2019 Football Roster
Roster
Riko Jeffers
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 240
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Garland, Texas
- High School:
- Sachse
2021 SEASON (SUPER SENIOR)
Recorded his third season with 70 or more tackles to conclude his career as a Red Raider … once again among Texas Tech’s top defensive standouts … tabbed to the team captains circle for a third-consecutive season in a vote of his teammates … started in all 13 games on the season, totaling 72 tackles (40 solo), including 1.5 that went for a loss … of that total, had one solo sack to go along with four quarterback hurries, three pass breakups and an interception … ranked third on the team in total tackles, trailing only Colin Schooler (106) and Eric Monroe (83) … one of four defensive players to start in all 13 games, joining Colin Schooler, Jaylon Hutchings and Tyree Wilson … utilized on 750 snaps defensively, which ranked fifth on the team … had at least three tackles in all 13 games and five or more stops in 10 games overall … CAREER NUMBERS: concluded his Red Raider career with 299 tackles (182 solo), including 26.5 for loss and 7.5 sacks, over 59 games … added four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception and six passes defended during that span … finished one tackle shy of becoming the 15th Red Raider in school history to notch 300 stops in a career … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened the season with one of his most memorable performances of his career, finishing with four tackles, a sack and a pick-six in the come-from-behind win over Houston (9/4) … interception returned for a touchdown came midway through the third quarter, tying the game at 21-21 as part of 31 unanswered points by the Red Raiders … marked the first pick-six by a Red Raider since Adrian Frye found the end zone against Lamar in 2018 … performance led to him being named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career … closed non-conference play with nine tackles over the next two games with six coming against Stephen F. Austin (9/11) and three versus Florida International (9/18) … matched his career high with two quarterback hurries and then a pass breakup against FIU … strong start to Big 12 play with seven tackles at Texas (9/25) and then nine stops and a pass breakup the next week at West Virginia (10/2) … his nine tackles in the win over the Mountaineers marked a season high … posted six tackles in each of the next two weeks against TCU (10/9) and at Kansas (10/16) and then five stops against both Kansas State (10/23) and at Oklahoma (10/30) … put together four tackles in the win over Iowa State (11/13) before following with five against Oklahoma State (11/20) and seven at Baylor (11/27) to close the regular season … part of a Texas Tech defense that allowed only seven points and 344 yards of total offense to Mississippi State (12/28) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl … had five tackles in the win to conclude his career for a Red Raider defense that forced three takeaways and kept Mississippi State well under its season offensive averages … AWARDS AND HONORS: honorable mention All-Big 12 selection for the third-consecutive season … chosen to play in the Hula Bowl in Orlando following the season … tabbed the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 6 following his game-changing interception that went for a touchdown against Houston.
2020 SEAS0N (SENIOR)
Among the team leaders for tackles once again during 2020 campaign … named to the team captains circle for a second-consecutive season … ranked fourth on the team with 58 tackles (33 solo) after appearing and starting in all nine games … missed only the season finale at Kansas (12/5) due to injury … led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss, giving him 25.0 for his career entering one final year as a Red Raider … was one TFL shy of his career high that was set as a junior in 2019 … shared at least one tackle for a loss in all but two games on the season … recorded 1.5 sacks, giving him 6.5 now for his career … added a team-leading seven quarterback hurries as well as a pass breakup … posted at least five tackles in seven games overall … reached double digits for tackles once on the year, pushing his career total to four games … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: closed the year ranked 15th in the league for tackles per game (6.4) … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: came close to hitting the double-digit mark for tackles in the season opener versus Houston Baptist (9/12) before finishing with nine, which included 1.5 tackles for loss and a shared sack … matched his career high with two tackles for loss in the win as well … managed to hit the mark two weeks later in the Big 12 opener against Texas (9/26), notching a season-high 10 tackles overall, one shy of his career high … performance included a shared tackle for a loss … limited to only one tackle at Kansas State (10/3) but managed to tie his career high with two quarterback hurries … notched five tackles, including one for a loss, at Iowa State (10/10) … totaled nine tackles in two of the next three games against West Virginia (10/24) and TCU (11/7) … performance against the Mountaineers featured a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss as well … in between, had seven tackles, with 1.5 for a loss, to go along with a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry … recorded seven tackles again in the win over Baylor (11/14) … dropped Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer for a sack in the first half, marking the final contest over a five-game stretch with a tackle for a loss … injured early in road trip to Oklahoma State (11/28), finishing with only one tackle … AWARDS AND HONORS: garnered honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades by the conference coaches for a second-consecutive season … was a third team All-Big 12 honoree by Phil Steele Magazine ... tabbed to the Butkus Award watch list (nation's top linebacker) prior to the season ... SENIOR DECISION: elected to return to the Red Raiders for one final season of eligibility as granted by the NCAA.
2019 SEASON (JUNIOR)
Continued to be a centerpiece for a Texas Tech unit that was in its first season under new defensive coordinator Keith Patterson … named to the team captains circle as one of five junior representatives … appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts at linebacker … lone exception came as a result of sitting out the first half of the Baylor game due to a targeting penalty the previous week … finished second on the team with 76 tackles (53 solo) and 9.5 tackles for a loss … was also tied for second with 3.0 sacks alongside fellow linebacker Jordyn Brooks … all of his sacks came against Big 12 foes … led the team with two forced fumbles … recorded at least five tackles in all but two games and reached the 10-tackle mark once … had at least one tackle for a loss in eight games as well, including in six of nine Big 12 games … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: ended the season ranked tied for fourth in forced fumbles per game (0.17) … was also 14th in the league for tackles per game (6.3) and tied for 14th in total tackles for loss (9.5) … also ranked tied for fourth for forced fumbles in league games only … against conference foes only, was also 10th in tackles for loss per game (0.89), 12th in sacks per game (0.33) and 13th in tackles per game (6.7) … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened the season with seven tackles, including a shared takedown for a loss, against Montana State (8/31) … added four tackles the next week in a win over UTEP (9/7) … had a busy night at Arizona (9/14), totalling five solo tackles and a tackle for a loss … continued to make his presence felt in the Big 12 opener at Oklahoma (9/28), recording seven tackles, including 1.5 that went for a loss … accumulated six tackles in back-to-back weeks against both Oklahoma State (10/5) and at Baylor (10/12) … performance at Baylor was impressive knowing he sat out the first half after being flagged for a targeting penalty late in the Oklahoma State victory … limited to a season-low three tackles against Iowa State (10/19) … rebounded the next two weeks with seven tackles at Kansas (10/26) and five in a win at West Virginia (11/9) … matched his career high with two tackles for a loss versus the Mountaineers, which also featured his first sack of the year and his lone pass breakup … knocked the ball loose on his sack of Austin Kendall late in the first quarter, allowing Eli Howard to fall on the fumble to give the Red Raiders the ball deep in their own territory with a 21-3 lead … was the first of two forced fumbles in the game as he also stripped Winston Wright following a completion over the middle midway through the third quarter … his two forced fumbles matched his career total entering the game … went three-straight games with a sack after also finding the quarterback against both TCU (11/16) and Kansas State (11/23) … sack against TCU was part of 11 tackles, matching his career high in the process … marked the third time in his career with 10 or more tackles … actually had 11 tackles in each of those three games … matched a different career high versus Kansas State with two tackles for a loss … recorded seven tackles versus the Wildcats and then added eight in the regular-season finale at Texas (11/29) … closed the year with at least one tackle for a loss in each of the final four games … AWARDS AND HONORS: earned honorable mention All-Big 12 accolades by the conference coaches.
2018 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Put together a breakout season as part of a deep linebacker core … appeared in all 12 games, while making one start which came at Kansas State (11/17) ... finished third on the team with 71 tackles, trailing only fellow linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Dakota Allen … ranked tied for second on the team with 7.0 tackles for a loss, resulting in 30 yards lost … added a pair of sacks, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup as well … contributed to Texas Tech’s turnover count via two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery … notched at least two tackles in all but one game … posted seven or more tackles in six games, including each of the final five games … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: ranked 19th in the league with 5.9 tackles per game … average jumped up to 6.2 tackles per game in league play, which ranked 23rd overall … ended the year tied for fifth with two forced fumbles … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began his year with four tackles, including one for a loss, against Ole Miss (9/1) in Houston … followed by putting together one of the most complete defensive performances of his tenure with a career high-tying two tackles for a loss versus Lamar (9/8) … performance was part of nine tackles, which more than doubled his career high at the time … added a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble in the rout as well … snagged two more tackles, including an assisted tackle for a loss, in the non-conference finale versus Houston (9/15) … recovered a fumble on a muffed punt in the road win against Oklahoma State (9/22) in Stillwater … notched three solo tackles, including one for a loss, at home against West Virginia (9/29) … racked up two tackles and pressured the quarterback once in Thursday night road win at TCU (10/11) … collected five tackles in a dominating victory at home against Kansas (10/20) … set a new career high in tackles with 11 at Iowa State (10/27), which included a key fourth-quarter sack … his sack knocked the ball loose from Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy in the end zone, allowing Allen to recover for a game-tying touchdown … posted seven tackles the following week against Oklahoma (11/3) … added another nine tackles in the home finale versus Texas (11/10) … tied his career-high with 11 tackles at Kansas State (11/17), starting in place of an injured Allen … rounded out the year with eight tackles and a sack against Baylor (11/24) in Arlington.
2017 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
Saw significant action defensively and on special teams during true freshman season … one of four true freshmen to see playing time … appeared in 13 games with a pair of starts at MIKE linebacker … recorded 22 tackles to go along with a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry … led all true freshmen in tackles and ranked third among linebackers … led the team with eight special teams tackles, seven of which came on kickoff duty … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made collegiate debut with two tackles against Eastern Washington (9/2) … closed non-conference play with two more tackles at Houston (9/23) … began Big 12 play with a tackle against Oklahoma State (9/30) … forced his first career fumble a week later at Kansas (10/7) while also notching three tackles … had a tackle against both West Virginia (10/14) and Oklahoma (10/28) before posting a career-high six takedowns against Kansas State (11/4) … finished second on the team in tackles versus the Wildcats … the K-State game was the first of two-straight starts at linebacker … followed with three tackles the next week against Baylor (11/11) in the Texas Farm Bureau Shootout … recorded his first career quarterback hurry against TCU (11/18) … ended the season with three tackles in the Birmingham Bowl against USF.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Sachse High School in Garland, Texas ... an unanimous selection as the District 10-6A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior at Sachse High School … was a unanimous first team All-District honoree at linebacker as well … ended senior campaign with an impressive 141 tackles, including 20 for a loss as well as five sacks … also forced one fumble, recovered another and registered 14 quarterback hurries … totaled six pass breakups in coverage for a Sachse team that finished 11-1 overall and won the District 10-6A title ... Sachse eventually advanced to second round of the Class 6A Division I playoffs … was a second team All-District 11-6A selection as a junior … held offers from over 15 schools across the country … three-star prospects according to Rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247Sports … ranked as the 67th best player in the state of Texas by Rivals … ranked No. 24 on the Rivals listing of top inside linebackers in the country … listed as the No. 3 inside linebacker in Texas by both Rivals and Scout … was Scout’s No. 26 inside linebacker in the country … CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, Houston, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, New Mexico, North Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU, Washington State.
PERSONAL
Riko Jeffers ... born in Dallas, Texas ... son of Riko Jeffers and Nicole Woods ... one of five siblings ... earned his degree in university studies from Texas Tech as part of the December 2020 commencement ceremonies ... degree features concentrations in studio art, communication studies and restaurant, hotel and institutional management.
CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 11, three times, vs. TCU (2019)*
Tackles For Loss: 2.5, vs. West Virginia (2020)
Sacks: 1.0, seven times, vs. Houston (2021)*
Interceptions: 1, vs. Houston (2021)
Touchdowns: 1, vs. Houston (2021)
Fumbles Forced: 2, at West Virginia (2019)*
Fumbles Recovered: 1, twice, at Oklahoma State (2018)*
Quarterback Hurries: 2, four times, vs. Florida International (2021)*
Pass Breakups: 1, six times, at Oklahoma (2021)*
Blocked Kicks: 1, vs. Stephen F. Austin (2016)
* indicates most recent high
