recruit is not what I am discussing. Eric Ward is good recruit, but where are the other quality four star recruits or possibly a occasional 5 star. It would be foolish to say that my comments were not right over one recruit. Also the other two four star recruits a just a tab away from being 3 star recruits. Not only that but my comments were more towards why does a pair of one star recruits merit a article… So far our recruiting class is not ranked 41st for no reason, not only that but we are ranked 7th in the BIG 12. The only teams ranked lower than us are the current bottom dwellers ot the BIG 12. I am in no way downing Tech, quite the contrary. I beleive we should be getting looks from to notch recruits. I do think that the area of Lubbock does affect this, but also partly without argument Leach’s not being vocal about his commitment to Tech does affect this. If you were a top recruit would you commit to a (smaller name school) if the coach was interviewing for other jobs. I hope that with the 2 or 3 remaining scholarships that we can pull some players that are dominant, offense or defense. Our offensive line needs help, not a below average rated OG.
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Well, SMUFan, if winning has anything to do with what drives a kid to choose a program, I could hazard a guess why one might choose a program like Tech over one that hasn’t sniffed a winning record in many moons like, oh I don’t know…SMU?
And as someone who’s spent plenty of time in Lubbock, Stillwater, and Dallas, there’s not one of those places that’s so transcendent it would make up for being on the short end of the scoreboard most weeks. Players like to win. Tech gives them a chance to do that. Sleep tight.
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Tech does pursue the 4 and 5 star recruits. Pull up UT’s recruiting class and they are all 4 and 5 star atheletes. It will show who else is recruiting those players and in almost every case Tech has offered them a scholarship too.
By the way….Brandon WIlliams was only a two-star DE out of high school.
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So SMUFan, can you say “death penalty”? Seems you guys wrote the book on illegal recruiting and are still paying for it. Why are you on this website? Did you get banned from having your own?
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Only thing I can figure is that they’re gonna shoot him up with human growth hormone so he can be about 3-4 inches taller.
Sorta like OU & UT ’s: “our steroid freaks can beat your steroid freaks” teams.
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LJE, Crab was a 2-star WR recruit on Scout. He was a 4-star ATH recruit on Rivals. Also, Ward is a 4-star WR recruit on both lists. You failed to mention that one. And he signed his LOI.
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wats the lastest on that 4star prospect from austin high who comitted to tech then uncomitted about a week ago
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oh yeah, and the passing game has something to do with a QB that starts and finishes as a TEAM guy and not just some BIG HEAD trying to pad his last game stats. I guess this year’s Cotton Bowl qb was trying to mimic our past year’s Cotton Bowl QB –the one against Alabama – you know – the one who thought the game plan was all about HIM. Yeah, and we coulda shoulda won that game by couple of touchdowns too.
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that austin prospect’s status is like coach Leach’s status – a floating free agent.
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What is up with Leach? Has he made his mind up yet, or is he still holding out for more $$$ for his assistants?
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To SMU fan. I’ve been to both. Stillwater approximately 40,000 people or less than twice the size of Plainview. Lubbock approximately 200,000. Tech grad rate much higher and since I used to have to recruit college grads in my past and OSU was on my schedule it was sort of like taking a day off. SMU never even made it to my schedule.
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40,000 people with nothing to do but eat out;
or 200,000 people with nothing to do but eat out.
not much difference.
that’s what the man was talking about.
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BRILLIANT
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Crabtree was a 2 star recruit
2006 Scout.com HS Football Rankings (full list):
Pos: WR Pos Rank: NR Pos Rating: * *
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Hey Steve and Eddie… you need to check more than one recruiting site. While Scout.com had Crab listed as a 2 star… Rivals.com had him as a 4 star. Now you tell me…. which one was more right? As a State Championship coach myself… I would think Rivals has a better track record.
Eddie… you also forgot to mention that while Scout lists Mays and Phillips as 1 star recruits, Rivals lists Mays as a 2 star and Phillips as a 3 star. Rivals also lists running back Stephens as a 2 star while Scout lists him as a 2 star.
I wonder if a former longhorn started Scout.com??? lol
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Correction…. Rivals lists Stephens as a 4 star. :)
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