Texas Tech football: Former Red Raiders that would be perfect fit on 2020 team
DE Brandon Williams would be a perfect fit in Keith Patterson’s defense
The primary goal of defensive coordinator Keith Patterson is to bring pressure on the QB. That’s something that most of the returners to this year’s team have yet to prove they can do on a consistent basis. Therefore, wouldn’t it be great to add a player like former DE Brandon Williams?
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The Fort Worth native and 2009 fourth-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys amassed 22 career sacks in his three years as a Red Raider. That included 13 in his junior season of 2008.
What would make Williams a perfect addition to this year’s team, as opposed to other prolific pass rushers in Tech history such as Aaron Hunt, Adell Ducket, and Brandon Sharpe, is the fact that he could play the “Raider” position for Patterson. That’s the hybrid LB/DE spot that the 254-pounder would be perfectly suited to man given his athleticism.
As we head into the 2020 offseason, we don’t know who will be that player for Patterson this fall. Senior LB Riko Jeffer might spend some time there as might sophomores Xavier Benson and Tyrique Matthews.
But what is most important to know is that the only current player on the defensive line that has more than two career sacks is senior DE Eli Howard. So while there are plenty of intriguing options at that spot, none outside of the San Angelo native have proven to be capable of getting to the QB and for what’s it’s worth, Howard’s career-high in sacks is just five, which he amassed last fall.
Of course, Williams had only one big year at Tech himself as he had no more than 5.5 sacks in a season before his breakout junior campaign, which prompted him to forego his senior year. His 13 sacks that year are the third-most of any Red Raider in a single season and show just how dominant Williams could be.
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We talked earlier about how mightily last year’s team struggled against the pass and while much of that falls at the feet of the secondary, the defensive line must also bear some of the responsibility. That’s why it would be a dream to have Brandon Williams to bring pressure off the edge this season but since we can’t, we will have to hope the next Brandon Williams begins to emerge in 2020.