Tech continues adding talent with commitment from 2024 RB Johann Cardenas
The newest addition to Texas Tech's 2024 class is St. Thomas (TX) running back Johann Cardenas.
Cardenas fits the mold of a Texas Tech recruit under head coach Joey McGuire, as he's another prospect who excels on the track as well, running a personal best 11.13 100 meter back in the spring.
Cardenas was an All-District performer after putting up 1371 all purpose yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior, and he chose the Red Raiders over offers from Colorado, Colorado State, SMU and UTSA.
Cardenas announced his decision on Thursday, January 12th and says it was something he had been thinking about for a while.
"Me and my family had been talking about it for a while now but specifically Tech. Kinda what coach McGuire is doing over there, it was his first year and he already got them to a bowl game, they beat Ole Miss from the SEC. That alone is pretty crazy. Other things like location and the fact that they're in the Big 12. It's a big conference so I know I'm gonna be going against really good competition at Tech and the teams we'll be competing against as well."
Cardenas took multiple visits to Tech this past year. He initially visited in April for a spring practice, returned in June for a camp and again in October for the home win vs West Virginia. He was also at the Texas Bowl win in Houston last month. Just being around campus and the energy from the fans was definitely something that caught Cardenas' attention, too.
"I think (the fans) are just absolutely insane. Being in the environment whenever I was at the West Virginia game, you know this year West Virginia wasn't really the best, but tons of people were there supporting. Even in my commitment there was so much love from the fans, I did not expect that. I know me committing would be a pretty big deal to Tech and to the fans, considering how many likes I would get on my tweets and everything whenever I would simply go on a visit, but I definitely did not expect that."
Cardenas' has started to develop a good relationship with the entire staff, specifically with his future position coach Kenny Perry.
"I’ve connected with lots of the coaches and even the recruiting staff but the coaches I mostly talk to have been coach Perry, coach McGuire, coach Ortiz, and coach Blanchard. Football is of course extremely important to them but they do see their players as more than football players. I can tell that they truly love their players and care about them as people as well.
(With coach Perry) it really just depends, I would say we talk once a week or once every two weeks but we're in contact pretty often, just checking in on each other."
Cardenas becomes the seventh verbal commit of the 2024 class, joining quarterback Will Hammond, receiver Ivan Carreon, offensive lineman Holton Hendrix and Kasen Long, and athletes Chandlin Myers and Lorenzo Johnson Jr. The class is currently ranked among the top 10 in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings.
"I just committed so I haven't really talked to them too much but we have a group chat and everyone in there is trying to get other '24s to go in. That was another thing about me committing this early, I mean these guys have so much talent and they've already committed early in their junior years, so that was another thing that helped make this decision easier.
(As far as recruiting others) I know a few people, Dakyus Brinkley, he's here in Katy, I used to play junior high ball with him and he has an offer from Tech and a few other schools."
Cardenas' next opportunity to be in Lubbock will be for Junior Day on March 4th, which he plans to attend.
Now committed and done with the process, Cardenas says Tech fans should expect a hard worker and someone who will give it his all for the team.
"Me personally, I'm not a very cocky person. I've always kinda made that a goal for myself to not be a cocky person because I do have God-given abilities and so I'm unbelievably blessed, but at the same time I also make it my goal to be the hardest worker wherever I'm at. If that's in the class of 2024, my goal is outwork those kids in any way possible and even in school ball I make sure to be the example and be the hardest-working person even though I've had a lot of success when it comes to recruiting and college attention."
Cardenas is currently ranked by Rivals as a 5.6 three-star recruit, though there is plenty of time for that to increase over the off-season.