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Jersey Number 6
John Curry
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-2
- Weight:
- 235
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Lubbock, Texas
- High School:
- Coronado
CAREER HONORS
2025 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
2024 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN)
2023 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
HIGH SCHOOL
PERSONAL
- Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2025, So.)
2025 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
- Switched from his normal position at inside linebacker to start preseason camp to the “star” position due to multiple injuries at the position … refused to give up the starting spot, winning the job during preseason camp and eventually starting in all 14 games for the Red Raiders … was one of eight Red Raiders on the defensive side of the ball to start in all 14 games and one of 15 players on the team to do so.
- Finished fourth on the team with 72 tackles (36 solo), including 3.5 for a loss and a shared sack … one of four Red Raiders with 70-plus tackles on the season, marking the first time Texas Tech has do so since 2015 … the Red Raiders were joined by Arizona as the only Big 12 programs with four or more players with 70-plus tackles and one of 17 schools nationally to do so … recorded multiple stops in all but one game on the season and had five or more tackles in nine different contests.
- Able to stretch the field in coverage with four pass breakups and get in the backfield with a pair of quarterback hurries … contributed to Texas Tech’s FBS-leading 32 takeaways as well with a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries, all of which came during Big 12 play.
- Credited with 745 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus, which ranked sixth on the team and marked the most in his career … highly-rated by the publication with an 81.0 overall grade that was boosted by an 82.6 grade in run defense, an 81.4 grade as a tackler and an 83.2 grade in coverage … one of three Red Raiders to rank at 80.0 or above in three different categories, joining Ben Roberts and David Bailey.
- AWARDS AND HONORS: an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection by the conference coaches.
- SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
- Began the season with three tackles in the season-opening win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (8/30), including one for a loss … sniffed out a screen pass to stuff UAPB for a six-yard loss on the final play before halftime … combined for 12 tackles the next two weeks to close the non-conference slate with five stops versus Kent State (9/6) and seven against Oregon State (9/13) … added his first pass breakup of the season versus the Beavers, which led to a third-down stop and a punt to end Oregon State’s second drive of the game.
- Opened Big 12 play with seven tackles again the next week in a road win at Utah (9/20) … added a fumble recovery in the victory as well, the first of his career … landed on a fumble recovery caused by Ben Roberts late in the first quarter, giving the Red Raiders the ball near midfield … the Red Raiders were intercepted two plays later and could not capitalize on the takeaway.
- Combined for 15 stops the next three games with five at Houston (10/4), six versus Kansas (10/11) and four at Arizona State (10/18) … identified a short pass in the red zone against the Sun Devils for a two-yard loss, leading to a field goal from Arizona State … added a pass breakup in the second half as well.
- Followed with two tackles in the shutout victory over Oklahoma State (10/25) and six stops at Kansas State (11/1) … performance in Manhattan included a key fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter that was returned 10 yards for a touchdown … scooped up a loose ball from a Romello Height sack to push the Red Raiders’ lead to 36-20 with 4:52 remaining in regulation … previously had broken up a fourth-down pass earlier in the quarter.
- Recorded seven tackles in the regular-season win over BYU (11/6), with one of those leading to a fourth-down stop near the line to gain in the fourth quarter … notched his first career sack a week later as part of four tackles against UCF (11/15) … got home at the same time as Jayden Cofield for his first career sack on UCF’s first drive of the second half … wrapped the regular season with one tackle and a quarterback hurry two weeks later at West Virginia (11/29).
- Put together maybe his best performance of his young career in the Edward Jones Big 12 Championship with 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in the win over BYU (12/6) … helped lead his hometown school to its first Big 12 title with his first career game with double-digit tackles … broke up a fourth-down pass midway through the second quarter and added a tackle for loss on the next drive, leading to a BYU punt … helped the Red Raiders put the game away by forcing a fumble from LJ Martin that was recovered by Jayden Cofield … the Red Raiders scored five plays later for a 34-7 lead with 4:39 remaining.
- Victory pushed the Red Raiders to their first College Football Playoff appearance … recorded five tackles in the Capital One Orange Bowl versus Oregon (1/1).
2024 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN)
- Appeared in all 13 games not only on defense but as one of Texas Tech’s most-frequently utilized special teams standouts … joined the inside linebacker rotation as only a redshirt freshman.
- Recorded 35 tackles (18 solo) to go along with an interception and one quarterback hurry … had one assisted tackle for loss that resulted in a one-yard loss … ranked seventh on the team in tackles and third among the linebacker room … had at least one tackle in 12 of 13 games overall with three or more stops in five different contests.
- Credited with 215 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus after regularly entering on key downs … saw double-digit snaps as a linebacker in 10 of 13 games overall, including six times during Big 12 play and again in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl versus Arkansas.
- Finished as Texas Tech’s most-active player on special teams by a large margin … credited with 272 snaps on special teams by PFF, which easily led the team … next-closest player was Wesley Smith with 206 snaps of his own on special teams … member of every special teams unit at different points in the year but was primarily on kickoff return and kickoff coverage … received a 71.2 special teams grade by PFF, which led all non-specialists with at least 60 snaps.
- Made his first career tackle in the season-opening win over Abilene Christian (8/31) … followed with two tackles at Washington State (9/7) to go along with his lone quarterback hurry of the season … closed non-conference play with five tackles in the win over North Texas (9/14) … inserted for 33 defensive snaps in the rout, which marked his second-highest total on the season.
- Opened Big 12 play with four tackles in victory over Arizona State (9/21) … recorded three tackles in his nine snaps on defense and added another on special teams … next big outing came at TCU (10/26) with three stops on defense, grading out at 79.2 as a tackler by PFF afterwards … was one of six times on the year to receive a 70.0 or higher grade as a tackler.
- Kicked off a strong end to the season with two tackles in the win at Oklahoma State (11/23) … combined for 16 of his 35 tackles on the season over the final three games of the season against the Cowboys as well as West Virginia (11/30) and Arkansas (12/27) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
- Set a career high with seven tackles, including his first stop behind the line of scrimmage in the rout of the Mountaineers … combined with Chapman Lewis for a two-yard loss on 3rd-and-3 to end West Virginia’s opening drive with a punt … credited with playing a season-high 37 defensive snaps in the win… added his first career interception, which came on the final play of the game … received an overall defensive grade of 78.4 by PFF that was his third-highest of the season … included an 83.9 grade in run defense and an 83.7 in tackling.
- Wrapped his first full season as a Red Raider by matching his career high of seven tackles versus Arkansas … awarded with his second-highest overall defensive grade of the season at 79.7 by PFF … grade featured an 81.6 rating in run defense and an 82.4 as a tackler.
2023 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
- Redshirt season … appeared in five games on the season, including four times during Big 12 play and again in the Independence Bowl victory over Cal (12/16) … scout team member.
- Utilized on special teams as part of the kickoff and punt return units … credited with appearing in 30 snaps via special teams … made his collegiate debut against Kansas State (10/14) and proceeded to see action in each of the next three games versus BYU (10/21), TCU (11/2) and Kansas (11/11).
HIGH SCHOOL
- Local product out of Coronado High School in Lubbock … three-year varsity letterwinner for the Mustangs, leading Coronado to a pair of district titles and playoff appearances, including a trip to the Class 5A Division I regional semifinals his sophomore year.
- Compiled 260 tackles during his prep career en route to earning All-District honors as both a junior and senior … was an honorable mention All-District 2-5A selection as a senior and a first-team honoree his junior season.
- Recorded 119 tackles as a senior alone, including 7.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss … caused three fumbles that season with two recoveries while also blocking one punt as one of the best linebackers in West Texas … selected to the final ballot for the Whataburger Super Team presented by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football as a senior
- Additionally served as Coronado’s punter, earning second team All-District honors as a senior after averaging 39.2 yards per punt with a long of 78 yards … downed 10 of his 44 punts on the season inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
- Recognized for work in the classroom as a first team Academic All-State honoree by the THSCA … AP student who was a three-time selection (2020-22) for Academic Honor Roll and “Who’s Who in America.”
- Standout for the Coronado baseball program, earning first team All-District honors and second team THSBCA All-State accolades as an outfielder his junior year.
- Committed to head coach Joey McGuire not long after his hiring at Texas Tech after being presented with his first Division-I offer … considered a three-star prospect by the likes of 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and ON3.com … listed as the No. 45 inside linebacker prospect in the country by ESPN.
PERSONAL
- John Daniel Curry … born in Lubbock to parents Ryan Curry and Jolee Luce … has four other siblings in Braidy Curry, Quin Curry, Haylee Luce and Logan Luce.
- Parents are both former Texas Tech student-athletes, as father was a member of the football and track programs from 1999-01, while mother was a standout women’s basketball student-athlete under head coach Marsha Sharp from 2000-04.
- Named after his grandfather, the late John Ayers, who starred at West Texas A&M before a successful 11-year career in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos … grandfather was a two-time Super Bowl champion (XVI, XIX) as an offensive lineman with the 49ers and was a member of the Broncos for Super Bowl XXII.
- Lifelong dream was to become a student-athlete at Texas Tech.
- A sport management major at Texas Tech.
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