Kaster arrives in Lubbock

Texas Tech signee and newest Red Raider center Jared Kaster, a high school early enrollee, arrived in Lubbock Monday -- just in time for a dust storm.

Welcome to West Texas, Jared.

"I heard about the dust storms but was kind of iffy about them," Kaster said while he was driving around town with his parents. "We tried to dodge that. When we got into Lubbock, it was really a welcome to Lubbock dust storm."

Lubbock dust storms aren't all that bad.

The wind outside the city will blow dust up into the air and give the sky a tinted kind of look. The dust almost never impacts life on the ground except for getting cars a little dirty.

No big deal for Kaster. He just laughed about it and it had to happen on his first day as a resident.

The freshman is on campus a semester early to get a leg up on a huge majority of high school players who move onto campus at the conclusion of spring senior festivities.

For Kaster, the early move isn't about trying to fight off a redshirt freshman year.

"That's not a problem with me," Kaster said. "If that ends up happening, I'm fine with it and don't have a problem with that. I talked to the coaches about that and with my parents about me getting redshirted.

"Just coming up here early, I want to get into the weight room and have a chance to compete and get bigger, faster and stronger, and get a head start on all the other guys in the class. Just an opportunity for me to get bigger and stronger and have a chance to compete and actually play in a spring game. Get my experience up playing the college game."

Kaster still needs to go through new student orientation before classes start Thursday. He said he has no idea what kind of classes he will take to lead off his college career.

The 6-foot-4, 278-pounder from Texas' Rice Consolidated High school said he brought a lot of clothes and a TV to school. He'll be rooming with some Tech students and is trying to learn their names.

"It's a great experience," Kaster said. "I'm enjoying it and having my family up here before they go down home. I start schools Thursday and I'm pretty pumped for that and the whole thing."

Kaster is living through an experience most of us can just imagine.

Kaster is jumping into college courses, the work that comes with it, the weight room and probably some hard knocks once spring football begins in February.

"It's a little bittersweet," Kaster said. "Me leaving school Friday, everyone was kind of sad abut it. But for me to improve and get a head start in the weight room, I'm pretty pumped about that and excited for my opportunity.

"But it has been bittersweet leaving high school and all my friends earlier than expected. It's been alright. I'm happy to be here."