This past weekend, Texas Tech’s football team instantly got a little bit better when Coach Kliff Kingsbury locked up a pair of three-star defensive players in the 2016 class.

Johnathan Picone is a 6’2,220-lb stop-gap linebacker who was rated safely in the top 100 by 247Sports at number 77.

The other defensive standout turning Red Raider is 6’3", nearly 230-lb defensive end Houston Miller.

Like Picone, Miller was rated in well inside the nation's top 100 at his position by 247Sports, slated at 74. Miller will look to give Tech a combination of speed and power off the edge in 2016.

There have now been six Texas Tech commits on the defensive side of the ball in 2016, which should go a long way in building what has been a weakness for the Red Raiders in recent history.

Rivals.com ranks Tech’s 2016 recruiting class at 21st in the nation, and second in the big 12 behind only TCU.

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