Gruver graduate Jalin Conyers ready to shine for Texas Tech football

Entering his final year of college football, Jalin Conyers has never been more excited and as healthy as he’s been entering a season.

That’s ironic seeing that Conyers suffered broken foot before Texas Tech’s spring football camp not long after transferring from Arizona State.

However, not only did that injury give him time to get the foot back to full strength, but it gave Conyers time to get his body a much-deserved rest.

“Going into my fifth year I feel I’ve constantly been doing something football wise,” Conyers said. “Getting a break in the spring from my injury, it showed me that my body got full time to recover. Going through the summer and getting through work outs while going through rehab and getting ready to go into fall camp is probably the healthiest, I’ve felt in a longtime.”

The 2020 Gruver graduate and one of the most prolific athletes to ever grace the Texas Panhandle made his name as one of the top tight ends the past three years at Arizona State.

Though his team struggled in the win column, Conyers was the face of Sun Devil program thanks to his outgoing personality, his charismatic smile, and definitely his play on the field.

Over those three seasons, Conyers played in 34 games snagging 74 balls for 962 yards with six touchdowns. He was even asked to play other positions including getting reps at quarterback which was a throwback to his days from high school.

Following the 2023 year with eligibility still remaining, Conyers felt it was time to make a change to his future and that was by way of Texas Tech. Conyers grew up rooting for the Red Raiders and when it came down to what’s next, playing at Jones AT&T Stadium was something he couldn’t turn down.

“It happened really quick,” Conyers said. “When I went back into the transfer PORTAL, I knew that if these teams offer me this is what I’m looking for. I had it down to Georgia and here at Texas Tech. I thought coming home would be the best option. I was committed after a week and a half and I’m happy about my decision.

“I was talking to my mother (Kimberly), and this will be the first time all of my family can come to the same game. It’s all been split up before. It will be surreal and emotional. I’m super excited, I’ve grown up a Texas Tech fan so I can wait to play here at the Jones and see it rocking.”

Conyers says Texas Tech quarterback, and West Texas ally Behren Morton is one that deserves major credit for Conyers’ decision to coming to the South Plains.

“I think Behren and I met in third grade,” Conyers said. “We were always at Air It Out camps together, so we’ve been friends a longtime. I joke with Behren all the time that he recruited me after every football season to come to Texas Tech. Now that we get to play together in front of our families will be super cool.”

Morton isn’t the only one enthusiastic to have Conyers on the roster. During the Red Raiders media day Tuesday, head coach Joey McGuire, and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley praised the 23-year-old’s ability.

“Jalin is fully healthy,” McGuire said. “Where all does he fit on the field. We’ve talked about fullback, we’ve talked about Wildcat QB, we’ve talked about tight end or an outside receiver. We need to get him the ball.”

Kittley agreed with McGuire even comparing Conyers to a current NFL All-Pro tight end.

“Jalin is a new age tight end,” Kittley said. “He’s a Travis Kelce type guy that you can move around all over the field. You can put him against a corner or see if they will bump a safety on him. He’s that dynamic.”

In previous years, the tight end hasn’t been featured in Kittley’s offense, but with the addition of Conyers, Johncarlos Miller II and returner Mason Tharp, Conyers is ready for the tight ends to make a statement.

“I’d say we want to show how dynamic we are,” Conyers said. “We have different types of tight ends. Mason is a big body and a great blocker. We have talent at every single position, but we want to show how good the tight ends can be. Our goal is to show what we have and what we can do.”

With Kittley’s plan to make Conyers a focal point, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound standout knows this can be his showcase toward an NFL career. To help prepare himself for that next venture, Conyers was fortunate enough to spend a week in Nashville, Tenn., over the summer with San Francisco tight end George Kittle.

“It was really cool,” Conyers said. “It was George Kittle and Tommy Tremble with a couple of other NFL and college guys. I was able to get on the field and work out with them as well as watch film with them. I learned a lot about route concepts and defenses. I was very fortunate to do that and hang with George Kittle and see what he was like and see how crazy his schedule is. I noticed the difference in the NFL athlete and the college athlete. I learned a lot and I hope to take that into fall camp.”

On top of that experience, Conyers has found himself living out a dream being featured in the highly popular EA Sports College Football “25” video game. Conyers boasts that he’s one of the best to play and never thought he’d ever see himself on that kind of level.

“I don’t lose at this game,” Conyers said. “I’ve won three national championships with Texas Tech, and I have a 46-3 combined record. I play on Heisman level and it’s probably the hardest game I’ve ever played. I’ve played a lot of my friends from Gruver and some teammates. It’s surreal seeing myself in a video game. It’s a dream come true and represent Texas Tech. I wasn’t mad at my profile but my speed could have been a little bit better, but I was pleased overall.”

All fun and games aside, Conyers’ sole focus is set on fall camp and the upcoming 2024 season. Conyers has never played in a bowl game or contended for a league title. He hopes that changes with the level of talent Texas Tech has in the locker room.

“Truthfully, I think this team has the talent to take care of business to win the Big 12 championship,” Conyers said. “I’ve been at Arizona State the last three years and we didn’t win a lot of games. We are serious about getting this done and having a big year.”