Missouri State, Texas transfers coming to Texas Tech
Taking experienced transfers from other FBS programs was one component of Texas Tech's football recruiting under former head coach Matt Wells.
That won't necessarily change under Joey McGuire, even though the Red Raiders' next head coach plans to plumb his extensive Texas high-school connections for all they're worth.
Missouri State linebacker Dimitri Moore, who spent most of his career at Vanderbilt, announced Wednesday night he's committed to transfer to Tech. A source confirmed Wednesday to A-J Media that former Texas defensive back Tyler Owens also is planning to transfer to Tech.
Moore, listed by Missouri State at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, is another prospect from Cedar Hill, where McGuire was head coach from 2003-16. Moore spent the 2017 through 2020 seasons at Vanderbilt, getting credit for 84 tackles as a redshirt freshman in 2018, 99 tackles in 2019 and 36 tackles in five games during the COVID-disrupted 2020 season.
He's played in six games this year at Missouri State and gotten credit for 11 tackles. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Owens, listed by Texas at 6-2 and 205, had his name entered into the NCAA transfer portal in October. Tech fans might recall Owens for his blocked punt that a teammate returned for a touchdown during the Longhorns' 63-56 overtime victory last year in Jones AT&T Stadium.
Owens, when he signed with UT out of Plano East, was ranked the No. 13 recruit in Texas and No. 76 in the nation by 247Sports and was slotted No. 21 in Texas and No. 239 in the country by Rivals.
From 2019 through this year, he played in 27 games for the Longhorns, starting one, and got credit for 12 tackles.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: College football: Missouri State, Texas transfers coming to Texas Tech
