As seniors decide between staying or moving on, Texas Tech has emerged as a beneficiary of the extra season

Matt Wells never really saw it as re-recruiting his own players.

Like all his FBS colleagues across the country, the Texas Tech coach faced a new reality after this season. In August and against the background of the pandemic, the NCAA approved an extra year of eligibility for fall sport athletes, including football players.

“Just the fact that you would even be having these conversations with seniors is different,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said last month.

Instead of just juniors having to make a call on their college and NFL futures, every senior faced a more complex decision — take advantage of the extra year or moving on to the NFL or another school.

“I really didn’t look at it as recruiting your own players,” Wells said in a phone interview. “I looked at it as legit real conversations at where they’re at in their development, where they’re at in their draft status, where they are in college and what they have to do to improve.

“You aren’t going to talk a guy into coming when they don’t want to.”

For whatever reason, Tech emerged as one of the beneficiaries so far of the extra season.

Nine seniors, including seven starters, have indicated they will return. That includes five defensive starters (linebackers Colin Schooler, Riko Jeffers and Jacob Morgenstern along with defensive backs DaMarcus Fields and Eric Monroe). Tech now has its top four tacklers returning when otherwise they’d be leaving.

After a 4-6 season, more than 105 players and staff members who had tested positive for COVID-19 and job speculation about Wells, nine players decided to come back.

“I think the fact nine guys have chosen to come back to Texas Tech, I think it’s the right decision for them but it also fosters our chances of being better and improved in 2021,” Wells said. “I think it also shows a sign that the locker room is turning and things are on the rise here. If it wasn’t, those young men wouldn’t come back.”

Because Tech didn’t go to a bowl, it was among the teams that got a head start on the roster management.

Other schools are learning more now. Orange Bowl champion Texas A&M saw quarterback Kellen Mond, a four-year starter, and three seniors from a standout offensive line declare for the NFL draft this week.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger, another four-year starter, announced his decision to leave this week a day after the hiring of new coach Steve Sarkisian.

“No seniors have really been in this position to where they’ve been granted an extra year of eligibility,” Ehlinger said before making this decision.

Mond acknowledged that the extra year “was something that was talked around the locker room.”

A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said he wanted to make certain his players had the right information.

“I think everyone has to look and see what’s your projection, where you’re at and make the right decision for yourself,” Fisher said. “We’ll work on that with them and try to help them make the best choice for them, whatever is best for their future. …

“I want to do what’s best for our young men.”

Wells said players met with him, strength coach Dave Scholz and their position coach.

Wells said he basically has three parts to his recruiting class: the high school players in the December/February signing periods, the returning seniors and the transfers from a burgeoning NCAA portal.

Clouding projections is roster management. While the returning seniors won’t count against the 85-scholarship limit in the FBS, there has been no NCAA guidance beyond that.

For now, players and schools have something new to consider.

“The NCAA created this opportunity due to COVID and I think these guys are smart to sit down, take a deep breath, clear their head from the season,” Wells said, “because it was tough on all us and make the right informed decision for their careers, their individual advancement and what’s best for them and their families.”

Coming back

Some of the notable local and area seniors who have been announced their decisions to return for an extra year of NCAA eligibility.

Find more Texas Tech stories from The Dallas Morning News here.