Texas Tech football adds pledge from tight end Alex Lines
The Texas Tech football team added a commitment on Monday from Alex Lines, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound tight end who caught 31 passes this season for Garden City (Kan.) Community College.
Lines, from Gilbert (Ariz.) Higley, signed out of high school with Nevada-Las Vegas. He spent the COVID-disrupted 2020 season at UNLV, transferred to Arizona for 2021 and 2022 and to Garden City this year, where he put up career-best numbers: 31 catches for 309 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncbusters went 5-6.
According to recruiting services, he's been offered scholarships by Akron, Eastern Michigan, Louisiana-Monroe, Massachusetts, New Mexico and New Mexico State. Coming out of high school, he reportedly had scholarship offers from several power-five programs, including Iowa State, Louisville, Oregon State, Utah and Syracuse.
Lines announced his commitment to Tech on social media. He has two years of eligibility remaining, one being the COVID-bonus year option.
Among Tech's current tight ends rotation, Mason Tharp and Jayden York have eligibility remaining and Baylor Cupp has the COVID-bonus year option for 2024.
Lines played in five games with no receptions during the 2020 season at UNLV, then started 11 games and caught 10 passes for 138 yards in 2021 with Arizona.
He started another four games for the Wildcats in 2022, catching one pass for 8 yards, but reportedly left the team for undisclosed reasons one month into the season. He was still in the four-game redshirt window. In a post-game press conference, Arizona coach Jedd Fisch said Lines, "chose to no longer be on the team."
Lines is the 22nd pledge for the Red Raiders' current recruiting class. Players in that group can sign between Dec. 20-22 or in the traditional period that starts Feb. 1.
On other fronts Monday, Tech offensive guard Seth Martin and defensive back Nate Floyd separately announced they would have their names entered into the NCAA transfer portal. Martin spent his first two seasons with the Red Raiders, not getting into a game, and has three years of eligibility left.
Floyd has played in 15 games over four seasons, getting credit for three tackles. He has his senior year and the Covid-bonus year option remaining.
Elsewhere Monday, Texas-El Paso named a head coach, hiring Austin Peay head coach Scotty Walden. Texas Tech coordinators Zach Kittley and Kenny Perry reportedly had interviewed for the UTEP job.
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football adds pledge from tight end Alex Lines
