Welcome to No Huddle, which is really just a rebranded football notes post. With preseason set to start sometime this week (I don’t know when, and if anyone else knows, leave a comment) it’s time to break out some new things. Also, there won’t be a Morning Stake this morning, we’ll catch up tomorrow.

• Yesterday, TMZ posted a really inflammatory headline about how Baker Mayfield trashed Kliff Kingsbury. I didn’t read the article or click the link, but I sorta guessed that TMZ was maybe being a bit “TMZ-ish” and it probably wasn’t as bad as I thought it was. Kingsbury would say something complimentary (which I think he did) and wouldn’t give Mayfield the benefit of getting into a verbal spat with him. Without reading the article, I sort of think that Mayfield really needs the spotlight and he needs to feel slighted and without feeling that way, he sorta needs to be hated and needs that motivation. Mayfield really does need to let things go, but he really can’t. It’s part of his DNA and you’re going to have to live with that because Baker is gonna Baker. I’ve also heard that Baker continues to say that he wasn’t going to get a scholarship and that’s not realistic. The only thing that is accurate is that Kingsbury didn’t promise Mayfield the starting job the next year, Kingsbury wanted Webb and Mayfield to battle it out. If that makes Kingsbury a bad coach, then so be it.
• Preseason camp is supposed to start this week and I couldn’t be more excited about to see how this season is going to play out. I mentioned earlier that I think we’ll know what this season will be, it’s either going to be terrific or a disaster, but most likely, it wont’ really be in between. And even if it is in between, that’s probably still not good enough. You just have to sort of sit through this year and we’ll figure out where we’re at.
• I heard this on the radio yesterday, finish each of these sentences for Texas Tech:- Who will be the darkhorse MVP?

  – Who will be needs to improve the most (can’t be a coach)?

  – Who will be the best newcomer?

• The guys loved getting to hang out at the Ronald McDonald House last week. Always one of our favorite days of the year!

  🔴#WreckEm⚫ pic.twitter.com/WKlpkcfgaB

  — Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) July 31, 2018

• I think I’m probably underestimating the impact that Seth Collins will have on the offense. Not here for the spring, but Collins is an established player that knows how to compete at this level and he could really be the most significant transfer Texas Tech has had in quite some time. I write that because there’s so much opportunity at receiver.
• I’m more interested in the actual defense and who actually plays more than anything else. I’m guessing that they run two linebackers and then who actually plays on the defensive line is going to be fascinating. So many options and that may be the coolest thing that we’re sort of overlooking how versatile the defense could actually be as a result of the options at defensive line.
• My guess for starting 4 receivers: T.J. Vasher; Antoine Wesley; De’Quan Bowman; and Seth Collins.
• For most of the offseason, I’ve been in the camp that if the starter is anyone other than Jett Duffey, then I’m very pessimistic about how the season will finish. I’m walking back on that a bit in that I think that McLane Carter can probably get it done, but I am worried about Alan Bowman because I am worried about his arm strength.
• One of you guys mentioned that Texas Tech dropped their roster and the media guide (PDF). The PDF is pretty big, so it may take a while. Adam Beck is on the roster, so that transfer made it through. Junior signal caller Caleb Griffin is a new quarterback on the roster and he’s a big guy, 6-3/240, and is a transfer from Sam Houston State. All of the freshmen made it on the team, so that’s great.
• Of all things, the specialist group has decreased it seems. There are only 4 kickers, one of them being Clayton Hatfield, so that’s great. The other kickers are Michael Barden, Matthew Cluck (both seniors), and Trey Wolff, the only freshman. Reed Bowman and Dominic Panazzolo are the only punters, with Panazzolo the senior and Bowman a sophomore.