Texas Tech football: Positions that need JUCO or grad transfer reinforcements

The offensive line is replacing at least three starters

Once the 2019 Texas Tech offensive line stopped playing musical chairs, that group performed rather well.  After various injuries caused the line to have to shuffle some pieces around in the first four games, Tech started the same five players for the final eight games and the continuity led to nice results.

The Red Raiders finished tied with Oklahoma for the second-fewest sacks allowed in the Big 12 this year with 18.  Only Iowa State gave up less with 14.

But stop to consider that Tech threw the ball 531 times while OU did so only 323 times and Iowa State 452.  Thus, the Red Raiders gave up one sack for every 29.5 passes while OU allowed one for every 17.9 and ISU was just slightly better than Tech with one for every 32.5.

Now, OL coach Steve Farmer has to replace three seniors with both tackles in Terence Steele and Travis Bruffy as well as guard Madison Akamnonu out of eligibility.  What’s more, there remains an outside chance that junior guard Jack Anderson, who missed the final eight games of the year, could enter the NFL Draft.

The problem for Tech is that in recent years, the program has struggled to recruit linemen.  The 2019 class had only two OL signees and neither 6-foot-11, 350-pound Trevor Roberson nor Odessa’s Landon Peterson played this year and both seem like they are a ways away from being ready to start.

The 2018 OL class consisted of five players and guard Weston Right stepped in admirably for Anderson.  But 4-star signee Demarcus Marshall appears to be heading towards being a bust.

Making us assume that the 2020 OL class will be fortified with either JUCO or grad transfers is the fact that currently, there are only two high school linemen committed and neither is expected to play as a true freshman.  That’s why Tech recently hosted 3-star JUCO OL Jeremy Flax who is set to announce his decision this month.

Even if Tech doesn’t bring in a host of starters from the JUCO or transfer ranks, there must be some additions in order to guard against injury or the unexpected departure of another lineman already on the roster.  Right now, the starting OL might project to be Dawson Deaton at center, Anderson and Wright at guard, and Casey Verhulst and either Will Farrar or Zach Adams at the tackles.

But if Flax commits to Tech, he likely joins the conversation for a starting job.  Also, it would be no surprise to see at least one transfer OL also join the program sometime in the next nine months.