National Signing Day is done for Matt Wells and Texas Tech, but the program is welcoming a few late additions. On Monday Fort Stockton (TX) inside linebacker Cole Daggett announced his commitment to the Red Raiders as a preferred walk-on. Daggett received an offer on February 3rd and took a visit to campus not too long after.
The linebacker held other preferred walk-on offers from Abilene Christian and Baylor, but ultimately decided to stay close to home. The way coach Wells and the staff treated him during his visit played a major factor in his decision.
"Honestly I would say just the five-star treatment like the red carpet treatment coach Wells and his staff provided. I know I'm going to be a preferred walk-on, but when I went to Baylor you could tell that there was preferred walk-ons and then there was the scholarship players like you could tell the difference on how they were treating them. It wasn't really bad, it was just a little different. At Texas Tech, he integrated us all together, we all did all the stuff at the same time. It was unbelievable and it's what I just expect from coach Wells."
Daggett sat down during his visit with Wells and new defensive coordinator Keith Patterson. He mentioned before how good it felt to be given a real chance to sit down with a head coach who has had success with walk-ons in the past. It played into his decision. Since then, he has continued to hear from Wells and knows his role with the program moving forward.
"It's coach Wells' walk-on program so usually he takes care of most of the walk-ons I'm pretty sure, so I've been talking to him and I had some questions for him and he's been answering them almost as soon as he can being the head coach of a Big 12 school. He does a good job of getting back with me within 24 hours."
"He said with his defensive scheme I'd probably be the inside linebacker on the short side of the field. It's basically what I did down here at Fort Stockton so that works out great. He said I would probably have a chance to earn my money on special teams for my first couple of years. I will be a redshirt because I tore my ACL my last football game in high school so I will be a redshirt for my freshman year, but after that he said I can earn my money on special teams."
Daggett has some offseason plans before he fully settles into being a member of the program.
"Well I definitely plan on starting summer workouts in mid-June whenever coach Wells decides to send me that schedule and definitely enroll in some classes to start my education plan so I can workout with the team."
One last message to Red Raider nation:
"One thing is always know my role whether it be the starting linebacker or whether it be just that backup on the kickoff, but I always know my role and I'll play it as hard as I can."
