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Texas Tech football: Numerous roster changes precede start of spring practice

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warms up before the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warms up before the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – SEPTEMBER 29: Ta’Zhawn Henry #26 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the field during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on September 29, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. West Virginia defeated Texas Tech 42-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX – SEPTEMBER 29: Ta’Zhawn Henry #26 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on the field during warm ups before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers on September 29, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. West Virginia defeated Texas Tech 42-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

RB depth takes a further hit

It is starting to feel like the Red Raiders are just destined to have to scramble every offseason when trying to put together a full complement of quality running backs.  Last year, the Red Raiders had to bring in grad transfer Armand Shyne during the summer and still, by the end of the year, there was only one healthy scholarship RB on the roster, SaRodorick Thompson (and to call Thompson healthy is unfair given that he was playing on a significantly sprained ankle).

Now, Shyne is gone after not being given a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA and just days ago, junior RB Ta’Zhawn Henry announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.  Thus, Tech enters the spring practice schedule with just two running backs on the entire roster, Thompson and walk-on Jax Welch.

Henry’s departure is a blow for certain.  It’s not that he’s been a star (he had 341 yards in 2018 while running for one fewer yard last fall) but he’s accounted for 12 total touchdowns in his career and provided a nice option behind Thompson.  He finishes his Red Raider career with 964 total yards.

This development means that true freshman Tahj Brooks will be thrust immediately into a key role backing up Thompson.  But he’s not on campus for spring ball making it tough for the Red Raiders to navigate the next month with just two RBs.

We already assumed that Tech would look to add another RB through the grad transfer market and now that is a certainty.  It’s also worth considering that Tech could add two RBs from the portal, after all, we saw that having just three scholarship players at that position was not enough at times a season ago.

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