Freshman Spotlight: Big 12 Tramain Swindall

By Brian Vornberg

It's not that often that you'll see the Red Raiders going into the state of Oklahoma to pick out a prized recruit. In 2007, it was different.

Tramain Swindall came to Texas Tech as one of the star recruits of their 2007 class. With a plethora of receivers last season, the rangy 6'2, 175-pound receiver out of Oklahoma City decided to redshirt. Now he's ready to get onto the field in Lubbock.

Swindall came out of high school with less hype than the other receivers from the '07 class, but he certainly possesses all the tools needed to fit in right away in Mike Leach's pass-happy offense. He finished his high school career with 73 receptions and 1,702 yards (24-yard avg.) over his final two years to go along with 22 touchdowns. Not only was Swindall an exceptional receiver, he was also an excellent defensive back at Millwood High. His ended his high school career with a game-winning interception in the Oklahoma state title game with 30 seconds left and the opposing team driving.

In 2007, Rivals.com rated Swindall as the No. 54 wide receiver in the country and the No. 5 player out of Oklahoma. Somewhat surprisingly, the receiver chose the Red Raiders over others such as Kansas State, Missouri and Texas A&M.

His biggest asset will undoubtedly be his big, soft hands and his leaping ability. Swindall also adjusts very well to the ball while it's in the air.

If anyone is questioning Swindall's loyalty to his new program, he certainly answered those questions immediately. Swindall showed his pride for Tech, sporting the Red Raider's logo shaved into the side of his head during that memorable state championship game after his teammates all agreed to get Mohawks if they made it that far.

When asked about his anticipation of joining the Red Raider team, Swindall stated, "I'm very excited. They're losing receivers, so I'm going to have a chance to play. But if not, just being in Lubbock and a part of that pass-oriented offense is exciting." I'm fairly certain that for head coach Mike Leach and his pass-oriented offense, the feeling is mutual.