Former Red Raiders we wish we could add to the 2024 Texas Tech defense

To say that the Texas Tech football team has some questions to answer in 2024 would be fair. Unfortunately, that's not a new position for the program to be in.

This year, the side of the football that has been this program's biggest struggle for a quarter of a century will again be a question mark. That's because a massive amount of productivity walked out the door after last season.

Long-time program pillars such as Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Tony Bradford Jr, and Jaylon Hutchings have all exhausted their eligibility. In fact, as many as nine players who either started or were key members of last season's two-deep rotation are no longer with the program. That's 372 tackles that the Red Raiders must replace this fall.

In fact, the only position group on defense that Tech didn't lose any starters from is the linebacking corps. That's where Ben Roberts, who started 12 games last year making 107 tackles, and Jacob Rodriguez who started five games, including four of the final five after returning from a foot injury, return to be the backbone of the Red Raider defense.

All over the rest of the defense, Tech must plug in new starters and hope that they can come through in their new role. But such is the nature of college sports where player turnover is the name of the game given how short college careers are and how prevalent the transfer portal has become.

Today, let's dream a bit and look at some former players that we wish we could add to the Texas Tech defense in 2023. Though this is an exercise in fantasy, it still will help us wrap our heads around where the Red Raider defense is weak and questionable in 2024.

Tyree Wilson would provide Texas Tech some much-needed pass rush snaps

This year, the Texas Tech football team must find a pass rush. That's why former Red Raiders and current Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson can't be cloned and inserted into the Tech starting defense.

In three years with the Red Raiders, the former Texas A&M transfer developed into a fantastic pass rusher. He racked up 17 sacks in his Tech career including seven in each of the last two years in Lubbock. Despite a foot injury that ended his final season at Tech before the schedule was over, he earned first-team All-American honors in 2022 and he was drafted No. 7 overall by the Raiders in the 2023 draft.

Tech would kill to have a player of that caliber to play defensive end this fall. That's because no Red Raider on the current roster had more than three sacks a season ago and only three (Charles Esters III, Amier Washington, and E'Maurion "Dooda" Banks) had more than one.

Last year, Tech was 70th nationally in sacks by averaging 2.08 per game. However, 15 of the 25 that Tech recorded came from players no longer on the team. That's why it's too bad Tyree Wilson isn't still in the Scarlet and Black.

Colby Whitlock would be the perfect anchor for the defensive line

One of the toughest players to ever suit up for the Red Raiders, former defensive tackle Colby Whitlock would be another perfect fit in the 2024 Texas Tech lineup. That's because he would help solidify a position group of need.

This year, the Red Raiders must replace Bradford and Hutchings. To do that, young and unproven players like Banks, Quincy Ledet, and Trevone McAlpine all will have to be ready for increased roles.

What's more, the program has brought in Rice transfer De'Braylon Carroll and Nevada transfer James Hansen to plug some critical holes at defensive tackle. That should tell us all we need to know about what the program thought about its situation at the position coming into the offseason.

Imagine if Whitlock was still part of this program. It would completely transform the feeling about the defensive tackle rotation.

The 2010 first-team All-Big 12 honoree had 188 total tackles in four seasons as a Red Raider. A four-year starter, he had at least 39 tackles in each of his Red Raider seasons. That included 57 tackles and 8.5 for a loss as a senior.

Of course, his greatest moment came as a sophomore in 2008 when he registered a safety against Texas in the first quarter of the Red Raiders' thrilling win that ended with Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree connecting on a last-second touchdown for a 39-33 win. That play is one reason Whitlock is still thought of fondly by Red Raider fans and it is too bad that a player of his caliber couldn't be added to this year's defense.

Marcus Coleman would be a much-needed addition to the Texas Tech secondary

The Red Raiders deploy a player in the secondary known as the "Star". That's a hybrid linebacker and safety who is often moved all over the field to create mismatches and wreak havoc.

Last season, multiple players tried to fill that spot. Most notable was senior and former Texas transfer Tyler Owens who racked up 37 tackles.

This year, is looks like former Baylor transfer A.J. McCarty will get a shot at being the "Star". Before sitting out last season due to NCAA rules, he made 37 tackles while starting two games and appearing in 13 contests for the Bears in 2022 as a sophomore.

While we don't know if McCarty or any other player this year (perhaps sophomore Brenden Jordan) will take the star spot by the horns, we do know that a former Red Raider, Marcus Coleman, would have been perfect for that spot.

That's because from 1992-95 he was a tremendous defensive back who played the "Raider" position, which is essentially the same as the "Star" position. In fact, in his career, he had nine picks and 246 tackles. What's more, he set a Southwest Conference record with four INT returns for touchdowns.

Coleman went on to a long NFL career racking up 484 tackles, 25 interceptions, 119 passes defensed, and 2 touchdowns. A 1995 first-team All-American and a member of the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame, he was ahead of his time as a college player who was one of the first to excel as a hybrid player, and his skill set would still translate to today's game.