BREAKING: Top National Dual-Sport Star Commits to Texas Tech Softball in Shocking Twist
In a groundbreaking announcement that sent shockwaves through both the softball and football recruiting worlds, ESPN has confirmed that Ayanna “Speed” Carter, the No. 1 overall prospect in high school softball and the No. 16-ranked running back in the 2025 football class, has officially committed to Texas Tech Softball.
Yes, you read that right.
Carter, a 5’9” phenom out of Chandler, Arizona, made history not just by choosing Texas Tech over athletic giants like Oregon, Auburn, Tennessee, Nebraska, and BYU, but by doing so as a nationally ranked football recruit deciding to pursue softball full-time. Known for her 4.35-second 40-yard dash and raw power at the plate, Carter defied traditional expectations by turning down football scholarship offers to embrace her passion for the diamond.
“This was never just about football or softball,” Carter told ESPN in an exclusive interview. “It was about where I felt I could build a legacy, not just as an athlete but as a woman rewriting the rules. Texas Tech believed in that vision first.”
Carter’s dual-sport prowess made her one of the most talked-about high school athletes in recent memory. On the gridiron, she rushed for 1,872 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior, juking defenders with the same explosiveness she displays when stealing bases on the softball field. On the diamond, she hit .589 with 19 home runs and a record 44 stolen bases last season, leading her team to an Arizona state title.
Texas Tech head softball coach Miranda Sharp celebrated the commitment with a social media post that immediately went viral:
> “This changes everything. Ayanna Carter is the future—and the future is RED & BLACK.”
Carter’s signing continues Texas Tech’s sudden surge into national softball dominance, following the arrivals of NIL star Nijaree Canady and home-run queen Reese Martinez. The Red Raiders, once considered underdogs in the Big 12, are now being projected as early favorites for the 2026 Women’s College World Series.
Sources close to the Tech program say Carter is also exploring the possibility of joining the track team in spring 2026, making her one of the most electrifying multi-sport athletes the school has ever seen.
“She’s Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, and Jennie Finch rolled into one,” one scout noted. “And she’s only 17.”
If anyone still doubted Texas Tech’s emergence as a national powerhouse, this latest commitment silences them. The future is blazing bright in Lubbock—and it’s wearing #21.
