The strength of the 2018 Texas Tech offense looks to be the offensive line which exerted its will in the spring game.
There has been no season in the “Air Raid” era of Texas Tech football in which there has been more uncertainty about the offense than in 2018. Kliff Kingsbury must replace three starting receivers, his starting running back and, most importantly, his starting quarterback in a season in which his job is on the line. But there is one position Kingsbury and his staff do not have to worry about; the offensive line.
Texas Tech returns all five starters rom last season’s offensive line that overcame some early inconsistencies to become an extremely solid group. This past weekend, the strength of that position was on display in the Texas Tech spring game.
With the passing game struggling, the Texas Tech offense turned to the run game to move the football and it did so quite effectively. The Red Raiders’ two top running backs, Trey King and Da’Leon Ward, had an effective evening amassing 98 yards on 27 carries (3.6 yards per carry).
How about that cutback? Tre King makes a couple nice moves and finds the endzone! Hatfield's PAT is good. 25-17, Black. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/QFyaOFmWLF
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) April 14, 2018
Both King and Ward had touchdown runs in the red zone which was significant considering the Red Raiders’ struggles inside the 20 last season. Texas Tech was one of the worst teams in the nation last season in the red zone ranking 125th of 129 teams in red zone conversion percentage at just 69%.
On the season, Tech rushed for just 15 touchdowns on 62 possessions inside the opponent’s 20. That inability to punch the ball in from close range led to an increased reliance on an awful kicking game which missed a number of short field goals eventually causing Tech to leave far too many points on the board.
But that should be an area of improvement in 2018 considering the state of the offensive line. That group enters the season with a combined 72 starts making it the most experienced unit on the team.
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Junior Terrance Steele is the star of the offensive line. The Cibolo, Texas native has started every game of his career at left tackle anchoring the team’s pass protection against the best pass rushers in the Big 12.
Sophomore guard Jack Anderson is coming off one of the best true freshmen seasons in program history. He was the first true freshman offensive lineman at Texas Tech to earn freshman all-American honors since Le’Raven Clark in 2013.
Starting center Paul Stawarz has also started at both guard spots making him one of the most versatile linemen on the roster. Guard Jacob Hines is a powerful 320-pound senior who is particularly adept at run blocking on the interior. Right tackle Travis Buffey is a converted tight end who is entering his third season as an integral part of the offensive line.
Together, these five players form one of the top units in the Big 12. And should injuries force a backup to play significant snaps, Tech will be in good shape. Backups such as Madison Akamnonu, Dawson Deaton and 2018 signee Demarcus Marshall were all three or four star recruits out of high school and are more than capable of contributing if needed.
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As a result, fans should expect Kingsbury to rely heavily on his offensive line this fall. With the team’s lack of experience at quarterback and receiver, the ground game could be more important than ever for Texas Tech. Given the quality and cohesion along the Red Raider offensive line, that could be a recipe for success.