Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire wraps up his third spring season with the Red Raiders with the last of three intrasquad scrimmages on Saturday, a session inside the Sports Performance Center closed to the public.
A National Weather Service forecast of an 80 percent chance of rain in Midland prompted Tech to cancel its scheduled spring game at Astound Broadband Stadium. It’s expected to rain Saturday in Lubbock as well, so the Red Raiders will hold the last of 15 spring practices at their indoor facility.
The Red Raiders and their assistant coaches will still be split into two teams.
Starting quarterback Behren Morton and Doak Walker Award semifinalist Tahj Brooks won’t scrimmage, but are informal captains on both sides. Morton was shut down after six practices as he continues to rehab from a sprained AC joint, and the Red Raiders limited Brooks because of his heavy workload last season.
Fans and media won’t be in attendance, but here are seven things McGuire and company will be watching:
The defenders
With Morton sidelined the past three weeks, Cameran Brown, Jake Strong and Will Hammond have gotten extra work. Brown, a transfer from Division II West Georgia, made a favorable impression as a dual-threat option. Hammond is a first-semester freshman who, as a senior at Hutto High School, had 4,978 total offensive yards and 54 touchdowns.
Strong was signed last year as a true freshman, playing in three games and starting one because of an injury to Morton’s right shoulder.
Related: Behren Morton eager to publicize after recovering from shoulder injury
The running backs
With Brooks taking it easy and two Tech running backs bound for the NCAA transfer portal, the focal points of the run game are junior Cam’Ron Valdez and first-semester freshman Cameron Dickey – the latter creating a buzz over the past few several weeks. Converted quarterback Jaden Morris also gets some runs.
Anquan Willis and Bryson Donnell leaving: Three more Texas Tech football players have names in the transfer portal
The receivers vs. the cornerbacks
The Red Raiders are pinning many of their passing production hopes on receivers Josh Kelly and Caleb Douglas, transfers from Washington State and Florida, respectively, and tight end transfers Johncarlos Miller and Jalin Conyers. Kelly, a nearly 1,000-yard receiver last season, has career-best numbers.
To keep games under control this fall, the Red Raiders are looking at Bralyn Lux, Maurion Horn and Jalon Peoples, all holdover cornerbacks who are leading the room following the departures of multi-year starters Malik Dunlap and Rayshad Williams.
Lux is the only one among the three with initial experience. But McGuire said unequivocally that Peoples was the team’s most pleasant surprise during winter conditioning practices, and DeRuyter said this week that Horn is playing as well as anyone on defense.
Related: How Caleb Douglas and Josh Kelly connected with Texas Tech football
Related: Who are the most improved players in Texas Tech football? Zach Kittley and Tim DeRuyter weigh in
The offensive line
Until further notice, Ty Buchanan at right tackle and Middle Tennessee State transfer Sterling Porcher at left tackle appear to have solidified first-team jobs. There was no discussion of anyone other than them as starters.
Inside, the Red Raiders have a pleasant problem: four players competing for three positions. Third-year sophomore Sheridan Wilson emerged at center, leaving 42-game starter Caleb Rogers, 33-game starter Vinny Sciury and 23-game starter Davion Carter to battle at guard. Sciury and Carter started at Toledo and Memphis, respectively.
Related: For the Texas Tech football team, two offensive line positions create fierce competition
The pass rush
Last season, Tech had five players record three to four sacks each. All five are gone except junior player Charles Esters.
Who will put pressure on passers-by? Edge players Isaac Smith and Joseph Adedire are the likely answers, but Smith is out and Adedire is largely out of spring ball. Dylan Spencer and Amier Washington showed exciting glimpses last season as true freshmen.
Dooda Banks appears to be the defensive tackle with the most upside.
Related: What’s next for Texas Tech Football’s Amier Washington after the bowl game?
The gambler
It’s not Austin McNamara, for the first time in a long time. The Red Raiders punter for the past five years completed his eligibility with school records for career punting average (45.9 yards) and single-season punting average (48.2 yards).
Get familiar with Jack Burgess, another of the many punters produced by Prokick Australia. Burgess transferred to Tech from Weber State, where last year he averaged 47.2 yards, second-best in the FCS.
Related: Where will Texas Tech Football’s 2024 NFL Draft prospects end up?
The coaches
Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will serve as head coaches for both teams on Saturday. Calling the offenses will be receivers coach Justin Johnson on one side and tight ends coach Josh Cochran on the other. Calling the defenses will be secondary coach Marcel Yates from one team and inside linebackers coach Josh Bookbinder from the other.
In scrimmages and team setups this spring, McGuire said Kittley and DeRuyter oversaw the first teams, Johnson and Yates the second teams and Cochran and Bookbinder the third teams.
“First, it keeps everyone engaged,” McGuire said. “They’re taking on a lot of responsibility. Our younger coaches are going to be great coordinators, head coaches, and so we want to give them experience.”
Related: Projected return date for Texas Tech Football’s Behren Morton, Micah Hudson and Jalin Conyers
This article originally appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 7 things the Texas Tech football team will be watching from last spring’s scrimmage
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