Texas Tech football: Important position battles to watch this spring

Who will be the new “Raider” LB/DE hybrid?

In order to get pressure on the QB, Patterson wants to use a hybrid pass rusher capable of rushing off the edge while playing some coverage like an outside LB.  He calls this position the “Raider”.

"“Our boundary linebacker, which I just changed yesterday to the ‘Raider’ position, is a young man that possesses a little more defensive end, pass-rush ability” he told the “Daily Toreador”."

There don’t seem to be any natural fits on the roster right now making one wonder if a summer JUCO signee could be in store.  But if one is not, there must be someone who steps up this offseason.

The first that comes to mind is a player that nearly left the program last summer.  Junior LB Brayden Stringer announced last offseason that he was going to transfer only to change his mind.

Now, he could be the man to fill this critical role in Patterson’s defense.  Though he has been blocked by the tremendous talent Tech has had at LB in Dakota Allen, Jordyn Brooks and Riko Jeffers, Stringer has impressed people inside the program.  In fact, there have been other periods in Texas Tech football in which Stringer would have easily been a starter.

At 6-foot-2, 225-pounds, the Cypress, Texas native is in the physical mold of a hybrid pass-rusher.  But one must wonder if he has (or can develop) edge pass rush skills after training as a prototypical LB in the Gibbs system.

Then, there is 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior Christian Taylor.  A former highly-regarded high school signee, he has not been able to carve out a role for himself in college.  But part of that has been because he hasn’t been quite big enough to play linebacker in Gibbs system.  If he is going to be a pass rush specialist this year, his current size might actually be perfect.  The only question is whether he has the burst to get to the QB.

It is too bad that last year’s team leader in sacks, Tony Jones, is out of eligibility because he would have been perfect for this position.  But with him no longer on the roster, Tech has to figure out who will be applying pressure off the edge and hopefully some answers begin to emerge this spring.