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Texas Tech football: Areas of concern for Red Raiders as 2019 season nears

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 03: Ta'Zhawn Henry #26 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders gets past Tre Norwood #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half of the game on November 3, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 03: Ta'Zhawn Henry #26 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders gets past Tre Norwood #13 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half of the game on November 3, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Are there enough pass rushers on the roster?

Keith Patterson wants to put pressure on the QB.  He believes that making the passer uncomfortable is the best way to force turnovers and disrupt the opposing aerial assault.

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That theory will only prove to be true if there are enough pass rushers on the roster to implement the type of blitz-heavy scheme Patterson prefers.  Right now, we can say that only one Red Raider, junior Eli Howard, has proven to be the type of pass rusher that can consistently get to the passer.

In two years at Tech, the San Angelo native has nine career sacks including four last fall.  He has become a leader on the defense and has been repeatedly praised by his new coaches for the work he’s done this offseason.

Senior defensive tackle Broderick Washington has eight career sacks making him the second-most productive pass rusher on the defensive line.  But moving to nose tackle in the 3-3-5 scheme will likely mean that he is less of a pass rusher this fall as he faces repeated double-teams.

Ultimately, Tech is going to need some players that are yet to prove themselves capable of getting to the QB with consistency to step up.  That begins with grad transfer Evan Rambo.

The Cal transfer is expected to be a huge factor at the Raider position in Patterson’s scheme where he will be asked to rush the passer as much as 60% of the time.  In four years with the Golden Bears, Rambo put up just two sacks which leaves us to wonder if he is capable of doing what Tech is going to ask of him this year.

Another player that will be seeing some time at the Raider position is redshirt freshman Xavier Benson.  Though he is loaded with talent, he has appeared in only one career game.

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The Red Raiders also hope that players like senior Lonzell Gilmore (1.5 career sacks) and sophomore Nelson Mbanasor (no career sacks) to provide some pressure this year.  Unfortunately, there just is not a boatload of proven pass rushers on this year’s defense which is worrisome given the fact that Tech will look to play a more aggressive, risky, pressure defense that will be centered around getting after the QB.

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