After five fall camp practices, the message was pretty clear: these guys are ready for pads. That moment comes tomorrow, and the real contact is about to begin.
Even without pads, the physical edge was already showing in the final minutes of the media viewing period. The offensive line and tight ends went head-to-head with the defense’s front seven, and it had the feel of a full-speed battle.
Guards were chipping and working linebackers, while defensive linemen fought to get free of blocks. It was a short look, but it made one thing obvious - the trench battles are going to be a major part of this camp.
The cornerbacks were another group worth watching up close. They’re usually tough to get a clean view of, but this time they were working in the north end of the practice field, just a few yards from the players at star. That made it possible to see them going through drills focused on punching the ball out and covering each other when receivers made their breaks.
That cornerback room looks bigger than it has in the past, with the veterans standing 6'0 or taller and the whole group looking long and lean. At star, the athletes look every bit the part too.
John Curry’s ability is already known from last season, and Marcus Ramon-Edward, Miquel Dingle and Donovan Webb all bring plenty of athleticism. There’s clearly a competition going on for the spot behind Curry.
The day also included work from the kicking game, with senior kicker Stone Harrington handling onside kicks early in practice. Freshman WR Imari Jehiel also fielded an onside kick.
There was plenty happening across the defensive backfield, too. Senior CB Amier Boyd and senior CB Brice Pollock lined up against each other, while junior CB Ashton Hampton covered freshman CB Cam Wyatt.
Junior CB Tarrion Grant went through a drill that had him changing directions on the coach’s command, and junior CB Davin Martin was shown defending in coverage. Senior safety Brenden Jordan also got a one-on-one rep against senior WR Coy Eakin.
At star, Marcus Ramon-Edwards worked on reading the coach’s movement, while senior LB John Curry did the same in a separate drill. Ramon-Edwards later punched the ball out from Curry, and freshman safety Donovan Webb got work at star as well, using position to try to knock the ball free from Ramon-Edwards’ hands.
Up front, the line work stayed intense. Tech’s offensive line doubled the nose while junior Jacob Ponton worked to pick up LB Brock Golwas.
On another rep, Ponton stepped in to block Golwas as the double team on the nose broke down. Freshman offensive lineman Elias Gillen also worked on a block against Austin Romaine, and there was a double team on the outside linebacker as well.
A pro scout from Cleveland was watching the corners during practice, and Coy Eakin finished things off by catching a ball in the end zone.
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The problem is bigger than one canceled matchup, too. Programs around the Power Four seem less eager to take on a Texas Tech team that is no longer a comfortable scheduling choice, especially with some lingering controversy in the background. One possible fix under discussion is further College Football Playoff expansion, which could give schools more incentive to schedule aggressively, but for now the Red Raiders are stuck in a spot that comes with success and a little frustration. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs Big 12 Path Looks Tougher With One Contender Setting The Pace
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Houston is shaping up as the most obvious challenger, which only sharpens the sense that the conference race may run through a familiar cluster of teams again. The Cougars return the second-highest share of production and backed up last seasons improvement, giving them the kind of base that can make a title push feel real if the pieces keep clicking. For Texas Tech, that means the margin for error could be slim even before the league schedule starts sorting contenders from hopefuls. [Read more 🡒]