2021 Pink Raiders Period Preview and Prediction

2021 Pink Raiders Period Preview and Prediction

Texas Tech entered the 2020 campaign acquiring missing a whole lot of near games the season just before and with hopes of finishing out all those game titles this time about. The 2nd year of the Matt Wells era was meant to be the calendar year that Texas Tech took a move forward. In its place, owing to COVID-19 and lackluster participate in, it was quite a lot additional of the similar for the Crimson Raiders.

 

Hunting in advance, Tech has some holes to fill in the beginning lineup. The Red Raiders shed starting up quarterback Alan Bowman to the transfer portal, and they also bid farewell to some other crucial players, like receiver KeSean Carter (transfer) and defensive lineman Eli Howard (graduation).

 

Tech is now in a placement to transform a new web page offensively, with a new quarterback established to consider the reins and an outdated deal with arriving back on campus to connect with the photographs in offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie. He will search to deliver back again the once-significant-powered Tech offense that has been rather absent the earlier two seasons. Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson will appear to continue on to construct on constructive signs demonstrated in 2020 by a transfer-laden defense.

 

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Previewing Texas Tech’s Offense for 2021 

 

Tech has only one quarterback on the roster who has taken a snap in the scarlet and black — former Utah State transfer Henry Colombi, and he’s taken a whole lot of them, throwing for 1,065 yards and eight touchdowns and finishing 65.7 per cent of his throws very last year. The quarterback competition is predicted to be carried out among the Colombi, Donovan Smith (son of Tech working backs coach DeAndre Smith), prized recruit Behren Morton, and Oregon transfer Tyler Shough.

 

In his initially yr as the starter in Eugene, Shough led the Ducks to a Pac-12 championship, throwing 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in seven video games and finishing 63.5 p.c of his passes. He delivers a skill set that no other quarterback on the roster possesses, and the ball just seems different coming out of his hand. He would appear to have a leg up in the QB derby.

 

Cumbie favored what he observed out of Shough all through spring follow. “Tyler has the capability to continue to be in the pocket and seriously make all the throws from near hash, significantly hash, across the field,” Cumbie told the Dallas Early morning News. “It seriously opens you up in phrases of what you can do. Defensively, they’re going to have to defend the total area.”

 

Whoever earns the position will have a chance to enjoy powering an offensive line that will have 4 of five starters returning, dropping only proper guard Jack Anderson to the NFL. The offensive line did get a enhance by way of the transfer portal in next-group All-Significant 12 range T.J. Storment, who remaining TCU for Texas Tech.

 

The weapons on offense will glance a little bit different with Carter and Ja’Lynn Polk each transferring and T.J. Vasher leaving for the NFL. On the other hand, the offense is established to return leading receiver (Erik Ezukanma) and a secure of operating backs that incorporates 2020’s main rusher (SaRodorick Thompson). The summer season addition of Troy transfer Kaylon Geiger is also a raise to the receiving corps.

 

The Raiders did go through a setback all through the spring when Ezukanma broke his arm in two sites during a drill and underwent operation Wells was assured that the setback was only short-term and that Ezukanma would still see sizeable snaps this period. “He’ll engage in a large amount of football for us in the tumble,” Wells told the Dallas Morning Information. “The most significant detail is how quick he can recover.”

 

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Previewing Texas Tech’s Defense for 2021 

 

The emphasis for the Tech protection has been to uncover gamers — equally in recruiting and via the transfer portal — who can add suitable away. This method is obviously visible with a glance at the depth chart, dotted with Electric power 5 transfer expertise that has manufactured its way to Lubbock. Tech’s protection at present has 11 Energy 5 transfers on the roster, such as 5 who stepped foot on campus in 2021.

 

Linebacker is the situation that would make the Tech protection go. Returning starters include things like Colin Schooler, an Arizona transfer who was next on the workforce in tackles in 2020 Riko Jeffers, who led the crew in tackles for a decline in 2020 and Krishon Merriweather, the only Red Raider in advance of Schooler in whole tackles.

 

The secondary reflects the emphasis on the portal, with previous LSU transfer Eric Monroe and Duke transfer Marquis Waters. Waters is moving into his initial calendar year as a Purple Raider, while Monroe debuted in 2020. Each bring knowledge to the protection place and enable Tech to mix and match with their defensive backfield.

 

Previewing Texas Tech’s Specialists for 2021 

 

The Purple Raiders welcome again just one of the ideal punters in the nation in Austin McNamara. McNamara posted the second-best single-season punting normal in Tech historical past with his 46.3-yard average in 2020. When the kicker position would seem to be a bit up in the air, the favourite to earn the posture is Jonathan Garibay, who in his initial start at Texas Tech helped secure a get above Baylor at home.

 

Last Analysis

 

The new Red Raider offense beneath Cumbie will be the main attraction for Tech this yr. Will the offense even more aid a protection that managed to preserve Tech in games in 2020? In buy for Tech to make it to its initial bowl video game due to the fact 2017, the offense wants to make like the explosive Red Raider offenses of previous regimes, while the protection should proceed to demonstrate steady enhancement.

 

Countrywide Rating: 71

 

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(SaRodorick Thompson image courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics)

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