Spring Preview: Tech enters year two under McGuire

Spring Preview: Tech enters year two under McGuire

March 21, 2023 | Football

Spring Prospectus Updated Spring Roster 2023 Season Tickets

Texas Tech officially opens spring practices Tuesday to kick off the second season under Joey McGuire

By: Matt Dowdy

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech enters its second season under head coach Joey McGuire, who led the Red Raiders to a memorable debut that featured eight wins for the first time since 2013, its most Big 12 wins since 2009 and a victory over Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl.

The Red Raiders officially open spring practices Tuesday afternoon with a two-hour workout at the Football Training Facility. It will be the first of 15 practices this spring for the Red Raiders, who will wrap their second spring under McGuire on April 22 with the annual Spring Game held this year at Lowrey Field at PlainsCapital Park due to ongoing construction at Jones AT&T Stadium.

McGuire became only the fifth head coach in program history to win at least eight games in his debut season and the third to do so while also winning a bowl game, joining both Tommy Tuberville (2010) and Kliff Kingsbury (2013) on that list. Neither Tuberville or Kingsbury were able to post five Big 12 wins in their debut season, however.

Below is rundown of news and notes regarding the Red Raiders heading into spring ball:

RED RAIDERS RETURN 16 STARTERS ON BOTH SIDES

Joey McGuire will return the bulk of his production on both sides of the ball this spring as Texas Tech boasts 16 returning starters, including 10 on offense and an additional six on defense. The list of returnees also features a pair of specialists as well in long snapper Jackson Knotts, a two-year starter, and punter Austin McNamara, who will enter 2023 on pace to easily snap the Texas Tech career punting average record.
As a team, Texas Tech's list of returners account for 322 career starts between both sides of the ball (165 offense, 157 defense). That total is boosted by 13 different Red Raiders with at least 10 career starts, a list led by defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings with 46 over the past four seasons. Behind Hutchings, the list also features offensive lineman Caleb Rogers (29), defensive lineman Tony Bradford Jr. (25), defensive backs Rayshad Williams (24) and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (24) as well as wide receiver Myles Price (21).
Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley will benefit from the return of two quarterbacks in senior Tyler Shough and sophomore Behren Morton, who will battle for the starting job throughout spring practices. Shough, the starter out of preseason camp last August, was a perfect 5-0 in starts a year ago after leading the Red Raiders to four-consecutive wins to end the season. Morton, meanwhile, showed the promise that made him Texas Tech's highest-rated quarterback signing in school history after starting in four Big 12 contests where he threw for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns, while rushing for two more.
The quarterback room, regardless of who wins the starting job, will definitely benefit from a much more experienced wide receiver room as Texas Tech returns each of top-five receivers from a year ago, including sophomore Jerand Bradley, who earned second team Freshman All-America honors this past season after catching 51 passes for 744 yards and six touchdowns. Texas Tech, as a team, brings back 87.8 percent of its receiving production from a year ago with fellow returners such as Myles Price, Xavier White, Loic Fouonji and Nehemiah Martinez I. Those five names represent the Red Raiders' top five leading receivers from this past season.
Defensively, despite the loss of regulars such as Tyree Wilson, Krishon Merriweather and Marquis Waters, the Red Raiders still bring back plenty of experience, especially up front with the likes of Hutchings and Bradford, who have combined for 71 starts up front between the two. In addition to up front, the Red Raiders return three mainstays in the secondary, including both cornerbacks in Williams and Malik Dunlap as well as safety Taylor-Demerson. Dunlap was an All-Big 12 second team honoree a year ago by the conference coaches.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY | UPDATED ROSTER

Fans and media alike will need a roster this spring as the Red Raiders welcomed 19 new faces to the roster at the start of the spring semester. The list of newcomers are part of a Texas Tech signing class that ranked as high as No. 23 by every major publication, representing the Red Raiders' top class in more than a decade.
Texas Tech signed 28 high school prospects as part of its 2023 class, of which 12 are already on campus to start spring practices. That list includes three Red Raiders who were considered four-star signees in defensive backs Jordan Sanford and Brenden Jordan as well as outside linebacker Dylan Spencer. Texas Tech's lone quarterback signee for the 2023 class, Jake Strong, was also part of the freshman class that enrolled at semester.
While the Red Raiders' recruiting efforts will always primarily focus on high school prospects from the state of Texas under McGuire, Texas Tech did land seven mid-year transfers at semester, which includes defensive back C.J. Baskerville (San Diego State), defensive lineman Quincy Ledet Jr. (Louisiana-Monroe), outside linebackers Steve Linton (Syracuse) and Terrell Tilmon (Oregon), wide receiver Drae McCray (Austin Peay), place kicker Gabe Showalter (Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College) and offensive lineman Rusty Staats (Western Kentucky). That group alone accounts for 80 career starts at the collegiate level, including 27 from Staats, a key addition on the offensive line, as well as 22 from McCray, 18 from Ledet and 11 from Baskerville.

SPRING GAME MOVING TO LOWREY FIELD IN LUBBOCK

Due to the ongoing construction project, Texas Tech will move its annual Spring Game to Lowrey Field at PlainsCapital Park, the home to Lubbock ISD football games. The spring game will take place April 22 with a 12 p.m. start with television coverage provided via Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Texas Tech will offer free admission for all fans to PlainsCapital Park, the home of Lubbock ISD football. It will be the lone open practice surrounding Texas Tech's spring schedule as Jones AT&T Stadium will be unavailable until closer to the 2023 season.
In between the action on the field, Texas Tech will resume one tradition at halftime of the Spring Game with the unveiling of its team awards from the 2022 season. Texas Tech's team awards date back to 1961 and feature the likes of the Pete Cawthon Memorial Team MVP, the Dell Morgan Memorial Courage Award and the E.J. Holub Double Tough Award, among others. It will be the first time since 2008 Texas Tech has formally presented its team awards.

RED RAIDERS COMING OFF BACK-TO-BACK BOWL WINS

Texas Tech is coming off consecutive seasons with a bowl victory for the first time since the 2012-13 campaigns when the Red Raiders claimed the Meineke Car Care trophy (2012) and then the Holiday Bowl crown (2013). The Red Raiders, who routed Mississippi State to end the 2021 season at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl and then Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl this past December, will look to extend that streak this fall, which has not been done previously over a three-year stretch since the 2002-04 campaigns.
Texas Tech will enter the 2023 season as one of only 13 schools nationally to win a bowl game in consecutive seasons and one of eight to do so as a power-five school at the time. The Red Raiders are the lone current Big 12 school to do so as Texas Tech is joined by the likes of Minnesota, Wake Forest, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland and Wisconsin.
Texas Tech, historically, is one of the most successful programs nationally with 40 all-time bowl appearances, which ranks in the top 25 of FBS programs. A return to a bowl game in 2023 would mark Texas Tech's longest streak of consecutive postseason appearances since a school-record run of 11-straight years from 2000-10.
For Joey McGuire, he is looking to become only the second head coach in program history to lead the Red Raiders to a bowl game in each of his first two seasons as head coach. That would place McGuire in the same category as Mike Leach, who remains Texas Tech's all-time winningest head coach with an 84-43 record from 2000-09.

THE TEXAS BOWL GOOD LUCK CHARM

The Red Raiders' stay at Houston for the TaxAct Texas bowl was one to remember, highlighted by Texas Tech's 42-25 victory over Ole Miss. Now, the hope is the win will translate the same way it has for the last three Big 12 schools to win the bowl game. Since the 2017 season, the last three Big 12 winners of the Texas Bowl have turned that momentum into an appearance in the conference championship game the next season.
In fact, Joey McGuire has seen this himself as he was part of a Baylor program that defeated Vanderbilt in 2018 and proceeded to finish 11-3 the next season with a loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game and an appearance in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Texas previously started the run in 2017, defeating Missouri in the Texas Bowl before a 10-4 season the following year and a loss to Oklahoma in the league title game. Kansas State, meanwhile, won the Texas Bowl in 2021 and then followed with a 10-4 record this past season, which featured a win over TCU in the Big 12 Championship.

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO TALK TOP 25

After an eight-win season to start the Joey McGuire era, many in the media have labeled the Red Raiders as a preseason top-25 favorite and a darkhorse pick to make the Big 12 Championship game this next fall. Thus far, Texas Tech has ranked as high as No. 14 in the preseason poll compiled by Brett McMurphy of Action Network. The Red Raiders were also slotted at No. 19 by Bleacher Report (Adam Kramer), No. 20 by 247Sports (Brad Crawford) and No. 23 by ESPN (Mark Schlabach).
If the Red Raiders are tabbed to the preseason top 25 by either the Associated Press or USA Today AFCA poll, it would mark their first appearance in the preseason edition since the 2008 campaign. The Red Raiders have not been featured in either poll since Sept. 23, 2018, when Texas Tech came in at No. 24 in the USA Today AFCA rankings.
The Red Raiders received votes in both polls to close the 2022 season as Texas Tech picked up 19 points in the Associated Press rankings and then 13 points in the AFCA top 25. Based on total points, the Red Raiders closed 2022 ranked at No. 31 in the AP poll and then No. 32 in the AFCA poll.

RED RAIDERS RIDE INTO 2023 WITH FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAK

Texas Tech closed the 2022 campaign on a four-game winning streak, its longest winning streak to end a season since the Red Raiders had a similar four-game run in 1995 during their final year in the Southwest Conference. That streak was boosted by three-straight Big 12 wins over Kansas, Iowa State and Oklahoma to close the regular season.
Texas Tech closed the regular season with an overtime win over Oklahoma, marking its third-consecutive Big 12 victory, its longest streak since opening the 2013 conference slate with four-straight wins. The Red Raiders will open Big 12 play this next season at West Virginia, which with a win, would mark Texas Tech's longest conference winning streak since opening league action in 2013 with four-consecutive victories.
With a victory over Wyoming in the season opener, the Red Raiders would boast their longest winning streak since being on the right side of the scoreboard over eight-consecutive games over the 2012-13 seasons, starting with the 2012 Meineke Texas Bowl victory over Minnesota and proceeding into the first seven contests of the Kliff Kingsbury era in 2013.

NEW LOOK BIG 12 ON TAP FOR 2023

The Big 12 Conference will welcome four new members for the 2023 season as BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will all join to bring the conference's membership up to 14 schools. The Red Raiders will face three of those schools as Houston and UCF will both visit Jones AT&T Stadium, while Texas Tech will make its first-ever trip to BYU.
While new to the Big 12, Houston has been a frequent opponent for the Red Raiders in recent years as the two schools completed a four-game non-conference series against each other just this past season. The Red Raiders, who topped Houston, 33-30, in double overtime this past season, have won 10 of the past 11 meetings against the Cougars as the 2023 contest will be the 35th all-time meeting between the two former Southwest Conference foes.
Texas Tech has a limited history with both BYU and UCF as it will be only the second all-time meeting with the Cougars (other was a 21-10 Tech win in 1940) and the first contest against the Knights. This will be the Red Raiders' first-ever trip to the state of Utah for a football contest.

MORE ON THE SCHEDULE...

The Red Raiders will open the year on the road at Wyoming on Sept 2, which marks the first time Texas Tech has kicked off the season at an opponent's home stadium since a 2013 victory at SMU. Tech previously opened the 2021 campaign with a win at Houston, but that game was played at NRG Stadium - the home to the Houston Texans - and not TDECU Stadium on campus. The Red Raiders, who have won 19 of their last 20 season openers, will be facing Wyoming for only the sixth time in history and the first time since 1992.
Texas Tech will open its home slate a week later against Pac-12 foe Oregon in what should be one of the top power-five non-conference matchups in college football. The Red Raiders have two former Ducks now on their roster in senior quarterback Tyler Shough and sophomore outside linebacker Terrell Tilmon. Additionally, two members of Texas Tech's staff - defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and defensive passing game coordinator Marcel Yates - were on the Oregon staff prior to their arrival in Lubbock.
The Red Raiders will enter the Oregon contest riding a 23-game winning streak in home openers as Texas Tech has been one of the nation's most-dominant teams in non-conference play over the past two decades. Tech has won each of its last 16 non-conference games inside Jones AT&T Stadium and 41 of its last 42 contests dating back to the 2002 season. The Red Raiders are an impressive 48-2 overall in non-conference home games since moving to a spread offense in 2000.
Texas Tech will play two non-Saturday games during the 2023 season as the Red Raiders will host TCU in a Thursday night primetime matchup on Nov. 2. The Red Raiders will close the season Nov. 24 in a Friday contest at Texas.

RECAPPING A MEMORABLE 2022 SEASON...

With its win over Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, Texas Tech secured its first eight-win season since 2013, which marked the debut season of then head coach Kliff Kingsbury. It marked Texas Tech's 12th season as a Big 12 member with eight or more wins.
The Red Raiders finished 6-1 at home, marking their most wins at Jones AT&T Stadium since Texas Tech had a similar record in front of its fans in 2009. It was the 11th time in program history Texas Tech has won six or more home games in a season and the fifth time as a Big 12 member (2000, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2022).
Texas Tech's win over Oklahoma to close the regular season helped the Red Raiders lock in consecutive winning seasons for the first time since the 2012-13 campaigns. The Red Raiders will enter 2023 looking to extend that streak to three-straight years, which would mark Texas Tech's longest successful run since boasting a .500 or better record over 18-consecutive seasons from 1993-2011. The victory also helped the Red Raider secure their first-ever season with wins over both Texas and Oklahoma.
The thing about preseason polls is they tend to be wrong. That's why Joey McGuire and his team were unfazed when the Red Raiders were picked ninth in the preseason, only to finish in sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings. It marked Texas Tech's highest finish in the conference standings since the Big 12 moved to a 10-team format to start the 2011 season as the Red Raiders were ultimately a win over K-State away from appearing in the conference championship.
Texas Tech was 3-0 in overtime games after going past regulation to defeat No. 25 Houston, No. 22/19 Texas and Oklahoma during the regular season. It was the first time in program history Texas Tech has won three or more overtime games in a season and only the third time it has won multiple games since the NCAA began allowing games to go past regulation in 1996. The Red Raiders also scored multiple overtime wins in 2012 (Kansas, at No. 21 TCU) as well as 2006 (at UTEP, bowl game versus Minnesota). The victory over Texas marked the first time in program history that the Red Raiders won back-to-back home games in overtime.
Texas Tech had only two true freshmen play more than four games during the season in defensive lineman Joseph Adedire and linebacker Wesley Smith. Adedire appeared in 12 of 13 games with six starts, recording 19 tackles, including 3.5 for a loss, while Smith was inserted into seven games, normally on special teams.
The excitement over Joey McGuire's hire was felt across Texas Tech Athletics in his debut season as the athletics department saw significant increases in ticket sales. Texas Tech boasted more than 7,000 new season ticket holders in 2022, pushing its total to more than 28,000, which ranked in the top 10 all-time in school history.

SHOUGH BOASTS 8-1 RECORD AS TEXAS TECH'S STARTING QB

Tyler Shough is now 8-1 as Texas Tech's starting quarterback after helping lead the Red Raiders to wins in each of their final four games of the 2022 season. Shough returned to the starting role prior to the win over Kansas following an injury in the season opener versus Murray State that kept him out of action for the next six games. The Red Raiders were a perfect 5-0 in games Shough started this past season, improving him to 12-4 over his career after previously finishing 4-3 in his lone season as Oregon's starter in 2020. Oregon ended that season with appearances in the Pac-12 Championship and the Fiesta Bowl.
Shough finished the 2022 campaign with 1,304 passing yards and seven touchdowns on 106-of-177 passing (59.9 percent). He is completing 63.9 percent of his passes (288-of-451) for his career as he's totaled 3,879 passing yards and 29 touchdowns between his time at Oregon and as a Red Raider. In addition, Shough has shown he can effectively use his legs as well with 156 carries for 565 yards and eight touchdowns. He's totaled six of those touchdowns during his two seasons as a Red Raider alone.
Despite only five starts, Shough managed to total 269 rushing yard and four touchdowns on the ground, marking the fourth-highest rushing total for a Texas Tech quarterback since 2000. He trailed only Patrick Mahomes II and his 456 rushing yards in 2015 and his 285 yards the following season as well as Jett Duffey and his 369 yards on the ground in 2018.
Shough capped a strong end to the 2022 season by earning Most Valuable Player honors at the TaxAct Texas Bowl. Shough completed 24-of-39 passes for 242 yards and a touchdown in the win over Ole Miss, while also leading the Red Raiders on the ground via 25 carries for 111 yards and two additional scores. It marked the first time since 1976 where a Texas Tech quarterback reached the century mark with Red Raider great Rodney Allison was the last to do so versus Baylor.
The performance versus Ole Miss matched Shough's debut as a Red Raider in the same building as the TaxAct Texas Bowl - NRG Stadium in Houston. Shough completed 17-of-24 passes for 231 yards in the Red Raiders' memorable come-from-behind victory over Houston. Shough also rushed for one other score en route to pushing the Red Raiders to 31 unanswered points in the second half.
Shough entered bowl season coming off possibly the best performance of his career as he completed 31-of-50 passes for 436 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing nine times for 44 yards in the win over Oklahoma. Shough set career highs for completions, attempts, passing yards, total offensive plays and yards of total offense in the win, which snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Sooners. It marked the second-most passing yards by a Big 12 quarterback on the season.
Shough was limited to only four games in 2021 after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the Big 12 opener at Texas. He had completed 69.6 percent of his passes to that point (64-of-92), throwing for 872 yards and six touchdowns in that span.

THE RED BEHREN

Over his four starts this past season, Behren Morton displayed to Red Raider fans the potential that had him labeled as Texas Tech highest-rated quarterback in history. Morton threw for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns in his first full season as a Red Raider, while also rushing for two more scores. He will compete this spring for the starting job alongside senior Tyler Shough.
Morton made his first career start at No. 7 Oklahoma State on Oct. 8 and threw for 379 yards and two touchdowns in the loss but had Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy simply saying "that's not good" in postgame comments after learning he was only a redshirt freshman. During the Big 12 era (1996-present), Morton's 379 passing yards in his debut versus Oklahoma State were the third-most yards for a Red Raider making his starting debut against a conference opponent. Despite it being his first career start, that didn't stop offensive coordinator Zach Kittley from airing it out as Morton recorded 62 passing attempts, the most passing attempts for a FBS freshman making his starting debut since Jared Goff had 64 on Aug. 31, 2013, in Cal's season-opening loss to Northwestern. Morton didn't stop there as he made it back-to-back 300-yard performances in his first two starts as he finished 28-of-45 for 325 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the West Virginia and was later named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the effort.
The son of a high school coach, Morton was the highest-rated quarterback to ever sign with Texas Tech after totaling more than 8,800 passing yards and 84 touchdowns in three seasons playing for his father at Eastland High School. He was a consensus four-star prospect, ranking sixth nationally among pro-style quarterbacks. Morton grew up in Lubbock for part of his youth as his father, James Morton, was the head football coach at Monterey High School in Lubbock for 11 years.

BRADLEY, THE FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN

Jerand Bradley developed into Texas Tech's key threat in the passing game in his first full season as the redshirt freshman finished as the team leader with 744 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. Bradley, who also shared the team high with 51 receptions, became only the sixth freshman since 1972 to lead the team in receiving yards, joining the likes of Erik Ezukanma (2019) newly-enshrined College Football Hall of Fame inductee Michael Crabtree (2007), Taurean Henderson (2002), Sheldon Bass (1994) and Wayne Walker (1985).
Bradley ended the year ranked third all-time among Texas Tech freshmen for single-season receiving yards, trailing only Crabtree's NCAA freshman record of 1,962 yards in 2007 as well as the 806 yards from Alex Torres in 2009. He surpassed Ezukanma and his 664 yards from 2019 during the TaxAct Texas Bowl.
Bradley led all Big 12 freshmen and ranked third among FBS freshmen for receiving yards overall, trailing only Coastal Carolina's Jared Brown (789 yards) and California's J.Michael Sturdivant (755 yards).
Bradley recorded three 100-yard receiving performances, which led all power-five freshmen nationally. He hauled in six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against Murray State before adding eight catches for 119 yards and another score midway through the year at Oklahoma State. He wrapped the regular season with an impressive eight catches for 173 yards and a touchdown in the win over Oklahoma.
Bradley's 173 receiving yards against the Sooners marked the most by an FBS freshman this season and the most by a Red Raider receiver since Myles Price totaled 175 yards through the air late in the 2021 season against Iowa State. It marked the most receiving yards by a Red Raider freshman since Crabtree finished with 195 yards in Texas Tech's 2007 contest at Texas.
Bradley capped his successful season with a strong performance versus Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl where he led the Red Raiders with eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. His eight receptions matched his career high in the win as he gave Texas Tech a 26-7 lead just before halftime off a 12-yard touchdown strike from Tyler Shough.

IT'S BROOKS TIME AT RUNNING BACK

For the past three seasons, Tahj Brooks and SaRodorick Thompson have formed one of the top 1-2 punches at running back in college football. With Thompson's departure, it's officially Brooks time for the Red Raiders as the senior has totaled 1,514 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns over the past three seasons.
Brooks bested Thompson by only seven yards this past season for the team rushing title, marking the second-consecutive year he has led the Red Raiders on the ground. Brooks, who had 691 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this past season, will look to become the first Red Raider since Baron Batch (2008-10) to lead Texas Tech in rushing over three-consecutive seasons. In the process, he would become only the ninth Red Raider since 1950 to lead the team in rushing three times in a career.

NEW FACE IN TOWN BRINGING THE 'JUICE'

Justin Johnson is the lone new member to Joey McGuire's staff of assistant coaches as he was named assistant head coach, offensive passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach on Jan. 11. Johnson, nicknamed "Coach Juice" throughout his career, arrives in Lubbock after a three-year stint at Baylor where he worked alongside McGuire during the 2020-21 seasons. A known name throughout the state of Texas, Johnson has also worked at both Houston, his alma mater, and Kansas in full-time roles.
The addition of Johnson brings in another assistant coach who is more than familiar with McGuire as he joins linebackers coach Josh Bookbinder and tight ends coach Josh Cochran who crossed paths with McGuire at Baylor. Head strength and conditioning coach Lance Barilow was also on the Baylor staff prior to his arrival in Lubbock in 2022.

NEW-LOOK OFFENSIVE LINE FEATURES PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE

If there was a perceived weakness to the Red Raider offense this past season, it was the inexperience along the offensive line as offensive coordinator Zach Kittley and offensive line coach Stephen Hamby were looking to reshape a unit that lost three starters from the previous year. Now, that same group could be seen as a major strength for the Red Raiders heading into 2023 as four of five starters return to go along with the signing of Rusty Staats, a 27-game starter at Western Kentucky.
Staats signing with the Red Raiders allows Kittley and Hamby to shift super senior Dennis Wilburn, who started all 13 games this past season at center, over one spot to right guard. Wilburn previously played exclusively at guard Hutchinson Community College before walking on with the Red Raiders last spring where he immediately shined. Wilburn was inserted into the center competition, ultimately winning the battle in preseason camp.
The Red Raiders will make two other position changes this spring as the two starting tackles from a year ago - Caleb Rogers and Monroe Mills - will switch sides. Mills will take over at left tackle after starting in 10 games this past season, while Rogers will move back to the right side where he was the primary starter in 2021.
Texas Tech will also benefit from the return of super senior Cole Spencer, who missed the entire 2022 season after suffering an injury prior to the start of preseason camp. Spencer was one of the top signees early in McGuire's tenure as he chose to use his final year of eligibility at Texas Tech after making 44 career starts along the offensive line at Western Kentucky. Spencer teamed with Staats early in the time together at Western Kentucky, which was the former home to both Kittley and Hamby.
As a unit, the Texas Tech offensive line will enter the 2023 season with 141 career starts as a group with Spencer leading the way with 44 over his career followed by Rogers (29), Staats (27), Wilburn (13), Mills (10), Landon Peterson (9), Jacoby Jackson (6), Matt Keeler (2) and Ty Buchanan (1). Peterson and Jackson were both regulars in the starting rotation this past season with Peterson earning eight starts at right guard with Jackson chipping in with six of his own.

NEWS AND NOTES ON THE OFFENSE

Joey McGuire placed both Dennis Wilburn and Nehemiah Martinez I on scholarship in the first team meeting of the spring semester, citing their emergence as significant contributors throughout the 2022 season. Wilburn was Texas Tech's starting center for all 13 games, while Martinez was fifth on the team with 32 catches for 394 yards and two touchdowns.
Texas Tech's high-tempo offense led the FBS with 1,094 total plays and 84.2 offensive plays per game thus far. The Texas Tech single-season record for total plays is 1,155 that was set in 2002 when the Red Raiders averaged 81.7 offensive plays per game over 14 contests (including a bowl game).
Texas Tech ended the season averaging 34.2 points per game, which marked the 21st time in the past 22 years where the Red Raiders averaged at least 30.0 points per game. It marked the Red Raiders' highest average since 2018. It marked the second-highest scoring average for a first-year head coach in program history, trailing only the 35.8 clip the Red Raiders averaged in Kliff Kingsbury's debut season in 2013.
Texas Tech had 13 different Red Raiders catch a touchdown this past season, its most in a single season since 2009 when the Red Raiders had 14 different touchdown pass catchers.
Xavier White's performance of nine catches for 120 yards and a touchdown at Kansas State on Oct. 1 placed him in a select category as he joined Taurean Henderson as the only Red Raiders since 2000 to record multiple games with at least 100 rushing yards as well as two or more 100-yard receiving performances. White hit the 100-yard mark on the ground as a running back in 2020 versus Kansas State (113) and Kansas (135) and previously had 107 receiving yards in the 2019 season opener versus Montana State. He topped 100 yards once against two weeks later, this time setting a new career-high with 139 yards on Oct. 22 versus West Virginia.
Myles Price shared the team high for receptions with 51 on the season, including a career-high 13 in the Red Raiders' win over Texas on Sept. 24. It marked the most receptions by a Red Raider since Antoine Wesley set a single-game record for receiving yards off a similar 13 receptions in a 2018 victory over Houston.

NEWS AND NOTES ON THE DEFENSE

Texas Tech closed the 2022 campaign only allowing 29.2 points per game, marking its lowest average in more than a decade. The Red Raiders had not previously surrendered less than 30 points per game since 2009 when opposing offenses averaged 22.6 points.
The Red Raiders registered 16 of their 18 takeaways on the year over the course of their eight wins. That total included five forced turnovers in Texas Tech's win over Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl.
Texas Tech was one of the most-opportunistic teams in getting in opposing backfields as the Red Raiders closed the year ranked tied for 20th in the FBS with 91.0 tackles for loss. It marked the Red Raiders' most tackles for loss in a season since 2003 when Tech totaled 92.0 thanks in part to Adell Duckett's school record 24.5 stops behind the line. Tech was tied for 18th in the FBS with 7.0 tackles for loss per game.
Texas Tech blocked four kicks this past season, ranking tied for 10th-best in the FBS. The four blocks match the most in a season for the Red Raiders during the Big 12 era with the 2000 and 2020 squads, respectively. Tech has never had five in that time period.
Texas Tech allowed 256.8 passing yards per game defensively, which was its lowest clip since 2014 when the Red Raiders surrendered 253.2 yards per contest through the air.

PUTTING OUT THE FIRE

Texas Tech was one of the most-successful teams in the country this past season in limiting opponents in the red zone, all part of a philosophy by Joey McGuire and Tim DeRuyter to challenge the defense to "put out the fire." By putting out the fire, the Red Raiders strived to either create a takeaway, force a fourth-down stop or keep their opponent to only a field goal.
The Red Raiders, ultimately, led the Big 12 and ranked ninth in the FBS for red zone defense after opponents scored in 43-of-58 trips inside the 20. Among power-five teams, the Red Raiders ended the season ranked fifth overall in the category.
While no points are obviously the preference, Texas Tech was among the top teams in the country in limiting opponents to only a field goal. In fact, 16 of the 43 red zone conversions by opponents were the result of a field goal, which led all power-five schools and ranked fourth in the FBS, trailing only Georgia Southern (18), Tulsa (17) and Hawaii (17).
Texas Tech, in particular, was especially steadfast in keeping opponents off the board over the final four games of the regular season as opponents converted only 11-of-23 (47.8 percent) of appearances during that span. The Red Raiders' red zone defense went from being ranked No. 125 in the FBS after their eighth game versus Baylor, up to No. 84 after holding TCU to 3-for-6 on its trips to the red zone, before climbing to No. 45 after holding Kansas to 3-for-6 on its trips to the red zone and all the way up to No. 14 after holding Iowa State to 1-for-5 overall. Oklahoma converted on four of its six trips to officially move the Red Raiders into the top 10 for red zone defense.

THE TONY AND JAYLON SHOW IS BACK

Texas Tech's prospects for the 2023 season got a boost in December when the duo of Jaylon Hutchings and Tony Bradford Jr. announced their return for a final year of eligibility. The pair has formed one of the Big 12's top interior units the past four seasons as they have combined to make 71 starts between the two with 254 tackles, 43,5 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks.
The duo combined for 66 pressures this past season, according to Pro Football Focus, with Bradford leading the way with 35 followed by Hutchings with 31 of his own. The two combined to become one of only three FBS duos of interior defensive linemen to record 30 or more pressures each on the season.
Hutchings was the third-highest graded interior defensive lineman (84.5) by PFF in the Big 12 last season and was ninth overall among his power-five counterparts. The nose tackle recorded 50 tackles on the season, which led all down-linemen, to go along with 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. He has 149 tackles for his career, including 18.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
Not many defensive linemen in college football have a carry on their career stat sheet, let alone three. Hutchings can proudly boast he might be the rare exception, however, as he was used on two offensive snaps during the regular-season finale against Oklahoma. On the first play, he was targeted on a pass attempt that was out of his reach, but on the very next play Hutchings rushed the ball for a 1-yard touchdown. He also totaled nine yards on the ground in 2019 as part of two fake punt attempts. Hutchings, a former running back despite his size at Forney High School, was included prior to the season on the annual "Freaks List" column by Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.
Bradford, meanwhile, is coming off likely his best season as a Red Raider with 32 tackles, which included 9.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, both career bests. Bradford, a member of the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team this past season, has 105 tackles for his career with 25.0 going for a loss and 11.0 of those being sacks.

MAJOR SIZE BACK IN THE SECONDARY

Who really doesn't love a pair of 6-3 senior corners who have both elected to return for super-senior season in 2023? Texas Tech certainly does as both Malik Dunlap and Rayshad Williams both announced their respective decisions to return the Red Raiders' secondary in 2023. Each will be sixth-year players next season.
The pair own similar journeys to Texas Tech after arriving as transfers with Dunlap heading to Lubbock by way of N.C. State and Williams on the opposite coast at UCLA. Both corners experienced three years at their former schools prior to transferring to Texas Tech ahead of the 2021 season.
In his two seasons, Dunlap has used his size to become one of the top pass defenders in the country. He ranked second in the Big 12 and tied for 17th in the FBS this past season with 12 pass breakups, eventually earning him All-Big 12 second team honors by the conference coaches. His selection marked the third-consecutive year a Red Raider cornerback has garnered All-Big 12 accolades as Zech McPhearson was a first team selection in 2020, while DaMarcus Fields was recognized on the second team in 2021.
Williams notched one of the top performances by a Red Raider in recent memory as he logged five pass breakups in a single game at No. 7 Oklahoma State. It marked the most pass breakups in a single game since Justis Nelson recorded five pass breakups on Oct. 25, 2014, at TCU, as Williams ended the season ranked second on the team with seven pass breakups.
Dunlap and Williams are two of three regular starters back for the Red Raiders in the secondary, joining fellow super senior Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, who has made 24 starts over his career.

ONE MORE SEASON ON TAP FOR MAC

Super senior punter Austin McNamara will enter his final season of eligibility as a Red Raider with the opportunity to further place his name in the Texas Tech and Big 12 record books. McNamara is already a fixture as one of the top punters in Big 12 history as he is the school and Big 12 record holder for single-season punting average (48.2 in 2021) and longest punt (87). Following the 2022 campaign, McNamara has four of the top eight single-season averages in program history.
Now, the Arizona native will look to cement his name as the top punter in league history as he barely trails the Big 12 career record of 45.9 yards per punt that was by Oklahoma State's Quinn Sharp from 2009-12. McNamara, who is averaging 45.8 yards per punt over the last four seasons, is also on pace to easily shatter the Texas Tech career record of 43.7 yards an attempt that was set by Taylor Symmank following the 2015 campaign. McNamara is a four-time All-Big 12 selection, earning first team accolades after the 2019-20 seasons and then second team and honorable mention honors each of the past two years. He has also been a regular on the Ray Guy Award watch list throughout his collegiate career.
Austin McNamara's will enter the 2023 season ranked third among FBS active punter for career average as his 45.8 clip trails only Ryan Rehkow of BYU (46.8) and Kyle Ostendorp of Arizona (46.3). He closed the 2022 season tied for fifth on the FBS active leaders chart (minimum of 100 career punts).
McNamara set the program record for single season punting average (48.2) in 2021 after booting 42 punts for 2,023 yards. It smashed the Tech single-season record of 46.8 that was set by Mark Bounds in 1991. He is the only Red Raider with two of the top-five punting averages currently in the school record book.
By bombing eight punts of at least 50 yards in a single game, McNamara set a new single game FBS record on Nov. 20, 2021 against Oklahoma State. The performance broke the previous FBS record of seven that was set by Colorado's Mark Mariscal in a 2002 home game against Southern California. McNamara averaged 56.4 yards per punt overall against the Cowboys, which finished just shy of the Texas Tech single-game record of 57.0 yards an attempt that was set by Alex Reyes in a 2004 win versus Baylor (only three attempts).
For games that included nine or more punts, McNamara's 56.4 average ranked as the second-best performance in all of FBS football in 2021 behind San Diego State's Matt Araiza's 56.8 average (nine attempts) in a home game against New Mexico State. It marked the third-highest for any punter with at least nine attempts in a game dating back to 2000, trailing only the clips from Wake Forest's Dom Maggio in a 2019 contest at Clemson (57.7) and Araiza and his 56.8 average versus New Mexico State.
McNamara set social media on fire midway through the 2020 season with his booming 87-yard punt against West Virginia, which marked the longest by an FBS kicker since 2017 and the longest in Texas Tech and Big 12 history. McNamara broke the Texas Tech single-game record for the longest punt that was previously set by R.W. Moyers in 1945 against West Texas State.