USA Today Treatment. I was lucky enough to write about this earlier in the week, but thankfully we have USA Today’s Paul Myerberg, who clarifies that yes, the offseason quietness of this program is wholly intentional:

Yet to call this merely a byproduct of past failures ignores the transition underway within the Red Raiders’ front door, one propelled by a third-year coach stressing substance over style and voluntarily avoiding the distractions that, with the gift of hindsight, contributed to last season’s disconcerting misstep.

“I think that was the thought after the year we had, just to grind and not put anything out there and not try to be visible,” Kingsbury told USA TODAY Sports. “We want to focus this year on just winning games. Let’s be all about winning games. So yeah, that was definitely a conscious decision as a program to take that direction.”

There are quotes in the article about how players were ashamed of the season and how the coaches had numerous meetings to figure out what went wrong and how to make it better. Lots of self-evaluation and wanting to remove that bitter taste of the 2014 season away from the team. And no one is any sort of savant for pointing out the quiet offseason, it’s noticeable different and it is just fine. From the relatively quiet media access to the few interviews granted, it’s more reminiscent of Mike Leach, sans the entertaining interviews.

Myerberg also writes about walk-on special teams ace and defensive back John White, a former walk-on who is also now scholarshipped talked about how he worked his way to a scholarship as well as helping wire some of the new portions of the stadium and also how the former staff didn’t appreciate walk-ons. Go check both articles out.

FOX Sports Picks the Big 12. Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel predict the Big 12 and both Feldman and Mandel are expecting Texas Tech to win 7 games and 5 conference games, which is something that not a lot of folks are predicting, both citing David Gibbs being in charge of the defense.

#806D. Wreck’Em 24/7’s Daniel Paulling (via the LAJ) writes about defensive coordinator David Gibbs, who says that you’ve got to be good and play together:

“In my mind, you’re better off playing good together, because if you jump (in the rankings) and you play decent on defense, all the scouts are going to come looking and see. It’s going to give guys more opportunity.”

And Wreck’Em 24/7 has more video of Gibbs from Texas Tech’s media day.

Notebook: Fehoko Runs With First Team. LAJ’s Don Williams reports that Breiden Fehoko is splitting first team reps with senior Keland McElrath. Defensive line coach Mike Smith says that it’s close and Smith says that Fehoko getting to Lubbbock in the spring is a huge reason he is so far ahead:

“I think the biggest and best thing he’s done in his career was to get here in the spring,” Smith said, “because he’s already ahead with learning the defensive system. (And) he’s just so naturally strong. Usually freshmen, when they come in, get thrown around. He doesn’t. He’s already the strongest guy in the room.”

• Zach Barnes and Mike Mitchell are both impressing at that rush position behind Pete Robertson and there isn’t a huge gap between Pete Robertson and these two back-ups.
• Running back coach Mike Jinks said that someone’s mom is going to be mad at him because there just won’t be enough carries and says that Corey Dauphine will play if he can contribute 8 to 10 plays a game.

Make sure and check the rest of it out. More quotes there on the bullet-points.

Miscellaneous. LAJ’s Don Williams has one safety spot in his All-Time Texas Tech team and on the first team is Ted Watts, then Dwayne Slay and third is Curtis Jordan . . . ESPN’s Max Olson has his season preview of Texas Tech . . .