Texas Tech football added 4-star safety Hunter Haug, a two-way state champion from Smithson Valley, as the Red Raiders’ 2027 class keeps surging.
Texas Tech football just kept its 2027 recruiting heater alive, and this one comes with serious Lone Star State bite.
Hunter Haug, a 4-star safety from Spring Branch Smithson Valley, has committed to the Red Raiders, giving Joey McGuire’s program another blue-chip defensive back in what’s quickly turning into one of the most aggressive classes in the Big 12.
Haug picked Texas Tech over a strong offer list that included TCU, Oklahoma State, Arkansas and others.
This wasn’t a quiet pickup or a late-board gamble. This was Tech going head-to-head for a top Texas prospect and winning.
The timing wasn’t random, either. Haug’s commitment came shortly after an official visit to Lubbock, where the Red Raiders clearly sold him on development, fit and the direction of the program.
Texas Tech has been building real momentum on the trail, and Haug is another sign that recruits are buying what’s happening in West Texas.
Rivals ranks Haug as the No. 15 player in Texas and the state’s top athlete. If slotted strictly as a safety, he’d rank No. 2 at the position in Texas.
And Haug isn’t just a projection. He’s already produced under bright lights.
As a junior, he helped lead Smithson Valley to a 5A Division I state championship, capped by a 28-6 win over Frisco Lone Star in the title game. Defensively, he finished the season with 57 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles.
Then there’s the offensive tape, which is just as loud. Haug also racked up more than 1,100 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, proving he’s not just a hitter in the secondary. He’s an explosive football player, period.
Texas Tech plans to use him at safety, where his range, physicality and ball skills should translate well.
He joins a growing defensive back group that already includes 4-star cornerback Joshua Banks, Louisiana safety Kaston Lewis and Michigan corner Gideon Gash.
That’s not a rebuild. That’s a statement.
With quarterback commit Kavian Bryant helping drive the class and blue-chip defenders now stacking up behind him, Texas Tech isn’t acting like a program hoping to compete in the Big 12.
The Red Raiders are recruiting like one that expects to run it.
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