Texas Tech Football Position Preview: Defensive Backs

The countdown for Texas Tech's spring football session reached 15 days Monday.

A common theme for the Red Raiders in 2024 will be the development of young talent as they ascend into more prominent roles at their positions. A room that this idea is not lost on is the defensive backs, who are losing three starters from 2023. Let’s take a look at what coach Marcel Yates’ room has to offer.

Tech was proactive in its rebuilding of the cornerback room, and appeared to have taken in one of its projected 2024 starters in the 2023 offseason.

Returning for his second season in Lubbock after joining from Fresno State, Bralyn Lux is the most experienced player at cornerback entering his fifth season of college football.

Lux consistently worked his way into earning more snaps a season ago, eventually becoming the full time starter for the final four games.

A surefire tackler, Lux showed consistent improvement and finished with a final PFF grade of 78.7, a six-point improvement from his junior season.

Opposite of Lux is a player that many are confident in heading into the upcoming season, Maurion “Mo” Horn.

A third-year sophomore, Horn saw the field for the first time last season and played a season high of 40 snaps in the Red Raiders’ win over TCU.

With AJ McCarty moving to STAR safety, the door has been fully opened for the natural leader Horn to assert himself as a regular at CB.

Depth will be something to keep an eye on with this group of cornerbacks.

One name to pay attention to is Macho Stevenson, the redshirt freshman speedster from Louisiana. After playing wide receiver and running a 10.59 in the 100 meter in high school, Stevenson made the transition to DB and will likely get second team reps.

Jalon Peoples, who spent time practicing at cornerback and safety in 2023, is still in the mix on the outside.

There can still be an ongoing conversation about Devynn Cromwell, the transfer from Guelph, Canada. After playing safety up north, will he stay put or does the staff elect to move him to cornerback?

As far as the 2024 class of incoming freshmen goes, expect Ashton Hampton and Isaiah "Boss" Collins to be waiting in the wings at cornerback.

Hampton has the potential to make big plays on defense and in the return game. Collins is the only defensive back signee of the class to be on campus for spring ball, which will certainly benefit him.

Perhaps the most inexperienced position on the team, the cornerbacks will be under a microscope going forward.

STAR safeties

Wide Receivers

Defensive Line

Offensive Line

The safeties are following the same tactics as the cornerbacks, with one uber-experienced player along with several young bucks joining the cause.

At boundary safety, CJ Baskerville is locked and loaded for his senior season.

Baskerville’s junior year shifted dramatically in a positive direction following his midseason switch from STAR to boundary safety. Baskerville finished as the Red Raiders’ second-leading tackler, totalling 78 with 4.5 TFLs.

The Richland native also snagged two interceptions, including one against UCF that was pivotal in Tech’s victory over the Knights. Baskerville finished with a PFF grade of 79.4, with an astounding 92.7 tackle grade.

The safeties will likely lean heavily on Baskerville in 2024.

At the field safety position, Chapman Lewis will fill the massive shoes left behind by Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.

Lewis was featured in several games in 2023 when he would be thrust into action for an injured Rabbit against Houston and UCF.

With no other heir apparent to Taylor-Demerson, it seems Lewis will likely be filling that void.

The third “triplet” Jordan Sanford will be vying for playing time at either safety spot, as he lined up at both spots in his 144 snaps in 2023.

Marcus Ramon-Edwards, the Lubbock Trinity product, is also making the transition into the safeties department after spending time at STAR.

Head coach Joey McGuire said in December ahead of the bowl game that the redshirt freshman would be playing field safety alongside Lewis, though it is reasonable to believe nothing is set in stone with any of these young talents.

There is a lot to be excited about for the future of the safety spot when talking about the 2024 signees. The Red Raiders are bringing in two of the nation's most highly-coveted safeties in Peyton Morgan and Malik Esquerra.

McGuire confirmed on National Signing Day that both would be staying at their natural safety positions, and raved about their physicality and speed that they will offer.

An entire group with little in-game experience, the talent ceiling is considerably higher for this up and coming group of defensive backs. While there will be some growing pains throughout the season, this room has incredible potential next season and beyond.