Texas Tech football: 3 Sooner defenders that Red Raider fans should know

DT Neville Gallimore

To find our last Sooner to watch, one has to look beyond the stats. That’s because the player that is the biggest freak on the OU defense, Neville Gallimore, has modest stats through three games.

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The defensive tackle has just five tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble in 2019. But do not sleep on how important he is to his team.

The 6-foot-2, 310-pounder was listed by Bruce Feldman on his annual summer list of college football freaks and for good reason. Feldman says that Gallimore benches 500 pounds, squats 800, and runs a 4.7-second 40-yard-dash.

Making him even more critical this week will be the assumption that the Tech offense will be centered around the ground game with two backup QBs playing. That will put quite the spotlight on a matchup between Gallimore and Tech’s All-Big 12 right guard Jack Anderson when the two square off.

But center Dawson Deaton and left guard Madison Akamnonu must also be up to the challenge when this monster is head-up with them. That’s because if he can occupy Tech’s interior linemen, middle LB Kenneth Murray will be free to roam the field and make plays all day long.

Last year, Gallimore had 50 tackles and three sacks. This year, he’s not been asked to play as many snaps early as OU is yet to be challenged so his numbers don’t stand out yet.

But with Big 12 play now upon us, he should see more time on the field. That’s going to make life difficult for a Texas Tech offensive line that is coming off a showing against Arizona that was far from inspiring despite playing against a defensive line with no player nearly as talented or physically dominant as Gallimore.