Texas Tech Offers Kilgore’s Jonathan Shepherd

Texas Tech has a very good history with East Texas players and is open to taking at least a few more more from the region.

Jonathan Shepherd got a call from the Red Raiders program Wednesday and was offered the opportunity to play in Lubbock upon graduation next year. The Kilgore receiver reported the news through his Twitter account.

Shepherd (6-3, 196) caught for 260 yards and three touchdowns on 17 catches last season toward a 7-5 record and second-round appearance in the Class 4A Division I playoffs. Kilgore utilizes a run-oriented offense.

Texas Tech -- which also has offers out for Pleasant Grove linebacker Xavier Benson and Marshall guard Chasen Hines --  is the third Big 12 Conference program to target Shepherd. Kansas State and TCU are in the mix as well.

Oregon State is a fourth major conference school to take a shot at Shepherd.

The Red Raiders stumbled to a 5-7 record last season, but they still have a solid local reputation thanks to the work head coach and quarterback specialist Kliff Kingsbury put in with former Whitehouse star Patrick Mahomes II.

Mahomes, who declared for the NFL Draft as a true junior, was selected 10th overall last month by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Former Tenaha receiver Reginald Davis also reached the NFL from Texas Tech last month. The Atlanta Falcons offered him a free agent contract after the draft.

Former Lufkin receiver Keke Coutee and former Whitehouse receiver Dylan Cantrell will be on the Red Raiders' roster this season. Both players have already established themselves in the receiver rotation.

If Shepherd ultimately signs with Texas Tech, he might one day catch passes from former Gilmer quarterback McLane Carter. Carter will be a redshirt sophomore this season.

Texas Tech most recently reached a bowl game in 2015. The program went to 11 consecutive bowl games between 2000 and 2010 and was bowl eligible each season from 1993 to 2010.

Shepherd, like all college football prospects currently in their junior year of high school, will become eligible to sing with any program that offers him in December.

2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

• Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-0, 200 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (7)
• Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Georgia State, Houston, Iowa State, North Texas, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, ULL, Virginia (15)
• Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offers from Arkansas State, Army, North Texas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, ULL, ULM (10)
• Drake Centers, Tatum, OL, 6-4, 295 — offers from SMU, Texas State (2)
• Kris Dike, Van, OL, 6-6, 283 — offers from Colorado, Houston, North Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU (6)
• Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-2, 215 — offers from Houston, Mississippi State, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (6)
• Trae Hall, Henderson, QB/ATH, 6-3, 185 — offers from Florida Atlantic, ULL (2)
• Conner Henson, Harmony, OL, 6-4, 250 — offers from ULL, ULM (2)
• Chasen Hines, Marshall, OL, 6-3, 340 — committed to LSU; additional offers from Arizona, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Rice, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech (16)
• Tevailance Hunt, Texas High, WR, 6-2, 180 — committed to Kansas; additional offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall University, Nevada, North Texas, Southern Miss, Tulsa (10)
• Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, UTSA (27)
• Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 5-8, 165 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
• DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, S, 6-4, 196 — offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, UTSA (30)
• Jonathan Shepherd, Kilgore, WR, 6-3, 196 — offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Kansas State, ULM, New Mexico, Oregon State, TCU, Texas Tech (8)
• Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — committed to Washington State; additional offers from Kansas, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULL, ULM, Wyoming (8)