Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Texas Tech football: Breaking down the battle for both OT spots

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 24: General view of a football used by Texas Tech Red Raiders during the game against the Baylor Bears on November 24, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Baylor defeated Texas Tech 35-24. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 24: General view of a football used by Texas Tech Red Raiders during the game against the Baylor Bears on November 24, 2018 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Baylor defeated Texas Tech 35-24. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
The Masked Rider leads the Texas Tech Red Raiders onto the field 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)
The Masked Rider leads the Texas Tech Red Raiders onto the field 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) /

Casey Verhulst is the favorite at right tackle

Plano’s Casey Verhulst looks to be the favorite to be Tech’s starting right tackle this year.  We can assume that because when the team needed an injury replacement at right tackle for three games in 2019, it was Verhulst who got the start and he worked as the starter at that spot in the shortened spring session.

In those three games that he started, (Montana State, UTEP, and Oklahoma State) the Red Raiders went 3-0.  In those games, Tech averaged 42.6 points per game and the starting QBs averaged 379 yards passing.

At 6-foot-6 and 290-pounds, Verhulst is a bit light and one has to wonder if he can stand up against powerful defensive ends.  However, he has good reach and is nimble for a tackle, two traits that make for a good pass protector.

As a recruit, he was rated as a 3-star player and the No. 98 tackle in the nation by the 247Sports composite rankings.  In addition to Tech, he held offers from Colorado, Kansas State, Colorado State, Houston, and Purdue among others.

It seems like Verhulst is likely to be the week-one starter at right tackle.  He’s the only candidate to work there in the spring who has ever made a start for the Red Raiders and when he did start, the offense did not miss a beat.  Thus, it would be a bit of an upset if someone beats him out for the job in fall camp.

Home/Texas Tech Football