PHOTOS: Red Raiders hit their stride as camp continues

The Texas Tech football team completed its ninth day of preseason camp on Wednesday afternoon. Here are several takeaways and notes from the day's action.

- The first-team defense during the early 11-on-11 session visible during the media's 20-minute observation period had Kris Williams and Kolin Hill at defensive end, Mychealon Thomas and Ondre Pipkins at defensive tackle, D'Vonta Hinton and Jordyn Brooks at linebacker, Jah'Shawn Johnson and Keenon Ward at safety, Justis Nelson at nickelback and Paul Banks and DJ Polite-Bray at corner.

- Tony Morales was held out again today, so the Red Raiders' first-team offensive line featured an interesting lineup: Terence Steele and Madison Akamnonu at tackle, Baylen Brown at center and Paul Stawarz and Justin Murphy at guard.

- Breiden Fehoko, Thierry Nguema, Gary Moore and Justin Stockton also did not practice. Nguema and Moore are injured, while Fehoko was getting some rest.

- During the early 11-on-11 session, the defense did a good job of getting to the ball and not allowing the ball carrier to get many yards after contact. David Gibbs' group swarmed to the ball and did not allow a touchdown.

- During this session, freshman Douglas Coleman made a play and stripped the ball from Derrick Willies. The JUCO wide receiver transfer caught a quick pass out on the sideline and Coleman was there immediately and got his hand in there to force the ball out.

- Kliff Kingsbury said that the coaches are getting to the point in preseason where they are really starting to nail down the ones, the twos, and the threes. He noted that the team's second scrimmage of camp, which will be held this Saturday, will give them a better look overall.

- Kingsbury feels like the two-deep is about 75-percent set. There are a couple of guys that the coaches want to see tackle again in live situations, but they feel good where they are at.

- From the head man, who has made the biggest improvement so far this offseason and up to this point in camp? Ondre Pipkins.

“He’s getting back into football shape. He is down to 305 today. He has been athletic, he has been physical outside, he has been a big presence in the middle.”

- Out of the freshmen defensive linemen, Kingsbury feels like Joe Wallace and Noah Jones have been the best and are pushing to play. Kingsbury was very complimentary of Jones and how much he has picked up so far.

- Kingsbury feels that with some of these new guys that they have added, getting stops on the ground might happen more often this year.

"I’ve seen a lot more physicality inside that’s for sure especially with Breiden, Pipkins, and Broderick (Washington) and Kolin (Hill) there on the end. They are just playing bigger, tougher football than I’ve seen so far.”

- Kingsbury said they would feel comfortable playing Brayden Stringer, Jonathan Picone, Luke Stice, D'Vonta Hinton, Malik Jenkins and Jordyn Brooks at linebacker this season.

- Kingsbury said that converted safeties Jamile Johnson and Christian Taylor are making strides at linebacker.

“They are doing really well, Christian especially. I thought he looked a little lost at times at safety, but he has had a great camp so far at linebacker. He looks the part and is triggering a lot and is sticking his nose in plays. It has been very encouraging.”

- At safety, Kingsbury mentioned guys like Jah’Shawn Johnson, Keenon Ward, Payton Hendrix and Desmon Smith as guys that have stood out there. He said that there are a couple more vying for safety spots – including Kisean Allen who has been running with the twos at times during camp.

- Keke Coutee, Cameron Batson, Devin Lauderdale and De'Quan Bowman practiced returning punts today.

- Batson said with the change in special teams coaches, you might see the Red Raiders return more punts this season instead of fair-catching them.

“The philosophy has changed a little bit. I’ll be able to take a lot more. Last year we played a lot of defensive safe formations which made it hard to return a punt for a lot of yards. This year, though, expect big things.”

- Batson will be playing the same H-receiver spot vacated by Jakeem Grant, and he's looking forward to the challenge of filling Grant's shoes.

“I put a lot on my shoulders just because I know the type of athlete that I am, and where I want to go, and who I want to be. Jakeem did a great job of teaching me the ins and outs of the inside receiver position. I put a lot of pressure on myself to try and step up and fill his shoes.”

- One of the more impressive sites at the end of practice on Wednesday was the entire running back group - even coach DeShaun Foster - doing board-pushes from sideline to sideline, over and over again. Each running back had their hand on the ground and were pushing their board.

Following the drill, we asked White if the pushes were punishment-related. And they were. Freshman Da’Leon Ward missed a weigh-in and the punishment was 300 yards of board pushes. While Ward was the only one who was supposed to receive the punishment, all the running backs plus Foster participated as well.

“I’ll tell you this, if somebody in the years past got punished, I’m going to be inside in the cold tub or something," White said. "There is no way I would be out there doing it with them. I think it’s just the maturity of the running back group and the maturity of the team. If one fails, we all fail, and we have to help him get back up.”

- What has Kevin Patrick brought to the defensive line group? Kolin Hill summed it up pretty simply: No more mistakes.

“He wants us to execute, get to the ball, and get a lot of pass break ups. He has really brought in a new mindset. We made a lot of mistakes last year, and we have worked hard to correct those mistakes. We have a lot of walk-throughs, we have watched a lot of film, and he has really taken the time in practice to show us what we need to do. No more mistakes.”