by Jarret Johnson for Inside the Red Raiders
Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells answered questions from the media in a virtual session via Zoom on Saturday afternoon following the second practice of fall camp.
“It was a good first day (on Friday), there was a lot juice and a lot of energy, guys running around. Today was better,” Wells said. “Day 2 was better and that was our goal, to be better than yesterday just in alignment and assignment and getting set. Really, honestly, just the pace of the practice I think got them a little bit yesterday, but I thought we were a lot better today.”
One of the first questions to come up was if Wells had heard and if he was concerned about the Big Ten slowing down the pace of fall camp and delaying the start of full-contact, plus the MAC cancelling their season earlier Saturday over concerns of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think everybody in the country is concerned; coaches, players, sportswriters, parents, boosters, everybody–we’re all concerned, we’re all wondering,” Wells said. “I think to say no one’s concerned is basically to have your head in the sand. To answer the question directly, to monitor it, just minimal so far as I got off the field this morning from the walk through I saw some of it, then we went onto the field for practice. So yeah, I’m aware of it, but I think monitoring the Big 12 and seeing what comes down and the direction we get from our AD, our presidents, our medical staff, commissioner… I think every head coach is monitoring everything right now.”
Wells added they are doing their best to social distance, mask up and keep an open line of communication throughout the program in an effort to keep everyone safe.
“More than anything as coaches we have to display it, we have to be the example in terms of wearing our masks,” Wells said. “Out at practice using the shield or the mask. All day during the office, all meetings, just keeping each one of us to do everything we can within the building—sanitizing our hands, distancing in the meetings, wearing masks everywhere, distancing in the locker room, one of the things we’ve done is split the locker rooms, the things we’re doing eating by splitting times, tripling times if you would. I think it’s just that, it’s just continuing to educate, each one of us holding each other accountable.
“What I like to say is we’re all responsible for each other’s health. At some point, and we’ve been really good lately, someone’s going to test positive again and we’ll quarantine and do it all the right way. I think the co-quarantine process that we had back in June at the start I think was very efficient and our medical staff and nutritional staff did a great job. The conversations are just being clear with our players, being transparent with our players and encouraging them to hold themselves accountable and us setting the examples as coaches. We want them to report everything. We want them to talk to us. I asked them again yesterday after practice, ‘hey, if we can do something better let us know. If we can do something different let us know. Let’s keep clear communication.’ It’s been good. Our players have been good.”
The media session wasn’t all about the coronavirus pandemic, there was actual football talk. The following were some of the main points Wells touched on after practice Saturday.
COMPETITION FOR SNAPS ALONG THE OFFENSIVE LINE
Texas Tech is replacing multiple starters up front so the competition for snaps should be a heated one throughout camp. Inside the Red Raiders asked Wells who all is in the mix to earn those snaps.
“Well, let’s start by talking about the three guys you have coming back in Weston Wright, Dawson Deaton and Jack Anderson in the middle. Those three are really good players in this league, in our league,” Wells said. “Will Farrar is another guard and center, he’s another inside guy. Will’s gotten better. He’s gotten bigger. The guys outside at tackle from Landon Peterson to Zach Adams to Casey Verhulst, Josh Burger, Caleb Rogers–a true freshman who has surprised a little bit after a couple days, all those guys right there. Ethan Carde is a guy who is really a true sophomore if he plays this year from junior college and can play tackle and guard.”
Wells added one of the ways they like to help with depth is by having many of the offensive linemen learn and work at multiple positions.
“Coach (Steve) Farmer does a great job of cross-training guys,” Wells said. “Jack Anderson cross-trains between guard and center, Will Farrar cross-trains both, Clayton Franks cross-trains, all those tackles play guard even some of the true freshmen. So, I think all those guys are in the mix. We’ve been in helmets for two days, just like I know you know, but the evaluation is more first step, second step, where’s my eyes, what’s my communication, which is extremely important from an offensive line. There’s just not been any physical evaluations so far.”
BIGGER, DEEPER
Matt Wells was asked what his reasons for optimism heading into this are and the head coach didn’t hesitate to say he knows the team is better. He said the team is bigger up front on both sides of the line of scrimmage and that there’s true competitive depth in some key areas on the roster.
Wells said not only are they bigger across the offensive line, but they have true depth with guys fighting for playing time, plus added the depth in the secondary, which was augmented by grad transfers, junior college transfers, high school recruits and preferred walk-ons has greatly improved.
“It’s only Day 2, but that’s the sort of thing that makes me excited to be able coach this team,” Wells said.
REPLACING BENSON AT RAIDER LINEBACKER
Brandon Bouyer-Randle (Photo: Steven Chapman, 247Sports)
Xavier Benson started most of the season and took most of the snaps at the Raider outside linebacker/defensive end position last season, but recently announced he was taking a leave of absence this season to focus on improving his mental health. That begs the question, who is going to fill the void at that pivotal position?
Wells said the two primary candidates are Brandon Bouyer-Randle, a grad transfer who enrolled last spring after transferring from Michigan State and Kosi Eldridge who is entering his second season with the Red Raiders. Wells added Bouyer-Randle is currently running with the first team and is full-go 100-percent healthy after being a non-contact participant in the shortened round of spring ball.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE FOR THE NEWCOMERS
Texas Tech will once again rely heavily on grad transfers to be able to step in and play immediately in some key roles. Wells was asked Saturday for the key to getting them ready in a hurry.
“You’re recruiting those guys out of need,” Wells said. “You’re recruiting those guys to come in and be an impact guy pretty quickly and impact a certain position.”
In fact, Wells went on to add that while a lot of the roster is learning multiple positions, he believes it’s critical that the new guys, especially grad transfers expected to play immediately are allowed to train and get acclimated at one position.
For example:
Eric Monroe: boundary safety
Josh Burger: left tackle
Chadarius Townsend: running back
Brandon Bouyer-Randle: Raider
“I think that’s the key. Leave them alone. Let them stay still. Let them stay in the same spot, live and learn a little bit,” Wells said.
SARODORICK IS THE MAN, BUT HE HAS HELP
Sophomore running back SaRodorick Thompson returns after a promising redshirt freshman season in which he rushed for 765 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is actually the lone returning scholarship running back from a season ago, but the coaches have added depth in a variety of ways. First off, they moved Xavier White from inside receiver to running back, then they added former four-star athlete Chadarius Townsend, a grad transfer from Alabama, and signed prolific rusher Tahj Brooks from the high school ranks.
“Well, if we started today he (Thompson) would take the first snap and he’d take the lion’s share, but that’s SaRodorick’s job over the month of August to, if he wants his share of the carries then he’ll earn it,” Wells said. “That’ll be over a length of time. I think there’s more competitive depth in that room this year, but everybody looks good running around in helmets right now. Running backs, their real game starts once we get to full pads, then once you start getting a little sore it’s about who can continue to produce, be real good in pass protection and with the ball in their hands in the passing game.”
MORE ROSTER NOTES
- One of the objectives this offseason was to find a replacement for All-American linebacker Jordyn Brooks who was drafted in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Texas Tech believes they have found the guy in junior college transfer Krishon Merriweather, who impressed many early on in the spring as an early enrollee.
- The Spur position is getting a face lift this offseason by transitioning more from a bigger safety position to a nickelback corner type player. Among those projected at the position include Damarcus Fields, Cameron Watts, Zech McPhearson and Ja’Marcus Ingram. Wells admitted figuring out that position was one of the top priorities in fall camp and that they don’t have that solidified yet.
- Cameron White, a junior college transfer who arrived this summer, is working at the boundary safety position along with grad transfer Eric Monroe.
