Joey McGuire has never had trouble selling a vision. The Texas Tech head coach, who built his reputation winning state championships at Cedar Hill High School before stints at Baylor and now Lubbock, is putting together a 2027 recruiting class that has the state of Texas paying attention — and two of his newest commitments come straight out of the Houston area.
Coming off a playoff appearance that ended in a loss to Miami, the Red Raiders identified clear needs: more speed and more size. McGuire found both. Four-star wide receiver Benny Easter of Summer Creek brings the speed, and Langham Creek's Jaden Nelson brings the size and versatility.
Easter is ranked the No. 47 overall prospect and No. 9 receiver in the 2027 class nationally, and sits at No. 3 among wide receivers and No. 4 overall in Texas. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound junior had a remarkable 2024 season for the Bulldogs, catching 89 passes for 1,309 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 40 yards per kickoff return. Summer Creek finished 12-2, and with Easter returning, the Bulldogs figure to be among the Houston-area favorites heading into 2026.
Nelson is a different kind of weapon. The Langham Creek sophomore doubled as a track and field competitor, logging a 21-foot, 3.25-inch long jump in the spring of 2025. On the football field, he recorded 59 tackles, ten for loss, three sacks, and an interception return for a touchdown in 2024, then added 42 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a fumble return over an eight-game stretch. He is the kind of multi-dimensional athlete who changes a game from multiple positions.
Both players are still a year away from their senior seasons, giving McGuire's staff time to develop the relationships further — and giving Houston-area fans plenty to watch before these two make the move to the Big 12.
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