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Texas Tech football: How 2015 signing class doomed Kliff Kingsbury

By Matthew Conner

ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Quan Shorts #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders catches the pass and will score during the first half of the game against the Baylor Bears on November 25, 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Quan Shorts #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders catches the pass and will score during the first half of the game against the Baylor Bears on November 25, 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
(Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /

Two offensive linemen retired and one was kicked off the team

While Stawarz, Steele and Akamnonu have turned into solid linemen, three of the 2015 signees left the program prior to 2017.  That proved to be a huge blow for a team that struggled along the o-line as the 2018 season progressed.

Conner Dyer, a 4-star signee from Mesquite, Texas was the star of this offensive line class.  But he had to retire from football in 2016 after repeated injuries prevented him from realizing his potential.

Likewise, Cody Wheeler, a former 3-star signee from Allen, Texas also had to retire because of injuries in 2016.  He had been the No. 106 guard in the nation and held offers from nine other programs.

In June of 2016, Trace Ellison was arrested for burglary along with Dakota Allen and and Robert Castaneda with all three being kicked off the team.  Though the charges were eventually dropped, Allen was the only one of the three to return to the  program.

The 2018 offensive line could have used some reinforcements.  After starting the season strong, the line digressed in the final six games especially when it came to the ground game.

Tech averaged just 131.8 yards per game on the ground this year but that number dropped to just 101.8 when leading rusher and backup QB Jett Duffey’s yards (which often came as a result of QB scrambles) are subtracted.

Twice this year (against Iowa State and Kansas State) Tech failed to rush for more than 31 yards as a team.  When the 2018 quarterbacks were decimated by injuries, it would have behooved the Red Raiders to turn to the ground game.  However, the failings of the offensive line kept the Texas Tech running game from being able to help salvage the season and that is partially due to the shortcomings of the 2015 o-line signing class.

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