The Texas Tech landed a new 2023 commitment when Mansfield Timberview four-star safety Jordan Sanford announced to the Red Raiders this evening.
RedRaiderSports reached out to Mansfield Timberview Co-Defensive Coordinator and Safeties Coach Robby Sevier to learn more about what the Texas Tech program is getting with Sanford.
When did you first start coaching Jordan?
Coach Sevier: "We have had Jordan in the program since his freshman year and he came in as a quarterback. The program was looking for him to be a big-time player on offense with his speed, getting the ball into his hands. Jordan played quarterback his freshman year and scored something like 35-40 touchdowns."
So when did Jordan begin playing defense and defensive back?
Coach Sevier: "Well, we knew he was a much better runner or athlete than a thrower, and we all saw the future potential for him to play defense and really start to play both sides of the ball. Jordan played Junior Varsity quarterback his sophomore year and played some free safety. He learned a lot that season and was kind of frustrated learning defense, learning the safety position.
"Jordan is a very conscientious kid, it really matters to him what he is doing and how he is doing it. He developed quickly at the safety position and we actually pulled him up to Varsity that season to help with depth. That gave him the opportunity to keep learning the position, in terms of where to be on the field."
It seems like Jordan made a pretty big leap in his development from his sophomore to junior seasons given all the scholarship offers, can you share more about his development into a Division One (D1) athlete?
Coach Sevier: "His growth from sophomore to junior year was unbelievable, especially his knowledge of the position and understanding of the movement patterns. Jordan trains with a well-known defensive back trainer here in DFW, Coach Flight, and you could tell he was putting in the work. He would come in during the summer last year and spent a ton of time with me asking questions, watching film.
"I actually took over as our Safeties Coach last year and Jordan was fighting for a starting spot. It wasn't for certain that he would start, but he really came out and grabbed the spot. Jordan ended up being our best cover guy, safety or cornerback, and we moved him around for man coverage against the opposing team's best receiver. He was able to completely shut down his guy and it helped our defense become better overall."
You mentioned multiple positions, can you speak to how versatile Jordan can be at the college level playing different positions in the secondary?
Coach Sevier: "Jordan is very versatile, he played corner and nickel and safety for us at different times. He is a dude and because of that we will have the same approach this season. It should help him a lot going into the college level, because he will know the positions and it should help him get onto the field sooner depending on the team's needs."
We focus so much on football and ability on the recruiting beat, but what can you tell us about Jordan off the field?
Coach Sevier: "Jordan is a phenomenal kid and a great student. He has offers from schools like Northwestern and Vanderbilt, so grades are not an issue. For me, he just loves football and really wants to get better. Jordan is a kid our coaching staff can point to as an example of how to do things the right way. He is more of a leader by example, he is here every day putting in work and he will take a younger player aside to show them technique or how to do something the right way."
How much interaction did you and your staff have with the Texas Tech coaches during the recruiting process?
Coach Sevier: "I have personally talked with Marcel Yates a few times. He was just asking me about Jordan off of the field. All college coaches can evaluate film and identify talent, so our conversations were more about what kind of a kid Jordan is and how well he takes coaching."
