Texas Tech football: 5 ex Red Raiders we wish we could add to 2019 defense
Safety Darcel McBath
Playing safety in the Big 12 is tough these days. And teams that can find a player capable of coming up with takeaways in the secondary have a huge advantage.
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That’s why Darcel McBath would be a fantastic fit at free safety this season. With 10 career interceptions, he ranks seventh in program history and his seven picks in 2008 are tied for the sixth-most in a season for any Red Raider. What’s more, the three he had against Kansas that season are tied for the most in a game at Tech.
He finished his career with 224 career tackles three times topping the 70-tackle mark. On four occasions he had 10 tackles in a game, all coming in 2007.
After college, he spent five years in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers. For his career, he had 52 tackles and two interceptions.
It looks like senior Douglas Coleman has moved to free safety this year after being a corner for his first three seasons. Though he has plenty of potential, we can’t be certain he is fully capable of being a replacement for 4-year starter Jah’Shawn Johnson just yet.
Coleman only has three career interceptions, one in each year he’s been at Tech. Patterson would love to see him improve in that regard at safety this year and become a ball-hawk himself.
That’s why putting a player like McBath at free safety would be great for the 2019 Red Raiders. Hopefully, Coleman or another Red Raider on the roster will be able to fill the substantial shoes of Jah’Shawn Johnson who was one of the best safeties in the modern era of the program.