The first spring scrimmage is set for today at 1:00 pm at Grande Communications Stadium in beautiful Midland, Texas. The official site has a preview to today’s game if you want to check that out. I’ll be relying on you all and the media recaps and video for any thoughts about the scrimmage. If anyone of the STP’ers are going, we’d love to get a recap from you in the comments!

I’ll post this separately next week, but here’s the third episode of earning back the double-t:

“That’s the first step, when you can recognize your shortcomings and know you have to make improvements.” #EarnTheDoubleT #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/2TgF3sRlTq

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) March 24, 2017

LAJ’s Don Williams writes about how Texas Tech is set for their first public scrimmage of the spring in Midland and runs down the “scuttlebutt” with each position group and here’s the bit about the offensive line:

Starters: LT Travis Bruffy, So.; LG Jacob Hines, Jr., C Paul Stawarz, Jr., RG Jack Anderson, Fr., RT Terence Steele, So.

Spring scuttlebutt: Baylen Brown graduated, Madison Akamnonu missed the first half of spring ball with back tightness and Tony Morales has been bumped from the first group, so it’s a very inexperienced line at the moment. The most notable development is Stawarz, an eight-game starter at guard in 2016, being tried at center and newcomers Hines and Anderson taking first-team snaps. Both were mid-year arrivals.

MRT’s Oscar LeRoy has five things to watch for thsi scrimmage and here’s the second item:

2. Defensive improvement
David Gibbs is set to return for his third season as the defensive coordinator and the Red Raiders hope to have added depth on that side of the ball, especially in the secondary where they added three junior college transfers enroll in January and also got an Arkansas transfer in Willie Sykes.

The linebacking corps won’t have promising linebacker Jordyn Brooks for the spring, as he’s recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, but the Red Raiders should return junior linebacker D’Vonta Hinton after missing half of last season because of an injury.

MRT’s LeRoy also has a preview article and head coach Kliff Kingsbury said that this is a good opportunity to see how the young players will react:

Kingsbury said the format will be similar to past trips in that the offense will go against the defense and they will do some special teams work as well. It is expected to last about an hour and a half.

“It’s a good opportunity to see how some of our young guys react to playing in front of a crowd and how they handle a live situation,” said Kingsbury in a phone interview earlier this week. “Offensively, we want to take care of the quarterback and we want to run the football better than we did last year. Defensively, we want to see guys flying to the football and make sure we tackle and make plays in space.

“Being in Midland, the atmosphere is always great and it’s always a good experience.”

MRT’s LeRoy also profiles Midland native Talor Nunez who is making his last trip to Grande Communications Stadium:

“It’s going to a very bittersweet feeling to be in that stadium for one last moment,” said Nunez, who went from a walk-on to a scholarship player with the Red Raiders. “I’m going to enjoy playing in front of friends, family and the home crowd in Midland for one last time. I’m just going to try to enjoy the moment.

“I just think it’s amazing how many people show up and support us through thick and thin. It just shows how much the Midland-Odessa area cares about Texas Tech football.”