This is DTN's annual review of players, position-by-position, to take a look at the players that I think will be gone (graduating seniors or players possibly leaving the program), guys I know something about (these are players I've heard), guys I know nothing about (these are players that are on the roster who I have no idea who they are) and guys I think are on the way (commits to the program).
GUYS I THINK WILL BE GONE
| Number | Name | Year | Ht./Wt. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | Chris Olson | SR | 6-5/300 | Offensive Line |
| 59 | Joel Gray | RS FR | 6-6/302 | Offensive Line |
Olson graduates and I believe that Gray is retiring from football due to injuries. Olson started off last year as the starting right tackle, but that didn't last very long as Okafor eventually took over and Olson played tight end when Texas Tech went to a tight end set. And he was good at it and it was sorta funny to see him go out in a pass route, but Olson was a good soldier for this team, was asked to do a lot of things and didn't get the time he probably wanted as a senior. Nevertheless, he still did what he was asked to do. It's appreciated and doesn't go unnoticed.
GUYS I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT
| Number | Name | Year | Ht./Wt. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72 | Beau Carpenter | FR | 6-6/293 | Tackle |
| 78 | Lonnie Edwards | JR | 6-4/322 | Guard |
| 75 | Blake Emert | JR | 6-5/297 | Guard |
| 74 | Mickey Okafor | JR | 6-6/305 | Tackle |
| 71 | Kyle Clark | RS FR | 6-5/295 | Guard |
| 66 | Deveric Gallington | SO | 6-3/314 | Guard/Center |
| 68 | Terry McDaniel | SO | 6-6/315 | Tackle |
| 65 | LaAdrian Waddle | SO | 6-6/322 | Tackle |
| 63 | James Polk | FR | 6-6/331 | Tackle |
| 73 | Justin Keown | JR | 6-4/300 | Center |
| 60 | Jesse Smitherman | JR | 6-3/235 | Deep Snapper |
The offensive line returns entirely intact and there are options should anyone be injured. The other good thing is that despite returning all give offensive line starters, Texas Tech will only lose three starters after the 2011 season. Generally speaking, Edwards is the rock of the offensive line and by far the best lineman and most technically sound on the team. Keown being at center for the second year helps in terms of continuity, but there's really not a center currently on the roster and this job may fall to Tony Morales. There was some confusion, mostly on my part, this year about Keown's status and the official roster has him as a senior-to-be. Gallington's name seemed to not be called much, if at all last year, which means that he did his job and will be given the shot to be a back-up center this spring. Clark was also moved to center, but he always seemed too tall to play center, which is why I think that Gallington is going to be given a shot. And last but not least, Waddle is a guy that was injured in the Northwestern game, I think a knee sprain and McDaniel filled in nicely.
More after the jump.
I probably write this all too much, but I feel like this is without a doubt the offensive line is the biggest strength heading into the season and I think the main backups, McDaniel and Emert, could play multiple positions. I'd like to see more of Clark this spring as he's been a guy that's been burried a bit, but he was a 4-star recruit coming out of high school.
Carpeter and Polk represented the entire offensive line recruiting class in 2010. Carpenter was on pace to play in 2010, but a appendectomy kept him out of the first few games and the coaching staff decided it was best to keep his redshirt. I think the redshirt was the right move either way and the same thing goes for Polk. It's tough to play as a true freshman, especially at offensive line. The story on Carpenter though was that he came in early last year, participated in the spring practices and impressed the coaches.
GUYS I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT
| Number | Name | Year | Ht./Wt. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | Alex Dubois | FR | 6-3/294 | Offensive Line |
| 69 | Matt Scott | FR | 6-3/274 | Offensive Line |
| 61 | Jonathan Guerra | JR | 6-4/297 | Offensive Line |
| 52 | Alex Chester | FR | 5-11/200 | Deep Snapper |
This is where we're going to learn a little something about the players on the roster who you may not have heard of. Rather than doing much homework, I'm going to link to their Texas Tech profile page and let each of you dig around.
Up first is Dubois:
Alex DuBois ... born October 29, 1991, in Austin, Texas ... son of Gregg and Marian DuBois... has two siblings... father, Gregg, played football at Texas Tech, cousin played football at Air Force and grandfather played for the Cleveland Browns... enjoys spending time with family and friends... majoring in pre-med.
Matthew Scott ... born April 11, 1991, in Flower Mound, Texas ... son of Stephen and Ann Scott... has two brothers, Weston and Ryan, and one sister, Natalie... majoring in history.
Jonathan Guerra ... born March 8, 1989 in Victoria, Texas ... son of Geronimo and Cathy Guerra... has two older sisters ... enjoys playing guitar and X-Box and spending time with family and friends... majoring in exercise and sport science.
Alex Chester ... born March 9, 1992, in Austin, Texas ... son of Bryan Chester and Christi Worth... has two siblings... father, Bryan, played football at Texas at with the Dallas Cowboys... major is undeclared.
GUYS I THINK ARE ON THE WAY
| Name | Year | Ht./Wt. | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Morales | FR | 6-4/300 | Center |
| Alfredo Morales | FR | 6-3/287 | Guard |
| Le'Raven Clark | FR | 6-6/245 | Tackle |
| Matt Wilson | FR | 6-7/270 | Tackle |
This is a really terrific class on paper. One of the things that Tuberville wanted to move towards in terms of the offensive line was smaller guards and centers. And rather than say smaller, I think a better explanation is that Leach preferred players that were all tall and about the same size, about 6-6/320, and could be moved up and down the line. Tuberville wants his guards and centers to be about the same size as the Morales brothers, which is 6-4/300. And I think generally speaking, Tuberville wants offensive line that are a more mobile that what Leach wanted. Again, I've got no problem with that and I think I prefer the offensive line to be more mobile as well. And perhaps no player represents an athletic player moreso than Clark, who is so impressive on film athletically. Tuberville said that Clark is now at 270 and has maintained that same athleticism. Wilson is a guy that was offered late and he really impressed late in the year and in the playoffs for his high school team.
Tony is your All-American and is one of the best in the country. If Keown wasn't the incumbent, then Tony might play immediately. He's that good. Alfredo is a bit more of a project, but he's no slouch. Both the Morales brothers are good athletes and not too heavy as high school players. They'll both play inside at Texas Tech, at guard or center.
YEAR-BY-YEAR CHART
| SENIOR | JUNIOR | SOPHOMORE | FRESHMAN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lonnie Edwards | Deveric Gallington | Kyle Clark | Beau Carpenter |
| Blake Emert | Terry McDaniel | James Polk | |
| Mickey Okafor | LaAdrian Waddle | Alex Dubois | |
| Justin Keown | Matt Scott | ||
| Jesse Smitherman | Alex Chester | ||
| Jonathan Guerra | Tony Morales | ||
| Alfredo Morales | |||
| Le'Raven Clark | |||
| Matt Wilson |