The coronavirus pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down. Earlier this week, the Big 12 extended its athletic moratorium on, among other things, organized, in-person team activities through the month of May. From a football perspective, this eliminates any hope of resuming - or, in the case of some Big 12 programs, beginning - football practice during the spring semester.
The Texas Tech football team had four spring practices under its belt, and was preparing for its first scrimmage, before the Big 12 began shutting down athletic events on March 12. The Red Raiders had the second-earliest start to the spring in the Big 12, while Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas had yet to go through their first practice.
Following a 4-8 season, this was going to be a critical spring for Matt Wells' Red Raiders. Alan Bowman and Maverick McIvor were competing for the starting quarterback position, the team was looking to replace most of its starting offensive line and key spots on defense would need to be filled.
With Texas Tech missing 11 spring workouts that it is unlikely to make up before the season starts, which Red Raider position group will be hit the hardest by those absent reps?
The RedRaiderSports.com staff shares their thoughts in today's roundtable discussion.
CHRIS LEVEL: To me this is about the big boys up front on offense. It's hard enough as it is trying to replace both starting tackles, but not having that time to gel and mesh makes it extremely difficult. Dawson Deaton will anchor the center position and Jack Anderson will start at right guard, but trying to sort through a myriad of options for both tackles positions with only four practices in the spring to go off of will require some serious projecting by Matt Wells and Steve Farmer. You can't replace those reps, the timing and understanding the calls in certain situations because it requires all five players to be on the same page.
AARON DICKENS: Alan Bowman has started 10 games. Dawson Deaton (950), Weston Wright (753), Jack Anderson (216), Casey Verhulst (200) and Will Farrar (131) combined to take 2,250 snaps in 2019. The team returns plenty of experience in the secondary. The position group that needed spring practice reps the most was tight end.
Donta Thompson barely left the field in 2019. If Matt Wells and David Yost keep that commitment level to the tight end position in 2020, some combination of Travis Koontz and Simon Gonzalez are going to play a lot. Koontz caught 10 passes last season. Gonzalez redshirted.
MATT CLARE: I will say the offensive line group. While the team returns a few starters and gets back a healthy Jack Anderson, both of the tackles were lost to graduation and it takes time to build that cohesion as a unit.
I think the lack of practice and the lack of coaches being able to experiment with different line ups before the season will impact this group the most.
BEN GOLAN: For me, it’s quarterback. It's the most important position on the field and both Alan Bowman and Maverick McIvor are coming off of injury and could have used every single spring rep they would have gotten. Especially McIvor, considering he’s unproven at the college level and was likely behind Bowman in the pecking order. Now, assuming there even is a preseason camp, the coaches will have 29 practices to sort out who will line up under center to start the 2020 season.
BRANDON SOLIZ: I think it’s the offensive line. You’re losing three key players in Madison Akamnonu, Terence Steele and Travis Bruffy. It’s easier to replace Akamnonu than the two tackles for sure but that’s the majority of the line.
A key in playing upfront is the ability to play as one. This group is cut short of that time to mesh together and be one unit. Now, we’re left with who will put in the work in this strange time and come in to take over on both sides to make this thing work. It could hurt not only the offense in general but one of your injury-prone QBs.
BILLY WATSON: I’d have to go with the defensive backs. In his first year with Texas Tech, coach Derek Jones has a handful to deal with in trying to fix Texas Tech’s secondary. Last year, the Red Raiders ranked 128th in the country in passing yards allowed per game. The defensive backfield is probably the weakest group on defense as of now. Time is precious for these guys.
