Mike Salinas addressed recruiting almost immediately after being named TAMUK’s head football coach.
“Our staff will work tirelessly to recruit and build champions on and off the field,” Salinas said.
And his mention of tireless work seems appropriate since only 47 days separated last Tuesday’s National Signing Day and his hiring.
Regardless of the time constraint, 46 high school athletes have elected to continue their gridiron exploits in Blue and Gold.
Of these 46 recruits, 11 were mined from the deep pool of South Texas talent.
Six athletes will relocate to Kingsville after standout careers in the Rio Grande Valley.
Quarterback Jacob Cavazos of Weslaco High, will reunite with his former coach as he played for Salinas in 2017 and 2018. In his final season, he was District 31-6A’s Offensive MVP, amassing 3,257 total yards and 39 touchdowns.
He led his team to the third round of the playoffs and was First-Team All-Area quarterback.
Cavazos will battle McAllen Rowe’s quarterback Jonas Ortiz for a spot under-center. Ortiz threw for 2,201 yards, ran for 587 yards and reached the goal line 28 times as a senior.
These two aspiring shot-callers will have a potentially reliable target in Edinburg Vela’s Kevin Rojas. Rojas was an all-district receiver for the SaberCats, snagging 69 receptions for 967 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Brownsville pace’s Rafael Recio made a name for himself in the trenches, earning the honor of District 16-5A DI’s Offensive Lineman of the Year.
With the signing of Weslaco East kicker Gilbert Garza, Salinas and staff are gaining a player who is no stranger to being called on in the clutch. The senior booted 36 of 38 extra points and four of six field goal attempts in his final fall.
Defensive terror Seven Sanchez will make his way to Javelina Nation from PSJA North.
The safety piled up 158 total tackles in the fall of 2019, including eight for loss and four sacks. He had a hand in turnovers six times and swatted away 10 passes.
Similar to these six players, Salinas was a star athlete in Edinburg before lettering for the Javelinas.
The Corpus Christi area provided the Javelinas with five athletes in Cassis Clay (Miller), Jackson Allen (Sinton), Josh Gidrey (John Paul II) and Kobe Piper and Anthony Guerrero from Veterans Memorial.
Clay was a two-way standout for the Buccaneers, but is currently listed as a wide receiver.
Allen was a star in the Sinton defensive backfield, racking up 107 total tackles and three interceptions.
Guidry was a versatile contributor for the Centurions. He will likely be battling for carries in the offensive backfield, as he is currently listed as a running back.
Piper and Guerrero were the first four-year letter winners in Veterans Memorial history.
They join the Blue and Gold as running back and defensive lineman, respectively.
The Javelinas hope to add to their successful recruiting process through a walk-on tryout Feb. 19.
Salinas and company kick off the 2020 season with a homestand against Colorado State University-Pueblo on Sept. 5.
