The annual tradition of Texas Tech coaches and players meeting with the media the day before practice starts. We’re really almost done with the talking and onto the things happening on the field. There will be articles and videos come out over the course of preseason camp, but we get a ton of information today.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury opened the press conference and there’s only 1:09 of video, but in that minute, Kingsbury said that Da’Leon Ward is out for the first week focusing on grades, which is probably a bad omen for Ward. I still like Demarcus Felton quite a bit and we’ll find out quickly if Justin Stockon is all better and how Tre King and Desmond Nisby will fit in.

 The best thing I’ve read so far is from the staff at RedRaiderSports’ Drew Kohnle where he does his own non-transcript with all of the coaches. All of them (except Jabbar Juluke, I didn’t see him). I don’t even know how to summarize some of this stuff, but here were some things that stood out to me:

• Maybe the best thing that I read was the stuff on Brandon Jones and how he’s trying to fix the offensive line. He said that there were 2 weak links last year and that’s got to change. He said that they’ve simplified the run game and essentially run 6 zone blocking concepts and they’re going to be great at that.
• Terrance Jamison said that on the defensive line, the most consistent was Broderick Washington, that Lonzell Gilmore won the rush defensive end after the spring and that Houston Miller will play tackle and strongside defensive end. They start the whole process over now.
• Karl Scott said that freshman Adrian Frye has a good attitude and works hard.
• Kliff Kingsbury said that he visited New England to get a big picture view of how they run the program. The offense is going to be quicker, with quick reads and a solid run game, similar to how B.J. Symmons ran the offense.
• Zach Spavital said that Dakota Allen and Jordyn Brooks can be very good and that the depth and competition is much better.
• David Gibbs talked about how it normally hasn’t taken three years to turn around a defense, just talked about keeping his head down and and working and is looking forward to this team. Gibbs said that that the secondary will be a Big 12 secondary.

Again, lots more there for you to check out and Kohnle did the same thing with the players he talked to as well: OL Travis Bruffy; RB Demarcus Felton; OL Paul Stawarz; DT Broderick Washington; QB Nic Shimonek; WR Derrick Willies; DE Eli Howard; DE Lonzell Gilmore; LB Jordyn Brooks; and S Vaughnte Dorsey.

 I really enjoyed the Twitter from from Amarillo Globe-News’ Kale Steed and he’s got lots of videos there, but I’m posting David Gibbs and Eric Morris.

Gibbs on @Big12Conference defenses bad rep.. brings up great points. Plus, comments on his defenses commitment to this season pic.twitter.com/IADLsvCcOZ

— Kale Steed (@KaleSteed) July 30, 2017

I also think Steed wrote this piece from Amarillo.com from yesterday’s media day:

“This is probably the tightest group of players I’ve been around,” Kingsbury said. “I think the defense has improved. Any time you have a defensive coordinator for year three, the continuity, the terminology, the verbage is all the same. Guys are going to feel comfortable in that situation.

“When you had that type of season like last year (the criticism) comes with the territory. (I tell our players) you make sure you aren’t going to let anybody else put any limitations on you or let anybody else’s words affect you. You control what you can control. We have have an opportunity to show how good we are.”

 A-J Media’s Don Williams has a notebook full of stuff, the biggest news is that DeQuan Bowman is moving to outside receiver and you wonder how much that has to do with JoJo Robinson showing up (remember, he’s the JUCO transfer that’s supposed to be here now). Williams also notes that with the bar fight from last week, they are still investigating and that currently, all players are in good standing as of now, that Madison Akamnonu and Brooks are both a full-go to start practice, that it’s official that Dwayne Johnson from Nebraska and Jajuan Dulaney from Maryland have both arrived and Arkansas defensive back transfer Willie Sykes is day-to-day because of maybe academics.

Also from A-J Media’s Don Williams is Kingsbury saying that the defense needs to force more turnovers and the offense needs to capitalize:

The quickest way to do so is via fumbles and interceptions. Tech sagged from tied for 24th in the FBS with 25 turnovers gained in 2015 to tied for 112th with only 13 last season. Along with it came a step back from 7-6 record-wise to 5-7.

“I think the one area we have to get better at is taking the football away, if you want to have any success,” Kingsbury said Sunday during the team’s media day at Jones AT&T Stadium. “We were last in the Big 12 last year. If you’re last in that, usually you’re going to be last in the league. That’s something we have to get better at.”