5 Reasons I’m Optimistic About the Defense

1. Unwilling to Settle. Of all of the things that I appreciate, it is the defensive coaching staff being unwilling to settle or just “letting guys develop”. On some level, that’s fine, but on another level, the question as to whether or not just relying on player development is sufficient. You need players to push, if there is not competition, then there’s no motivation to be great. Texas Tech has 12 Power 5 transfers on defense: Seth Collins, Malik Dunlap, Marquis Waters, Eric Monroe, Rayshad Williams, Reggie Pearson, Tyree Wilson, Robert Wooten, Brandon Bouyer-Randle, Jesiah Pierre, Colin Schooler, and Jacob Morgenstern. Of those 12 players, Wooten may have to redshirt, but the rest of them figure into the 2-deep most likely. I think every one of those players that have played (I’m not a huge fan of Monroe as I don’t think he tackles or covers well) made a difference with Dunlap, Waters, Williams, and Pearson all set to make a difference this year.. That’s a pretty decent track record I think.

2. Super Seniors. I really want to just focus on two super seniors, Colin Schooler and Adrian Frye. It would have been really easy for Schooler to move on as I think he would have at the very least received a free agent offer in the NFL. Frye definitely struggled last year and it would have been easy to not put himself through yet another season and give the real world a whirl. They both decided to stay and if there’s anything that makes me think that there’s “culture” at Texas Tech, it’s guys sticking around when they don’t have to.

3. Development of D-Line. One of the more encouraging things about this team is that there are legitimate defensive linemen who appear to be more than simply soup cans ready to be crushed by opposing offensive lines. I’m holding my breath, furiously rubbing a rabbit’s foot, and not walking under ladders, but the evolution of Jaylon Hutchins, Tony Bradford, Jr., Tyree Wilson, and Nelson Mbanasor are significant, but then you get the hopeful development of Philip Blidi, E’maurion Bank, Charles Ester, and Robert Wooten, and you’ve got a pretty decent rotation. These guys have size, they’ve increased their strength (and I know that other guys on opposing teams have as well) and with this being year #3 with the same defensive line coach and the same defensive coordinator calling the same defense since he arrived hopefully counts for something. Hopeful here.

4. Linebacker Corps. I don’t know if there is a position that has benefited more from transfers more than the linebacker group. Bouyer-Randle, Pierre, Schooler, and Morgenstern are all transfers and all expect to be involved quite a bit. Regardless, Riko Jeffers and Krishon Merriweather are likely to be involved with the starters, but coming up the ranks are Patrick Curley, Tyrique Matthews, Kosi Eldridge, Derrick Lewis, II, and even walk-on Bryce Ramirez.

Is this what it is like to have actual depth? I don’t know what this feeling is.

5. Pass Rush. If there was one thing that I am hopeful that the team worked on this past offseason is pass rush. The leading pass rusher, Eli Howard, graduated and moved on. Did you remember that Keith Patterson’s first year as the defensive coordinator the team had 28 sacks, which was good for 57th in the nation, but that was the high-point, in 2019 with 24 sacks Texas Tech was tied for 80th with a handful of teams and in 2020, the team finished better at 70th overall, but had only 17 total sacks. Teams that are really aggressive and really good at rushing the passer get up into the high 30’s and even the 50’s.

Patterson is prone to blitz with a 3-man line, but I’d absolutely love for Wilson to be better at rushing the passer and hope that he and guys like Blidi, who grew up rushing the passer, add a level of pass rush. And Patterson is prone to blitz that creates pressure. Of all things, Schooler led the team with 3.5 sacks last year and Howard only had 2.5. There’s a whole slew of linebackers that can bring occasional pressure, but my hope is that the line will be able to do some of this on their own.

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