The Texas Tech coaches landed a commitment from South Oak Cliff tight end Trey Jackson last month and the three-star standout recapped his decision with the RedRaiderSports team at the time.
In order to learn more about what the Red Raiders are getting with Jackson, we reached out to South Oak Cliff defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Michael Traylor for a conversation.
Q: Coach, first off congrats on another state championship this past season. How long have you been coaching at SOC again?
MT: "Thank you Matt, we are already working towards winning the next one! I have been coaching here at SOC for 12 years now."
Q: How long has Trey been in the SOC program?
MT: "Trey came in as a freshman and he had always played wide receiver and tight end as a youngster. Everyone kind of knew Trey from his youth days, he played for Deion Sanders and the Truth little league. He was always a bigger kid, but he was athletic and could move so well for his age."
Q: You mentioned his size, how has Trey developed over the years into the player he is today?
MT: "Trey actually had a growth spurt after his freshman year and we thought he was going to be a basketball player. He kind of put football aside and focused more on his basketball development. Trey never skipped a football season or anything, but he focused most of his training on basketball.
"He is very athletic, and a lot of times you get very tall kids they are uncoordinated or corky when it comes to the game. Trey has always been the big kid, however, he runs faster and is stronger than you think he is. That has helped him develop on the football field, and he essentially had a touchdown every time he touched the ball this past season. Trey just makes plays and we were able to send him over the middle, plus he really helped as a possession receiver for us."
Q: When did his recruitment really get started or when did college coaches really start to notice Trey?
MT: "A lot of coaches would see our roster or the information that I share from a recruiting standpoint, then they would say 'I see you have a 6-foot-5 receiver, I'm coming to see him this spring' and they would come to confirm the size. Most coaches liked his frame and athleticism, but they wanted to see him play in games before offering.
"It really depends on the school, some coaches could see that he was underappreciated with all of the talent around him. A lot of coaches would come to see Jamyri Cauley in person, then they would notice Trey and start asking about him."
Q: Can you tell me more about your relationship with the Texas Tech coaches and how they have recruited Trey?
MT: "It is funny because Joey McGuire has seen Trey for a while too, he used to practice at Cedar Hill as a youngster. When they showed interest and he realized that Trey was the tall young man who used to practice at their field, Joey was amazed at his progression and how his frame had filled out. For me, I have obviously known Joey for a long time, but as a program we have known guys like Coach (Zarnell) Fitch and Coach (Marcel) Yates and others on the Texas Tech staff for years.
"These guys know how we develop at our program and the overall relationship is really good with the Texas Tech coaching staff. I truly feel like they are building the program and they are really onto something. With Joey's connections throughout the state at the high school level they are pulling in some big time, talented kids."
Q: As a recruiting coordinator, did Trey come to you and the staff before making his commitment to Texas Tech?
MT: "Yes sir, I talk with my guys constantly. I tell them to be prepared to make a decision earlier these days with the transfer portal, junior college and everything else going on with college football recruiting. In my opinion, it isn't time to wait, if you have 10 offers then young men need to have a top five (5) or start to really narrow down their options by spring football.
"It is my role to communicate with those college coaches. Most of the coaches want to know where they stand, and it is better for most players to make a decision or narrow down their options. When we have the conversation in that context, most players will say they are done with the recruiting process and know where they want to go.
"Trey called me and said that he and his parents wanted to meet. He had visited three (3) different schools and said he loved Lubbock, the program, the coaches at Texas Tech. He had made a decision and they wanted to talk it through before announcing."
Q: You mentioned just how talent there is on the roster at SOC, so what type of leader is Trey within your locker room?
MT: "I think Trey is more of a Jerry Rice type leader, he just leads by example and his actions. He works very hard and always wants the ball in clutch situations, in any sport he plays - varsity football, varsity basketball and varsity track & field. Trey is a team first guy and you have to love those types of kids as a coach."
Q: The coaches are recruiting Trey to play tight end at the college level, how do you think he fits in at the next level?
MT: "As I mentioned, he has done nothing but grow since coming in our program. Trey has a 6-foot-10 wing span and I feel like he can easily carry another 30-40 pounds on his frame. He is already 6-foot-5, 220-pounds today, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him playing at 6-foot-6, 250-260-pounds in college."
Q: What about outside of athletics, does Trey also excel in the classroom?
MT: "Absolutely, he does great in school. He is actually looking into the credits to graduate early. The coaches are helping him look into it now, so he should know more about that soon."
