Texas Tech Lands Massive Four Star Linebacker Recruit

Red Raiders build impressive recruiting class

Jul 14, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Texas Tech Red Raiders helmet logo during the Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Texas Tech Red Raiders continue to bolster their 2027 recruiting class. 

The Red Raiders already boast a top-five 2027 class, and they have only gotten better with their latest recruit. Texas Tech has landed Houston's own four-star linebacker Jhadyn Nelson. 

Nelson has committed to Tech. College football recruiter insider Hayes Fawcett and Sam Spiegelman broke the news on Wednesday. 

🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star LB Jhadyn Nelson has committed to Texas Tech, @Hayesfawcett3 and @samspiegs report🌵

Read: https://t.co/aBbrU4jahK pic.twitter.com/dh3Wz1qtbY

— Rivals (@Rivals) March 18, 2026

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound defender has been heavily recruited, hailing from Houston Langham Creek High School. 

Nelson chose the Red Raiders over other top schools like Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Kansas State, Kentucky, Memphis, Miami, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, Tulsa and UTSA.

He was a highly touted recruit that many schools wanted. However, Nelson will now take a trip West to Lubbock and guide the Red Raiders starting in the 2027 season. 

Nelson spoke about his recruiting process and what stood out that ultimately led him to choose the Red Raiders.

“Of course, they were the first school to offer me,” Nelson said, who indicated that the Red Raiders’ staff made his“football dreams come true.”

“They gave me a deal I couldn’t pass up,” he added.

The top linebacker added that Tech provided much more than the other schools, in regards to development, NIL and the relationships he's built.

“This program has great coaches. They are great coaches, and also great people,” Nelson said. “Coach Blanch, Coach McGuire, Coach (Brian) Nance, Coach (Shiel) Wood. They’re all great people and I love to surround myself with great people. Shiel Wood is the defensive coordinator and also my position coach, so he’s gonna put me in a position to make plays. I’ve heard stories about Coach McGuire and they sent me a video of him working out with the team. That’ssomething I wanna be a part of.”

Another thing that swayed Nelson was the opportunity to play with his big brother.

“They gave me the option to play with my big bro in college, and that’s a big deal for me,” he said. “Without that, without the money, they have been No. 1 on my list for a long time.”

Is Texas Tech Building One of the Nation’s Best Recruiting Classes for 2027?

According to 247Sports, the linebacker from the 2027 class is rated as the No. 26 linebacker in the country and the No. 46 overall recruit in Texas for the 2027 class.

The 247Sports Composite — an average of the major recruiting ranking services — ranks the high school junior as the No. 190 overall player in the country, the No. 14 linebacker in the nation, and the No. 29 prospect in the Lone Star State.

His 2024 sophomore season was when Nelson made a name for himself. However, he took his game to the next level in 2025. In that season, he tallied 59 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception.  

The addition of Nelson only adds to the excellence of the Red Raiders' 2027 class. The 2027 recruiting class for Tech now consists of six commits, ranking sixth in the country and the best in the Big 12. 

On the defensive side, Nelson joins fellow top Tech recruits like the top-rated defensive lineman in the nation, Jalen Brewster, out of Cedar Hill, along with fellow defensive lineman K'Adrian Redmon, a four-star recruit out of DeSoto (TX), and three-star edge Brody Pfannenstiel as defensive players on Texas Tech's commitment list.

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