TTU coaches hosting JUCO safety this weekend
At the start of the open contact period, Texas Tech started to look into late qualifiers from the junior college ranks. Allan Hancock C.C. (Calif.) safety Thomas Leggett was one of the prospects that received a visit from the coaching staff and an offer from the Red Raiders soon followed.
"Coach (Karl) Scott came out to California to see me recently," Leggett said. "My head coach here at Allan Hancock had told me about Texas Tech and told me they were coming to see me, but we didn't talk until he came out. It was probably about a month ago.
"Coach Scott and my head coach know one another from when he was at Louisiana Tech. There was another defensive back that came out of Allan Hancock a few years back, so my coach was just telling me about Coach Scott and shared all of my information with him. When he came to visit, he asked about my grades and we talked about my situation.
"He really likes my style of play and told me they have a need at the safety position. Safety is what I usually play, but coach also liked that I can play nickel or even go man up and play corner. We talked about how I could help them right away and where I would play just depends on the opponent, what the coaches need me to do that week."
After the visiting for the first time a month ago, Coach Scott recently returned to Allan Hancock C.C. with another member of the Texas Tech staff.
"It was probably about a week after the first visit," Leggett said. "That is when Coach Scott came back for another visit with Coach (Jabbar) Juluke. The coaches told me about the offer and we talked about what they expected from me. They have other junior college guys and they expect them to play right away.
"I did some research since receiving the offer and I have tried to learn more about the team. I know their defense has been struggling and I could come to help them out, just looking at those struggles showed me the need for an instant impact type of guy on the defense."
Leggett will officially visit the South Plains this weekend to learn much more about the opportunity at Texas Tech.
"I'm going there for an official visit this weekend," Leggett said. "I was going to go this past weekend, but the head coach wasn't going to be there so we pushed it back a week and now I'm able to meet with him. My big thing will be the fit, even the campus and the university itself.
"I want to get to the next level, and I'm just excited to see the surrounding area and the football program. I want to make sure that it is somewhere that I will play for the next three years. The coaches told me that Lubbock is a big city within several smaller cities, a true college town that supports the program."
The 6-foot-1, 187-pound prospect is listed as a 2018 prospect, but was a fully qualified prospect out of high school and could join the program of his choice after the spring semester.
"I plan on leaving after this semester," Leggett said. "I can join someone this summer and that is kind of what most colleges are talking with me about right now. They need depth and need players to contribute right away.
"Things are definitely happening quickly. I'm probably going to wait until after the visit before making a decision or signing any of my paperwork. I want to see the Texas Tech program and campus, plus see what all of these other college coaches say over the next two weeks."
So how did a full qualifier from the state of Florida end up playing junior college football in California?
"I actually had a lot of looks out of high school," Leggett said. "The coaches mostly ended up not being serious and never took that next step. I had other opportunities, but did not want to settle for a smaller college or D2 program. So I decided to take the junior college route and my high school coach knew someone at Allan Hancock, then the rest is history."
Currently unrated, Leggett finished with 50 total tackles, 37 solo tackles, one sack and two interceptions - earning Pacific Division All-Conference First Team Defense honors.
He holds one offer from Texas Tech, but coaches from Utah, New Mexico, UTSA and Utah State are also in contact at the moment.