Texas Tech went global again and landed its second commitment from the NFL Academy in London, England this week. Zarius Matavao, a 6-foot-5, 297-pound offensive lineman committed Wednesday, a couple days following three-star edge Adeola Werner pledged on Monday.
Matavao, a three-star recruit announced his commitment on social media, a couple weeks after visiting Texas Tech during a campus tour.
After a great conversation with Coach @ClayMcGuireTTU I'm extremely blessed to announce I have received an offer from @TexasTechFB #WRECKEM 🔴⚫️⚪️@BnanceTTU @Coach_Gavin_OL @KrisDurham16 @coachstevehagen @chasebaker91 @coachfarr @_coachturner @georgereynolds_ @ClayMcGuireTTU pic.twitter.com/MR45enbMi3
— Zarius Matavao (@ZariusMatavao) June 5, 2026
Matavao chose the Red Raiders over other reported offers from California, Kansas State, Minnesota, South Florida and Syracuse. The three-star recruit is rated as the No. 120 offensive lineman overall and the No. 4 recruit in England for the 2027 class according to 247Sports.
For those curious about the NFL Academy, here's an excerpt on the program from the NFL Academy's website:
"The NFL Academy is a major global initiative by the NFL and it aims to provide full-time high-school education alongside intensive training in American football under the guidance of a world class coaching staff. This is a key pillar in the NFL's investment in global football development and creating pathways for international talent.
The NFL Academy was launched in May 2019, and was initially housed at Barnet and Southgate College in North London. The final trial for that first intake of students was held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with the stadium converted to 'NFL mode' for the very first time.
The program has been consistently supported by our UK ambassadors Efe Obada, Osi Umenyiora, Jason Bell and Christian Scotland-Williamson. Then there have been numerous visits from other NFL stars who have offered their support and insight including Jerry Rice, Juju Smith-Schuster and Russell Wilson.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL Academy's first competitive game wasn't until Spring 2022 – taking place in Düsseldorf, Germany against the Düsseldorf Panther. The NFL Academy emerged victorious, and since then has been unbeaten against all European opposition.
The program moved to Loughborough in the summer of 2022 as it looked to further develop the academic and athletic offering through Loughborough College and the nearby Loughborough University. By operating at an elite athletic performance centre with a global reputation, combined with the excellent classroom offering, it gives the students the greatest chance of future achievement in all fields...
The NFL Academy has provided multiple opportunities to help our students to be seen and recruited by American colleges. This includes camp visits in Washington, Baltimore, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina.
Since its inception more than 40 students have secured college football scholarships in the U.S with then more than 30 NFL Academy alumni will play college football in the 2024 – 2025 season, with 19 of those athletes playing in Division 1 college programs."
Matavao is the 16th commitment of Texas Tech's 2027 recruiting class, which currently ranks 7th nationally, and remains tops in the Big 12.
"I think, whenever you start thinking about this building, and the facilities, whenever you look at 'Texas Tech never won the conference' and we won it this year, going to the College Football Playoffs and what's going to happen (NFL Draft) at the end of this month... the number of guys that are going to get drafted, and not only guys that are getting drafted, but those guys playing their best football, I think it's speaking volumes to these recruits that are on campus," said Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire during spring ball. "We have (seen a difference in recruiting), man, the last two weeks, just the guys that have been in this building, the body types, athleticism, overall has been at another level."