by Aaron Dickens
RedRaiderSports.com
12-29-2009

Less than 72 hours after re-affirming his pledge to Texas Tech, Wesson (Miss.) Copiah-Lincoln defensive lineman Donald Langley has made it official.
"I just faxed my Letter of Intent and shipped it off," he said.

The 6-foot-2, 290-pound prospect was originally expected to sign with the Red Raiders on Wednesday, but his father advised him to spend one more day going over his decision.

"My dad told me to take some time and think about it a little bit more and make sure that it's what I want to do," he said. "I told him that this was where I feel like I can be the best player that I can be, athletically and academically.

"I just said, 'You know, my heart is at Texas Tech and I want to be a Red Raider.'"

Langley has repeatedly cited his close relationship with the team's defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill and cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell as the main reason why he chose Texas Tech.

"Coming from JUCO, you've got two years, you can't make a mistake again," Langley said last week. "I just have to find the best situation for me that's going to get me out on the field right away, and coaches that have my best interest in mind. Luckily for me, at Tech I found Coach Mitch and Coach Ruffin that like me and have my best interest at heart.

"The situation made it great. Ruffin is my friend because I'm in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, he's in my frat. We already have a different level of communication, a different level of brotherhood. Coach Mitch is just a classy, class guy and Coach [Mike] Leach made it even better. It just made it seem like that it's not going to be another mistake, it's going to be great."

According to McNeill, the Red Raiders feel the same way.

"I appreciate that from him because the feeling is very mutual," he said on Thursday. "First thing is he's a great person. The mold that we're looking for as far as a guy who is serious about academics. He's serious about playing football, he's serious about preparation for academics and very serious about preparation for football.

"He's got games under his belt, which is another thing. We need a guy who has been in some games and has made contact, who has been around and can come in, because he's got to come in with the mentality that we expect him to be a factor for us early. I think that's what his mindset is and that's what our mindset is as well."

Langley is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 41 junior college player in the 2010 class.