In one of the more unusual twists of fate on the recruiting trail, the Texas Tech basketball team landed a second signing of guard/forward Jaylon Tyson. This time though, here’s betting it lasts.
Tyson played last summer at Texas, where he averaged just 1.8 points per game over eight games. And just over a week ago, he put his name on the transfer portal. Then, on Sunday, he committed to the Red Raiders and Mark Adams, meaning he could join the team for practices (but not games) once school starts.
If that name is familiar to Red Raider fans, it’s because Tyson was a Red Raider senior as a high school prospect. In May 2020, he verbally committed to Tech, and in November of that year, he signed his letter of intent.
But when Chris Beard left Lubbock for Texas, Tyson asked in his letter of intent, a request Tech complied with. Tyson and point guard Avery Benson were the only two players with Texas Tech ties to follow Beard to Austin, and now, Tyson has returned to his first college basketball home.
Committed❤️🖤❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/LkmcXNnyhs
— jaylontyson_ (@jaylontyson) January 10, 2022
Don’t be fooled by his meager statistics in Austin. Tyson is a very good player. As a high school student, he was ranked the 36th player in the nation and the 9th small forward in his class by 247Sports.com.
Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports had the following recon report on Tyson when he was coming out of high school: “Tyson is a scoring wing who can make shots from all three ranges. What makes him special is his size, strength and skill. Tyson has a lot in his triple threat bag as he can put the ball down effectively to create a shot or get to the rim or accurately shoot the ball with range. He is strong with the ball in his hands and is a solid passer who can make the right plays up front. A prospect who exploded during the start of his high school season, Tyson has all the tools to be a productive offensive talent in the Big XII.
What’s more, Tyson’s commitment does little to boost the morale of Red Raider fans in the suddenly heated rivalry with the Longhorns. Getting Tyson out of Tech was originally a huge win for Beard and his new coaching staff, but now, Tech fans are pointing to this turn of events as a sign that the culture in Lubbock is healthier than the culture Beard is in. farming on the 40 acres.
But no matter what you say about the hatred between Tech and UT, this is a significant development for the Red Raiders. Jaylon Tyson has returned to the fold for the Red Raiders and that is a huge development for the future of Mark Adams’ program.
