Five Texas Tech football players who will battle for their job in spring practice

Texas Tech will have plenty of defensive backs to compete with Bralyn Lux

One strength of the Red Raider defense in 2024 could be the secondary. That's despite losing four key defensive backs to graduation.

One reason why the secondary might be able to withstand those departures is because of a player who joined the program last offseason but was forced to sit out all of 2023 after failing to earn a waiver from the NCAA, A.J. McCarty.

The former Baylor corner likely would have been in the rotation at corner this year had be been able to play and now that he's ready to go for 2024, he is likely to push returning corner Bralyn Lux for a starting job.

Last year, Lux was a pseudo starter along with Rayshad Williams and Malik Dunlap and he likely figures into the rotation next year as well. He made 40 tackles and was credited with eight pass breakups, after all.

McCarty was a starter at Baylor in 2022, though. That year, he made 37 stops and had a pick to go along with three pass breakups.

Likely, Tech will find a way to get both of these players on the field together. However, McCarty could supplant Lux as a starting corner.