7 things the Texas Tech football staff will be watching in last spring scrimmage
Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire wraps up his third spring season with the Red Raiders with the last of three intrasquad scrimmages Saturday, a session inside the Sports Performance Center that's closed to the public.
A National Weather Service forecast calling for an 80-percent chance of rain in Midland prompted Tech to cancel the spring game scheduled at Astound Broadband Stadium. It's supposed to rain Saturday in Lubbock, too, so the Red Raiders will conduct the last of 15 spring workouts in their indoor facility.
The Red Raiders and their assistant coaches still will split into two teams.
Starting quarterback Behren Morton and Doak Walker Award semifinalist Tahj Brooks won't scrimmage, but are informal captains of the two sides. Morton was shut down after six practices as he continues rehabilitation from a sprained AC joint, and the Red Raiders have limited Brooks because of his heavy workload last season.
Fans and media won't be present, but here are seven things McGuire and company will be watching:
The quarterbacks
With Morton sidelined the past three weeks, Cameran Brown, Jake Strong and Will Hammond have gotten extra work. Brown, the transfer from Division II West Georgia, has made a favorable impression as a dual-threat option. Hammond is the first-semester freshman who, as a Hutto High School senior, had 4,978 yards total offense and 54 touchdowns.
Strong was pressed into service last year as a true freshman, playing in three games, starting one, because of the injury to Morton's right shoulder.
Related: Behren Morton eager to air it out after comeback 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 figure to be junior Cam'Ron Valdez and first-semester freshman Cameron Dickey — the latter creating a buzz over the past several weeks. Converted quarterback Jaden Morris gets some carries too.
Anquan Willis, Bryson Donnell departing: Three more Texas Tech football players have names in transfer portal
The receivers vs. the cornerbacks
The Red Raiders are pinning a lot of their hopes for passing-game production on receivers Josh Kelly and Caleb Douglas, transfers from Washington State and Florida, respectively, and tight end transfers Johncarlos Miller and Jalin Conyers. Kelly, nearly a 1,000-yard receiver last season, has the best career numbers.
To keep passing games in check this fall, the Red Raiders are looking to Bralyn Lux, Maurion Horn and Jalon Peoples, all holdover cornerbacks who are leading the room after the departures of multi-year starters Malik Dunlap and Rayshad Williams.
Lux is the only one among the three with starting experience. But McGuire said unequivocally Peoples was the team's most pleasant surprise during winter conditioning workouts, and DeRuyter said this week Horn is playing as well as anyone on defense.
Related: How Caleb Douglas, Josh Kelly connected with Texas Tech football
Related: Who are Texas Tech football's most improved players? Zach Kittley, 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 seem to have solidified first-team jobs. There's been no discussion of anyone but them as starters.
On the inside, the Red Raiders have a pleasant problem: four players vying for three positions. Third-year sophomore Sheridan Wilson has emerged at center, leaving 42-game starter Caleb Rogers, 33-game starter Vinny Sciury and 23-game starter Davion Carter to fight it out at guard. Sciury and Carter got all their starts at Toledo and Memphis, respectively.
Related: For Texas Tech football team, two offensive line spots generate fierce competition
The pass rush
Last season, Tech had five players register three to four sacks each. All five are gone except junior edge player Charles Esters.
Who's going to pressure passers? Edge players Isaac Smith and Joseph Adedire are likely answers, but Smith's been out and Adedire mostly out of spring ball. Dylan Spencer and Amier Washington showed exciting glimpses last season as true freshmen.
Dooda Banks looks like the defensive tackle with the most upside.
Related: What's next for Texas Tech football's Amier Washington after breakout bowl game?
The punter
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 the 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 wind up?
The coaches
Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter will serve as head coaches of the two teams on Saturday. Calling the offenses will be receivers coach Justin Johnson on one side, tight ends coach Josh Cochran on the other. Calling the defenses will be secondary coach Marcel Yates for one team and inside linebackers coach Josh Bookbinder for the other.
In scrimmages and team settings this spring, McGuire said Kittley and DeRuyter have overseen the first teams, Johnson and Yates the second teams and Cochran and Bookbinder the third teams.
"One, it keeps everybody engaged," McGuire said. "They're taking great ownership. Our younger coaches are going to be great coordinators, head coaches, and so we want to give them experience."
Related: Return date projected for Texas Tech football's Behren Morton, Micah Hudson, Jalin Conyers
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 7 things Texas Tech football staff will track in last spring scrimmage
