JUCO OL Ethan Carde loves the atmosphere at Texas Tech
The Red Raiders coaching staff had themselves a good Signing Day eve. After picking up a commitment earlier in the day from 3-star linebacker Krishon Merriweather, the coaches got some more good news later in the day when Coffeyville C.C. offensive tackle Ethan Carde decided he would continue playing his ball in Lubbock, TX.
Carde's main recruiter at Tech is OL coach Steve Farmer and the two have built a close relationship over the last few weeks.
"Yeah a few weeks ago coach Farmer came down to see me and we talked, I really liked what he was talking about and he wanted me to take a visit. When I took the visit I met all the coaches and it was great, great people and a really nice campus for sure. The coaches are really about respect, trust and honesty which I was really about. I really like the way they coach, too."
Listed at 6-foot-8, 325 pounds, the coaching staff sees Carde as a prototypical left tackle and that's where he'll play as a Red Raider.
"They really like my work ethic, not giving up and the way I keep pushing harder every time. They want to play me as a left tackle. At Coffeyville I played left tackle, right tackle and left guard."
Carde will have four years to play three once he arrives in Lubbock, which isn't too far off as he's an early enrollee and will be on campus in January.
On his official visit he was hosted by tackle Casey Verhulst the first day and slot receiver Xavier White the next, and had a good time bonding with his future teammates and coaches.
"We first started off by seeing the stadium and the facilities, they were perfect facilities. We toured the campus and it was so nice, just going around on a golf cart with my family. We all loved it a lot. The stadium was perfect, big stadium, I've always wanted to play on TV my whole life and I finally have the opportunity to do that.
The first day I was hosted by Casey (Verhulst), the right tackle. He was really cool, showed me around the city and introduced me to some of the players who were still there. The second day I had Xavier (White) and he was really nice. He went to high school in Lubbock so he knew a bunch of people and introduced me to a lot of his friends. Everyone I met on the visit was nice to me."
Carde picked up his offer earlier in the day and was ecstatic to say the least.
"Oh I've been smiling for the past hour since I got my offer. I'm just so happy and grateful. When I told the coaches I wanted to commit they were all so excited. I talked to coach Wells and coach Yost and they were so excited about it."
Carde will officially sign with Texas Tech on Wednesday, December 18th from his home in Florida.
"I'm just gonna sign here at home with my family. To Red Raider Nation: I'm excited to get up there and I'm ready to go!"
Coming out of high school, Carde held scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss among others, along with interest from Louisville before deciding to go JUCO for a year.
He becomes commit no. 20 for Texas Tech in the 2020 class, not counting Michigan State grad transfer Brandon Bouyer-Randle who signed earlier this week.