Texas Tech and head coach Kliff Kingsbury held media availability for the football team and we’ve got all of the notes, quotes and links all in one spot from yesterday’s media scrum. We also have additional recruiting notes, so click the jump and let’s have some fun.
Practice Notes
- LAJ’s Don Williams has a notebook and head coach Kliff Kingsbury said that the one defensive player that has flashed this spring is DT Josh Outlaw (6-6/309) and defensive linecoach Mike Smith has helped get him up to speed:
“I think coach (Mike) Smith’s done a tremendous job getting him caught up to speed pretty quick with our defensive line play,” Kingsbury said. “He’s really flashed.
“He’s a bigger body than we’ve had, very athletic, and you put him and (true freshman) Breiden Fehoko together and you’ve got two big, strong, young guys that we can build with.”
- Kingsbury also said that Demarcus Felton should get a ton of carries on Saturday and also to watch a certain defensive tackle in Breiden Fehoko.
- Kingsbury does want fans to haave a realistic expectation for LB Mike Mitchell and he’ll have to earn his playing time:
“He’s going to earn his playing time just like anybody else,” Kingsbury said. “He’s done everything right since he’s been here. I don’t want fans to put too much expectation on him. He’s still a young guy. He’s still adjusting to our scheme.
“But he’s very athletic and very physical and we’ll find ways to use him.”
- Also via LAJ’s Don Williams, S Keenon Ward talked after practice and said that his responsibility is a bit different, rather than a zone, he is now focused on the quarterback:
Gibbs, Tech’s new defensive coordinator, says he wants to make things easier for the defensive backs in that coverages shouldn’t change much, even behind multiple calls and looks from the front seven. He favors a lot of zone coverage, especially on first and second downs.
- DT’s Everett Corder also has a run-down from the press scrum yesterday and got this quote from Ward about how the defense is focused on turnovers and striping the ball:
“That’s not going away. That’s going to be here from now until coach Gibbs leaves, if he ever does,” Ward said. “It’s one thing that he focuses on. No matter what happens, like if you get burned, strip the ball. The offense hates it, but it definitely makes us better.”
- KAMC’s Brian Holland has some video from the press scrum yesterday and so if you want to watch, there you go.
- Wreck’Em 24/7’s Daniel Pauling has a transcript of the presser yesterday (I expect a full video later today) and one of the questions is if it is a lot more quiet this spring and says that when you go 4-8 it’s best to lay low and the team is working hard, keeping their mouth shut. There’s a lot more there, so go check the whole thing out (as is true with every link).
Recruiting Notes
- Last time we left off, Texas Tech was hoping to get some visits from two additional offensive linemen, Paul Stawarz and Quinn Mittermeir. According to Wreck’Em 24/7’s Daniel Pauling Texas Tech did offer Stawarz yesterday. Of the two, I did like Stawarz’s tape a bit better, seemed more athletic.
- Just something to watch, Utah quarterback Keaton Torre decommitted from Louisville yesterday and Torre did clarify that the programs that he is considering are Utah, BYU, Arizona State, Stanford, Cal, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Torre moved from Oklahoma to Utah last year which is why there is a Texas Tech connetion, although Texas Tech has not offered Torre yet as he was committed to Louisville since August of 2014.
- Raiderpower’s Alyssa Chrisope talked with Texas Tech target Jared Mayden, who is the #4 cornerback in the nation, did take a Texas Tech visit recently and had over 30 offers.