Worth the wait: Texas Tech’s Carr and Rigdon were two of eight Red Raiders to earn scholarships

Canadian graduate Tyler Carr, from left, and Perryton graduate Dalton Rigdon were put on scholarship by Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells on Thursday night. [Elise Bressler/ Texas Tech athletics]

It was a groundbreaking Thursday night for two former Texas Panhandle athletes.

Canadian graduate Tyler Carr and Perryton grad Dalton Rigdon were put on scholarship by Texas Tech football coach Matt Wells. The two were part of eight Red Raider football players awarded scholarships.

Those players being— Malik Essilfie, Connor Killian, Caden Leggett, Michael Nelson, Mark Richardson and Jax Welch.

Wells and the coaching staff surprised Carr, Rigdon and the six other walk-ons during on the field of Jones AT&T Stadium following practice Thursday.

Wells showed his team the Red Raiders hype video that will play on the jumbotron before games. The video then stopped for a breaking news announcement that eight walk-ons were being put on scholarship.

Carr and Rigdon, who are both redshirt sophomores, played their first two years for former coach, Kliff Kingsbury.

Carr, a tight end, turned down multiple Division I and Division II offers to walk-on at Texas Tech, while Rigdon, a wide receiver, gave up a track scholarship for Red Raiders head coach Wes Kittley after his freshman season.

Carr and Rigdon are expected to see plenty of snaps under offensive coordinator David Yost.

Texas Tech opens the season with Montana State at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 at Jones AT&T Stadium.