When searching for defensive linemen the last few years, Texas Tech has done its homework on displaced former blue-chippers looking for a new school. Former Georgia signee Brandon Sesay, former Miami (Fla.) signee Chris Perry and former Oregon signee Myles Wade all landed at Tech when Plan A didn’t work out.

Donald Langley could be next in line.

Langley

Langley, who left the Tennessee program in April, said Thursday he’s orally committed to Tech. The 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle spent this season at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi, where he was credited with 10 sacks in eight games.

“Texas Tech has a great family atmosphere, like a brotherhood,” said Langley, who visited campus during Halloween weekend for the Tech-Kansas game. “It felt like the coaches had your best interests at heart and genuinely cared about you.”

Langley plans to make his choice official Wednesday, when the mid-term signing period begins, and enroll in January. For Tech, there’s one hurdle to clear. Langley plans to visit Arkansas this weekend.

“My commitment (to Tech) is really solid,” Langley said. “But I’m taking this visit to see if there’s different things out there that I need to experience.”

Langley redshirted at Tennessee in 2007 and played in two games for the Volunteers in 2008.

If he follows through with Tech, Langley is expected to be a 3-technique defensive tackle for the Red Raiders. During this recruiting go-round, Langley said he was offered scholarships by North Carolina, Michigan State, Louisiana Tech and Georgia in addition to Texas Tech and Arkansas.

The Rivals.com recruiting service ranked Langley among the top 150 recruits and top 20  defensive tackles in the nation coming out of Seneca Valley High School in Germantown, Md. In the fall of 2006, he took official visits to Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee and said he had 55 scholarship offers.

Langley said he didn’t see eye to eye with his position coach, Ed Orgeron, who was part of Lane Kiffin’s new staff. He was a fan of former head coach Phillip Fulmer, who was forced out after the 2008 season, and position coach Dan Brooks, part of the previous staff who recruited him.

“I loved it at Tennessee,” Langley said. “When they left, I felt like the atmosphere at Tennessee changed. I really didn’t want to be part of that, so I just left.”

Langley said the Tennessee staff denied his request for a scholarship release, forcing him to transfer to a lower-division school or a junior college before returning to Division I. This season at Copiah-Lincoln, he was named to the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges all-state team.

He said Tech assistant coach Brian Mitchell contacted him after he left Tennessee.

“When I got to Copiah-Lincoln, luckily for me I kept (Mitchell’s) number,” Langley said. “I said, ‘Check me out. Hopefully, the interest is still there.’ He got a hold of me since mid-season, and it’s been all love ever since. Me and coach Mitchell have a great relationship. I hope to do great things with me, coach Mitchell, coach Ruff (McNeill) and coach (Mike) Leach.”

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TEXAS TECH COMMITMENTS

The following players have made oral commitments to sign with Texas Tech. The national signing period begins Feb. 3.

Scotty Young, 6-3, 190, QB, Denton Ryan; Aaron Spikes, 5-9, 185, RB, Dallas Pinkston; Delans Griffin, 5-10, 178, RB, Clinton, Okla.; Kadron Boone, 6-1, 190, WR, Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic; Shawn Corker, 6-1, 189, WR, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons; Beau Carpenter, 6-7, 250, OT, Sulphur Springs; Eric Lawson, 6-6, 310, OG-OT, Olive Branch, Miss.; James Polk, 6-7, 290, OT, Alief Elsik; Denton Simek, 6-6, 260, OT, Prague, Okla; Javius Townsend, 6-4, 300, OT-OG, Dallas Madison; Kedrick Dial, 6-5, 215, DE, Sulphur Springs; Jackson Richards, 6-3, 247, DE, Southlake Carroll; Lawrence Rumph, 6-3, 270, DE, Navarro College/Keller Fossil Ridge; Coby Coleman, 6-2, 290, DT, Frankston;  Donald Langley, 6-2, 295, DT, Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) College/Germantown, Md., Seneca Valley HS; Fred Harvey, 6-0, 230, LB, Memphis (Tenn.) White Station; Zach Winbush, 6-2, 205, LB, Schertz Clemens; Urell Johnson, 6-0, 175, CB, New Orleans (La.) Walker; Desmond Martin, 6-0, 178, DB, Round Rock Stony Point; Russell Polk, 5-11, 190, S, Dallas Carter; Tre’Vante Porter, 6-0, 185, DB, Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert; Brandon Smith, 6-0, 175, DB, Raceland (La.) Central Lafourche.