Texas Tech needs cohesion along the rebuilt offensive line
For many, the greatest concern about this version of the Red Raiders is the offensive line. That's nothing new given that the O-line has been a troublesome spot since before McGuire arrived two seasons ago.
Last year, the line was mediocre at best and on some Saturdays, it was poor, especially in regard to pass blocking. Until that changes and the line becomes a strength, this program will remain stuck in neutral.
However, building a dominant offensive line doesn't happen overnight. Players at that position usually take years to develop into starting-caliber contributors. So the years of poor recruiting along the O-line under the Matt Wells regime are still having negative consequences for Tech. There are promising young players in the pipeline but most aren't ready to contribute this fall.
Therefore, Tech has brought in several transfers to help patch up the line. This year, at least three of those newcomers will be asked to start. What's more, the line will have no returning starter playing the same position as last year and only one 2023 starter, Caleb Rogers, is still with the program.
On Saturday, look to see if the offensive line looks like a cohesive unit. Notice if there are obvious breakdowns in communications that lead to negative plays or if the line is able to function as one group.
This will be the closest this line will have to a game situation before week one of the season. Sure, the line can, and will, improve with more practice reps this fall but what we see on Saturday will go a long way toward telling us if this line is improved or if we should be concerned about the blocking yet again in 2024.