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RED RAIDER
sports.com
RedRaiderSports.com is a publication of TRI Productions Volume 25 Issue 1 Managing Editor Aaron Dickens
Cover Photo TTU Media
Photographers Norvelle Kennedy Artie Limmer
Michael Strong TTU Athletics
Writers Matt Clare
Preston Jordan George Watson
Terry Greenberg Al Pickett
Red Raider Sports (USPS 0013-768) is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December. Annual Red Raider Club membership dues of $500 or higher include a one-year subscription to Red Raider Sports Magazine. Red Raider Sports is a publication of TRI Productions, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Periodicals postage is paid in Lubbock, Texas. Address all editorial-related correspondence to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. Red Raider Sports is not an official publication of Texas Tech University. Postmaster: Send address changes to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453. For subscription inquiries contact the Red Raider Club at 806.742.1196. Give old and new addresses and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. Š2019 TRI Productions. All Rights Reserved.
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Red Raider Club
Update
Andrea Tirey Senior Associate Athletic Director
It’s a great time to be on our beautiful campus! Texas Tech students are back and our first football season under Coach Wells is officially underway. The start of the fall semester also marks the end of our 2019 membership drive, and we cannot say thank you enough to every Red Raider Club member who showed their support for our student-athletes by financially committing to Texas Tech Athletics. Your annual contributions drive the success of the entire athletic department and position our student-athletes to win in competition and in the classroom. The success our athletic programs accomplished this past year doesn’t just happen overnight. It starts with our student-athletes and coaching staff and is greatly impacted by the support of so many Red Raiders. Your annual contributions through premium seating, annual seat contributions and gifts to the excellence fund as well as your continued major gift investments empower every single program and student-athlete throughout the entire year. Texas Tech boasted one of the top athletic departments in the country this past year as our men’s sports finished third nationally in the Capital One Cup thanks in part by our national title at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, a Men’s basketball National Championship appearance, and another appearance at the College World Series in Omaha. Your giving helps make this possible. It was truly a year to remember. In the classroom, 61 percent of our student-athletes recorded a 3.0 GPA or higher this past spring, while 51 student-athletes alone attained a perfect 4.0 GPA. Our graduation success rate this past year was 84 percent, the highest in school history and a tremendous achievement all Red Raiders can be proud of. We are excited for what the 2019-20 academic year holds, starting with Coach Wells and his debut season leading our football program. We hope you make plans to join us at Jones AT&T Stadium this season. There is no better home-field advantage in the country than when our Red Raiders run out of the tunnel to a full stadium. Tickets are still on sale for you to join us this season! Please call our ticket office at 806-742-TECH for more information. If you have any questions regarding your Red Raider Club membership or giving to Texas Tech Athletics, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 806-742-1196 and a member of our staff would be more than happy to help. Thank you for all you do and for continuing to invest in Texas Tech Athletics. Guns up!
— Development — 806.834.3270
andrea.tirey@ttu.edu
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b y P R E ST O N J O R DA N
Being a student-athlete is a balancing act. For decades, collegiate athletes have walked the tightrope as they harmonize their efforts on the field with their work in the classroom. It’s difficult to do one thing at a high level while also maintaining another with the same level of intensity and integrity. But that’s exactly what Texas Tech football defensive back Adrian Frye does every day. Coming out of one of the hottest recruiting beds in the nation, Frye was overlooked by many Division I programs, despite his three-star rating as a cornerback prospect. Tech was the only power five programs to offer the Houston, Texas native, giving him the only chance he needed to succeed. He quickly became a household name for Red Raider fans, turning in one of the most impressive debut seasons in school history a year ago. Frye closed out the year with a team-leading 13 pass breakups and five interceptions, the most picks by a Red Raider in a season since Darcel McBath recorded seven in 2008. It was the most interceptions by a freshman in a single season since former All-Southwest Conference safety Tracy Saul in 1989. Frye’s inaugural season also made waves on a national level, as he garnered Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and was selected to the All-Big 12 first team. His success wasn’t limited to the turf. Over the summer, the Big 12 Conference selected Frye to participate in their annual Big 12 Champions for Life campaign, which highlights student-athlete’s life-changing stories through the opportunities given to them via academic scholarships. Frye most recently represented the Red Raiders and the Champions for Life at the 2019 Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas where he spent the day networking and building relationships with fellow student-ath-
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letes from around the conference. “As badly as I want to play football at the next level, I want my grades to be at a high level as well,” Frye said. “I’ve been given so many opportunities here at Tech, and I strive to succeed in the classroom just as much, if not more than I do on the football field.” At Texas Tech, student-athletes are given an abundance of resources to succeed and develop in their academic, personal and professional lives. The Marsha Sharp Center for Student-Athletes, the J.T. and Margaret Talkington Leadership Academy and the newly-constructed Sports Performance Center are first-class facilities provided for the enhancement and enrichment of the experience for student-athletes in Lubbock. Student-athletes are consistently given chances to grow and learn, while also giving back to the local community. “We have so many opportunities here at Tech to better ourselves,” Frye said. “We have tutors and academic support at the Marsha Sharp Center and cool opportunities for community outreach and internships with the Leadership Academy. It helps to broaden our perspective and focus on what’s really important. It’s not just about what happens while we’re here. They’re also preparing us for life after college, which is very important.” Frye is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management, a popular program among athletes at Tech, which prepares students to pursue administrative positions within many sports organizations across the globe. He hopes to one day chase his dream of working in the industry of sports as either an athletic trainer or collegiate coach. A dream, he knows, could not be achieved without the help of others. “I’m so thankful for the members of the Red Raider Club and all they do to help me get to where I want to go,” Frye said. “Without their help, I wouldn’t be able to do what I love. I hope they know how appreciative I am for the opportunity to go to school at Tech.”
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Endowment
Donor Spotlight
b y T E R RY G R E E N B E R G
Linda & Terry Fuller
Texas Tech Athletic endowments are a perpetual source of support for our student-athletes. The endowment consists of hundreds of individual funds supporting student-athlete scholarships and program support. Endowment gifts are a way for our donors to leave a lasting legacy, fulfill their individual philanthropic goals and invest in the long-term mission of our athletic department. Jack Richards loves Texas Tech. It’s easy for him to count the ways. • He met wife Susan on campus when both were students in the 1970s. • A change from accounting to ag. economics and help from Dr. Jim Graves “saved my academic life,” he said, and led to a successful business career. • Son Jackson Richards played defen sive line for the Red Raiders in 48 games from the 2011-2014. Then there’s what happens on the field just before a Red Raider home football game. “The Goin’ Band From Raiderland, the drum corps, the Saddle Tramps, the horse taking off the with smoke as the team comes out – there’s not a game-day in the nation that can rival Tech’s pre-game. It sends chills up your spine,” said Richards. All led to the $200,000 Jack and Susan Richards Family Endowment – Football Nose Guard – the position Jackson played his junior and senior years. Last season, Dakota Allen – drafted earlier this year by the Los Angeles Rams – received the scholarship. “We’ve always wanted to give back to the university that gave all three of us so much,” said Richards. “We told Jackson this was his legacy – the endowment will go on and on.” Coming of Age Richards grew up in Olton. One night while in college he went to the White Rabbit disco – “it had a disco ball and everything,” Richards remembers – with some friends. “I saw this beautiful gal on the dance floor and told my friends I was going to marry her,” he said.
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That was Susan, who came to Texas Tech from Abilene. Things in the classroom were not as successful for Richards after he transferred to Texas Tech from Kansas State with a grade point average hovering around 1.0. He went home for the summer to work at a grain elevator when he received a note from the university saying his fall semester would be under academic probation. “My dad said ‘you owe me several thousand dollars for what I’ve paid for you and you’re going to scoop grain until you pay me back,’” Richards said. “Did he really mean that? I wasn’t going to test him,” he said. Richards returned to Lubbock and changed his major to ag economics. Dr. Graves reviewed his transcript. “Jack, it’s not that you’re not smart,” Richards said Graves told him. “You have not applied yourself.” Graves served as his academic supervisor His GPA jumped over 3.0 and stayed there. Richards also fondly recalls the late Dr. Sujit Roy, his statistics professor. He ended up teaching a stats lab for Dr. Roy. “I went from struggling to helping teach,” he said. Richards played baseball at Kansas State and hoped to play for Kal Segrist at Texas Tech when he transferred in 1974. But he had to sit out a year, got “totally out of shape” and was cut. He tried again in his senior year and had a good fall, but by then he and Susan were engaged and Richards knew he needed a job. “I still have a fond place in my heart for Texas Tech baseball,” he said. He’s also fond of what’s been happening with Texas Tech Athletics and is a big fan of Kirby Hocutt, Director of Athletics.
“Kirby has phenomenal talent of bringing together a group with a major vision … working harmoniously within the structure and focusing on the positive,” he said. That doesn’t always mean everyone agrees, Richards added, but they stay focused on the vision. “He’s one of the top three ADs in the country and I’d challenge people to challenge that. Kirby Hocutt’s integrity is second to none and how he cares about student athletes and how they succeed in life,” he said. Richards saw Hocutt’s talent years ago when Hocutt was a Kansas State linebacker. “He was one of the best dadgum linebackers in the Big Eight. He was hell on wheels … he had that attitude,” Richards said. “He knows how to win with less and how to succeed in Lubbock, Texas,” Richards added. And he’s excited about Hocutt’s hire of Matt Wells as Texas Tech’s football coach. “He’s a different kind of guy,” said Richards, adding Wells reminds him of former Texas Tech football coach Steve Sloan. “Matt gets it. He’s a coach’s coach and does the things needed to be a great college football coach. He’s going to turn this program around,” said Richards. Wells is instilling a culture Richards believes will pay off – much like what Chris Beard and Tim Tadlock have done with the basketball and baseball teams. “Kirby finds guys who fit well with Lubbock and into his culture,” Richards said. Early Commitment Texas Tech was the first college to offer Jackson a scholarship during his sophomore year at Southlake Carroll. At the time, the offer from then-defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill was the earliest offer the Red Raiders had made and its earliest commitment. A couple of years later, Jackson was playing in the Under Armour All-Star game when a reporter told him about the university’s football coaching change – asking if he would keep his commitment.
Susan Richards, Kali Richards Jackson Richards Jackson Richards, Susan Richards, Jack Richards at Jones AT&T Stadium “He looked straight at the guy and said ‘I committed to a university, not a coach and it doesn’t change one thing,” said his dad. Jackson loved McNeill, said Richards, but he never played a game for him. Success Richards and his family were living in Southlake when Shannon Himango called. Richards had hired Himango as a commodity trader in Levelland years before. Himango was his best friend and asked when Richards would be in Lubbock for a Texas Tech game because Himango wanted to talk to him. “I told Susan to put the house on the market because we’re moving to Lubbock,” he said – without knowing any details. Richards and Himango got into the business of supplying sand for the hydraulic fracturing pro-
cess to bring natural gas and oil to the surface. Titan Transloading was born. They built facilities to bring in northern white sand for fracking and shipped it out for jobs. “We were the first company to bring our expertise in the ag business when we used shuttle trains of 100-to-120 rail cars for corn,” he said. “People were bringing in a few cars of sand and we started bringing in big trains of frac sand, making it more efficient,” he said. They started the company in 2011 and a year and a half later sold 50 percent to Lansing Trade Group of Kansas. Then 18 months later, Lansing wanted to buy the other 50 percent. “In 2014 we sold the rest of it,” he said and the company became Titan-Lansing Transloading. After a three-year employment deal, Richards retired.
He and Susan were still living in Lubbock, but returned to Southlake to be closer to their children. Giving Back Jack and Susan’s philanthropy was also inspired by Terry and Linda Fuller, who the couple knew from Texas Tech football tailgates and living in Southlake, where Jackson played football for state powerhouse Southlake Carroll. “I knew all the things Terry did for Texas Tech. I asked him about it and he said he just wanted to give back. I thought some day if we’re blessed to the point we can do something, I want to be like Terry Fuller and give to something that’s given so much to us,” said Richards. “I want to be a great ambassador for Texas Tech. Lubbock will always be home to me,” he added.
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Head Football Coac
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All
ch Matt Wells is
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Matt Wells has been busy since taking the Texas Tech head football coaching job in November of last year. Besides spring football, pre-season practices, moving his family from Utah and instilling his culture into his new team – Wells has done 100 appearances, speaking engagements and donor visits in his first 200 days on the job. His message? “It’s been about what we do and how we do it,” he said. Wells has talked about his expectations for the players off the field and on. “I truly believe if you’re a champion off the field and in the classroom that shows mental toughness and accountability. That bleeds over into your football work style,” said Wells. Now it’s time for the Red Raiders to suit up and play football. And it’s time for Texas Tech football fans to get behind Wells, his coaching staff and the team. The coach has a list of how you can help. “Be passionate, loud and get really loud on third down when we’re on defense. Our fans have the ability to make Jones AT&T Stadium the hardest place to play in the Big 12 Conference,” he said. “Fans should make our home-field advantage second to none.” From what Wells has seen so far, he knows fans are ready, willing and able. “Texas Tech Red Raider fans are passionate, loud and very, very loyal. I see it at booster and donor events. We want to give them a program
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they can be proud of – a product on the field where we’re always prepared and energized,” said the coach of the Red Raiders. “Everything we do has to do with the logo, players, alumni and loyalty. We’ll play hard and be well prepared. These guys are motivated to give West Texas and Lubbock a winning program,” said Wells. “We want to reward fans by being exciting – and we all do this together,” he said. “Football is an interesting game – sometimes it pays you back and sometimes it doesn’t. But we won’t cut corners on building a winning culture,” he added. Wells is impressed with what’s already in place to help build that winning culture – Jones AT&T Stadium, the Sports Performance Center, the practice facility and the under-construction Cash Family Sports Nutrition Center. “Everything done before us is big time,” he said of some of the projects driven by the Campaign for Fearless Champions. Future plans will add to that. “Plans for the Football Training Facility and football operations will allow us to continue to develop our kids, strengthen recruiting and develop our football skills set,” Wells added. Kirby Hocutt, Director of Athletics, is impressed with what he’s seen from Wells so far. “Coach Wells each and every day is doing the things to instill a winning culture that will create a program our fans deserve,” he said.
All In Andrea Tirey, Senior Associate Athletics Director/Development, said the Red Raider fan base has enjoyed hearing about Wells’ vision for the program and is impressed by his drive, enthusiasm, and the way he his holding student-athletes accountable - which is all positive when people are considering giving to the Red Raider Club and buying season tickets and will be critical during the fundraising for the renovation of the Football Training Facility. “Coach Wells is a perfect fit for the culture Kirby has created at Texas Tech,” said Tirey. “He has been really great with all of our donors and fans throughout the state,” she said – adding the coach was usually the last person to leave every event. “We’ve enjoyed great success recently with so many teams – our first men’s team national title for track and field, men’s basketball making it to the national championship game, baseball going deeper at the College World Series than ever before. We’re excited to see what Coach Wells brings to Jones AT&T Stadium this season and in future years,” she added. “Coach Wells, his staff and the team are all in – now Red Raider Nation needs to be all in,” she said. Tirey said fans can support the team by becoming a member of the Red Raider Club and – like Coach Wells said – buying tickets, filling the stadium and giving the Red Raiders a home-field advantage.
Tickets and Annual Seat Contributions provide another advantage – supporting programs for student athletes like leadership education, nutrition, sports medicine and scholarships, Tirey said. Robert Giovannetti, Senior Associate Athletic Director/External Operations, said Wells has “answered the bell every time we’ve asked” in terms of appearances and more this off season. “He’s very open and communicative,” Giovannetti added. “He’s easy to work with. He understands fully that his role extends beyond coaching the team. He’s the first guy to ask, ‘how can I help?’ “We understand the program is not where we all expect it to be. Clearly the program has not been as successful as we all want – but it’s time for fans to rally and support Coach Wells. He’s done everything that’s been asked of him. It’s vital, not only for football but our entire department, for fans to support him by buying tickets. “It goes beyond football. Season ticket sales and Annual Seat Contributions are critical to sustain current programming for all of our programs and student athletes,” he added. “We need every Red Raider, if you’ve been frustrated and walked away, it’s time to come home.” A Fan Perspective Dennis Kruse, donor and fan, is excited about Wells and this season. “I’m very impressed. He’s embraced the community and he’s really strived to become part of the
fabric of other sports. You see him at basketball games, baseball games – you can just tell he appreciates the fan base,” said Kruse, drilling manager/partner for Tall City Exploration in Midland, who got a petroleum engineering degree from Texas Tech in 1982. Kruse has been all in with Texas Tech Athletics since graduating. The Victory Circle member is a suite holder for football, scholarship row seat holder for basketball, member of the Red Raider Club and has donated to the Sports Performance Center, the under-construction Dustin R. Womble Basketball Center and more. Kruse lives in Lubbock and commutes to Midland for work. “I have a special place in my heart for Texas Tech. It’s been a lifetime goal to support Texas Tech at any level I could. My petroleum engineering degree led to my career in the Permian Basin and any success there I track back to the education and contacts I made at Texas Tech,” he said. Kruse came to the university as a walk-on football player in 1977 and was on the scout team that and the following year. “I loved wearing the Red and Black since the first day of football practice and feel some small connection to anyone who’s worn the Red and Black,” said Kruse. He’s visited with Wells briefly at a few events – including one in Midland and running into him at some games.
“I’m getting feedback he’s changed the culture in positive ways,” said Kruse. He’s also impressed with the football coach’s boss. “Kirby has created a winning culture and has grown in job. His vision in fantastic,” said Kruse. “It’s a very special time to be a fan of Texas Tech sports,” Kruse added, listing recent accomplishments. “And there’s no reason to do anything but improve.” Part of that is continuing to improve facilities and continuing to support the Red Raider Club, he said. “Facilities are crucial to our success. We have some exceptional ones, but there’s room to grow on others and we’ll continue to need financial help for facility improvements as well as scholarships and resources for student-athletes,” Kruse said Loves Lubbock Meanwhile, Wells and his family are enjoying getting to know Lubbock. “Lubbock’s been great … people have wrapped their arms around our family. I heard about West Texas people and Lubbock people – we feel their love and we feel their passion,” he said. “The most pleasant surprise is the 3,200 feet attitude and not much humidity – it cools off a bit at night and makes for great summers,” he added. “We are ready for the season to begin and to make every single Red Raider proud of this football program.”
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2019 FOOTBALL
President Lawrence Schovanec with the Football Captains
Rodney Allison, Joe Barnes, Billy Joe Tolliver, BJ Symons
Brad Ingr 16
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Coach Matt Wells, Tommy McVay, Andrea Tirey, Robert Giovannetti
KICKOFF LUNCHEON Coach Steve Farmer, Toby Cecil, Jeff Lisle, Austin Pennington
Regent Mickey Long, Diane Hocutt, Kirby Hocutt, Chancellor Tedd Mitchell
Chad Pickering, Andi Pickering, Lugene Pickering, David Pickering, Terry Crofoot, Kelly Crofoot, Kaci Pickering, Coach Keith Patterson
ram, Coach David Yost, Ronnie Cherry
Jen Wells, Linda McMahan, Coach Matt Wells RedRaiderSports.com
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Coach Matt Gardner, Coach J-Bob Thomas, Coach Tim Tadlock, Coach Ray Hayward, Joe Hughes, Eric Gutierrez
Coach Wes Kittley, Barry Street
Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt
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RESPECT b y A L P I C K E TT
Perseverance might be the best word to describe Gabbie Puente’s time at Texas Tech. And now the fifth-year senior defender is ready to enjoy every minute of her final season. “My personal goal is to build as many relationships as I can with my teammates,” she said, “and take advantage of all the friendships and memories. On the field, I want to be one of the best tactical players – and have a lot more assists.” Her determination has been rewarded. Prior to the start of the season, Texas Tech soccer coach Tom Stone named Puente a team captain, along with Jayne Lydiatt and Margaret Begley. “It is an honor (to be named a team captain),” Puente said. “It means the coaches trust me with the responsibility of being a good leader.” “I think a lot of Gabbie’s leadership comes from her story,” Stone said. “She came here with her sister, redshirted due to injury and has been in and out of the lineup a million times. She has been in all of their shoes. She has been a starter, she’s been a non-starter, she has been injured. She can relate to the whole team, and she can tell them to follow her and she will show them how to get where they want to be. I think the team views her as a true Red Raider. Everyone adores her, but there is a respect because she has set such a high standard in the classroom as well as on and off the field.” Puente arrived at Texas Tech in 2015 with her twin sister Gwinnie – the first pair of twins to play for the Red Raiders – out of Fort Worth’s Nolan Catholic High School. Gabbie tore her patellar tendon, however, and had to redshirt her freshman year. In the three seasons that followed, she saw time as both a starter and a reserve, appearing
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in at least 14 games in each campaign, including a career-high 19 in 2018. Puente logged over 700 minutes on the back line last season, but she made only two starts, both coming late in Big 12 play. As a defender, Puente doesn’t get the opportunity to score very often. In fact, her only collegiate goal came early in her redshirt freshman year against Northeastern. “I was in the box and someone passed it to me and I kicked it in,” she said, laughing. “The first thing I did was run over to my twin sister and she hollered, ‘You scored a goal!’” Gwinnie, a midfielder who finished her career last year, scored nine goals as a Red Raider. Puente, an academic all-Big 12 selection last year, has already completed her undergraduate degree in electronic media and communication and will graduate in May with a master’s degree in math communication. She plans to intern with the Texas Tech athletic department next spring in marketing, broadcasting or communications. “I haven’t narrowed my choices,” she said, “but I would like to do something in sports in the future.’ In the meantime, Puente’s focus is on making the most of her senior season. The Red Raiders, ranked No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, have been to the NCAA tournament in each of the last three years, but Puente said the team has a goal of advancing farther this year. “We made it to the Round of 32 last year, but we lost on penalty kicks to Virginia to go to the Sweet 16,” she said. “So that is a goal, to make it to at least the Sweet 16, and win a conference championship.”
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HIGH IMPACT b y A L P I C K E TT
There are two things one is certain to see at Texas Tech volleyball matches this fall: fans giving the “Guns Up” sign and Emily Hill in the Red Raiders’ starting lineup. Hill, a 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter from Denton, has started 64 games since arriving in Lubbock two years ago. But she started her career at Mississippi State before deciding transfer to Texas Tech after her freshman season. “I wanted to play better volleyball,” Hill said. “Coach (Tony Graystone) reached out to me. It was closer to home since I am from the Dallas area. Once I came here for a visit, I knew it was perfect.” Indeed, it has been a great fit for both Hill and the Red Raiders. Not only has she started every game for the past two seasons, she was a second-team All-Big 12 selection last year. Hill led the team and ranked eighth in the Big 12 with 3.19 kills per set. She also topped the team and ranked second in the league with 33 service aces. To top it all off, Hill was a first-team Academic choice last year, too. Although the Red Raiders have posted backto-back winning seasons the past two years, they narrowly missed earning an NCAA tournament berth in 2018. That is the goal this year. “That was the goal last year, too,” Hill said. “We have all the tools to do it this year. We have a great incoming freshmen class, and all the returners have bonded as a team.” Part of that bonding came this summer when the Texas Tech volleyball team went to Italy in May for a preseason tour. Hill called the trip “amazing.” The Red Raiders played teams from Italy, Slovenia and Croatia and also soaked up local sights and sounds in Slovenia and Italy. Graystone said Hill will play an important role in the Lady Raiders’ bid for a postseason berth this fall. “Emily has been such an influential player and impacted us is so many ways,” he said. “She has always been a grinder, someone who loves to train and compete and gives her best effort every day. As she has moved into her senior sea-
son, Emily has found her voice and has taken on a much more substantial leadership role. Emily was a key part of our rebuild when she came to Tech in 2017, and since then has turned herself into an All-Big 12 player and in many ways has become the face of our team. She represents everything our program stands for, and I know she is going to have a big senior season.” After recording 351 and 416 kills in her first two seasons in Lubbock, combined with the 382 kills she had a freshman at Mississippi State, Hill now has more than 1,000 career kills. Now that she’s reached that statistical milestone, Hill is focused on reaching another. “I got to 1,000 kills last season, so I would like to get 1,000 digs this year,” she said, “and I will like to be first-team All-Big 12.” Although reluctant to boast when asked about the strengths of her game, Hill responded, “I can do everything. Passing from the outside hitter position is important. I want to be a better outside passer. I think my ability to stay on the court is my strength.” She called Texas Tech’s road win over No. 19-ranked Baylor in four sets to open Big 12 play a year ago as the highlight of her time as a Red Raider. “It was awesome,” she said. “That was the beginning of our 4-0 start in Big 12 play.” Hill is counting on more big moments like that this season. She will graduate in December and hopes to stay in the sports world in some sort of capacity. But that might have to wait until after a professional volleyball career. “I am thinking about playing overseas and then coming back and getting my master’s degree,” she said. “There is no professional volleyball in the United States, so I would have to go overseas. It has been on my mind, but the trip to Italy showed me that it is something that I can do and would like to do.” First things first, however: Hill’s more immediate goals are to lead the Red Raiders to the NCAA tournament this season, earn All-Big 12 honors and reach 1,000 digs for her career.
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Organized
CHAOS b y G E O R G E WAT S O N
Defensive Coordinator Keith Patterson is Launching an Attack Style Defense Riko Jeffers can’t help it. When asked about the potential for the Texas Tech defensive unit and its new style of play, a big, wide grin suddenly appears on his face. “It excites me,” the junior linebacker from Garland said. “It excites me a lot. I mean, a lot of (tackles for loss), sacks, forced fumbles and stuff like that. It’s going to be good and it’s going to help us get off the field.” While fans in the stands will recognize a lot of familiar names and faces lining up on defense in 2019, it might take a quarter or two for them to get used the new attacking-style scheme being implemented by new defensive coordinator Keith Patterson. More often than not over the last decade, the Red Raider defense has leaked like a sieve when it comes to points and yards allowed. In a league like the Big 12 Conference, that doesn’t make Texas Tech the outlier, but rather just another team that struggles at times to stop opposing offenses. The last decade has not been kind to the Red Raider defense. To put it simply, Texas Tech has had more seasons surrendering more than 500 yards and 40 points per game (3) than years where it held opponents to fewer than 400 yards and 30 points (1). Patterson is hoping to change that with a style of defense that will attack the opposing offense instead of sitting back and waiting. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Red Raiders will blitz on every snap, but the team will deploy pressure in a calculated way designed to confuse the opposing quarterback. “I blitz when I want to blitz. I pressure when I want to pressure,” said Patterson, who has experience facing Big 12 offenses from his twoseason stint at West Virginia from 2012 to 2013. “I don’t use the scheme as a crutch. What we try to do is get people behind the chains, try to get them in extra-long yardage on second down then get off the field on third down. It isn’t just
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go out there and we’re just going to lay our east back and here we come every single down. It’s every calculated in when we do bring pressure. “It’s, really, organized chaos.” Whatever it is, it has worked at pretty much every stop Patterson has made, but especially last year at Utah State under new Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells. And while it can be difficult, sometimes, to accurately measure defensive success because of the numbers being put up by offenses around college football, there are some key measurements that showed how effective Patterson’s scheme was last year. In 2018, Utah State led the entire country with 22 interceptions and three-and-outs forced per game (5.7) while ranking third nationally in defensive touchdowns (6), 16th in third-down conversion defense (33 percent), 19th in passing efficiency defense (113.76), 21st in fourthdown conversion defense (41.9 percent) and 33rd in scoring defense (22.2 points per game). By comparison, Texas Tech in 2018 tied for 40th in interceptions (12), 41st in defensive touchdowns (1), 86th in scoring defense (31.1 points per game), 89th in passing efficiency defense (139.41), 57th in third down-conversion defense (37.7 percent) and 14th in fourth-down conversion defense (38.1 percent). In the new scheme, players see no reason why they can’t improve on those numbers in 2019. “We have all the talent, all the experience and, really, all the athletic ability,” junior defensive end Eli Howard said. “Now, we have this scheme and I think it’ll really all come together for us, and I’m really looking forward to playing under coach Patterson and playing with all these guys I’ve played with for three, four years. It’s been rough because we haven’t had as much success as we’d have liked, but we really believe in coach Wells and his staff. I think it’s really going to pay off for us this year.”
Along with a new scheme comes new position terminology and, in some cases, new roles for returning players. Expect to see plenty of that with the Red Raiders this fall. Patterson’s scheme utilizes what will be known as the Spur and Raider hybrid positions. According to Patterson, the Spur is about 60 percent defensive back and 40 percent linebacker, which gives the position the flexibility to play coverage or come up and provide pressure. The Raider is the opposite, involving about 60 percent linebacker and 40 percent end/tackle responsibilities. In the secondary, there will be plenty of familiar faces, but they could be in different places. Sophomore Adrian Frye, who had a stellar freshman campaign with a team-high five interceptions, and senior Douglas Coleman III are getting long looks at safety after playing cornerback last season. But there’s a chance all defensive backs could see time at both corner and safety at some point in the season. “Having that many more DBs means it’s just as fun for me,” said junior DaMarcus Fields. “If any one of us goes down on the field, I know my brother’s got my back and I’ve got theirs, so I like it.” The curtain won’t be pulled back on Patterson’s “organized chaos” defense until the team’s opener against Montana State on Aug. 31, but there’s already one quarterback who has seen firsthand how disruptive this scheme can be in 2019. “We’re going to have a lot of moving parts,” quarterback Alan Bowman said, “because offensive coordinators, the quarterbacks in this league, if you just sit and stay in there, they’re going to pick you apart. I think, with this defense, they’re showing a lot of stuff I’ve never seen before … but there’s a lot of moving parts so you don’t know where the pressure is coming from. I think that’s what’s going to kind of set us apart this year.
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POSITION BR QUARTERBACK
Alan Bowman (pictured, left) enters the 2019 season as Texas Tech’s unquestioned starter following a stellar freshman campaign that was unfortunately cut short due to injury. Despite missing four games, Bowman threw for 2,638 yards and 17 touchdowns to just seven interceptions in his debut season, and the expectation is that he will improve on those numbers as a sophomore. That Bowman will start for the Red Raiders in the opener against Montana State is a near certainty. As for who will back him up? That competition will likely continue into game week. Junior Jett Duffey, who threw for 1,221 yards and eight touchdowns with six interceptions in 2018, Rice grad transfer Jackson Tyner and true freshman Maverick McIvor, who missed most of his senior season at San Angelo Central with a torn ACL, are neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot.
RUNNING BACK
Texas Tech’s running back depth thinned some in the offseason with the departure of Da’Leon Ward, but the team still has three capable players in the backfield. Sophomore Ta’Zahwn Henry (pictured, right) is the most prolific returning player at the position, as he rushed for 341 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018. Redshirt freshman SaRodorick Thompson showed promise in limited snaps last year and could be the most complete, if inexperienced, running back on the roster. The coaching staff is also excited about Utah grad transfer Armand Shyne, who rushed for 885 yards in three seasons with the Utes.
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REAKDOWN
b y G E O R G EWAT S O N
RECEIVER
With Texas Tech’s offense set to play at a blistering tempo under offensive coordinator David Yost, the Red Raiders will feature a number of wide receivers this season. Junior T.J. Vasher (pictured, left, with ball) is the most experienced of the team’s returning wideouts; the Wichita Falls, Texas product caught 54 passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns last year. KeSean Carter, who caught 26 passes for 238 yards in 2018, is moving from inside to outside receiver in order to best take advantage of his elite speed. Coaches have repeatedly praised redshirt freshman Erik Ezukanma during preseason camp, and he is competing with ULM grad transfer RJ Turner for one of the starting spots on the outside. Returning slot receiver Seth Collins is out indefinitely as he continues to recover from a collarbone injury he suffered in the spring. Even with Collins’ injury, there are several options to choose from on the inside but look for Nevada transfer McLane Mannix and sophomores Dalton Rigdon and Xavier White to stand out early. Of course, the biggest change fans will see in Texas Tech’s offense compared to years past is the use of a dedicated tight end. Expect a healthy rotation there as well, featuring sophomore Tyler Carr, senior Donta Thompson and junior transfer Travis Koontz.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Coming out of the spring, Texas Tech’s front five was perhaps the most experienced and settled group on the team. Going into preseason workouts, however, an injury to starting left tackle Terrence Steele has forced the coaches to improvise a bit while he works his way back to action. Senior Travis Bruffy (pictured, right) will see time both at left tackle and his normal right tackle position, while freshman Troy Bradshaw can fill in at left tackle as needed. The other question up front is finding a starting center, with sophomore Dawson Deaton having the upper hand at the position going into preseason camp. Guard appears to be where the Red Raiders are most settled up front with the return of multiyear starters Madison Akamnonu, a senior, on the left side, and Jack Anderson, a junior who could also be in the mix at center, on the right side. Senior Bailey Smith, sophomore Will Farrar and redshirt freshman Weston Wright give Texas Tech some quality depth up front.
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POSITION BR DEFENSIVE LINE
Texas Tech’s Raider position, a hybrid linebacker/end, will be one of several changes to the Red Raider defense under coordinator Keith Patterson. Freshmen Xavier Benson and Tyrique Matthews are in line to receive a lot of snaps at the Raider spot while senior Lonzell Gilmore continues to recover from a bicep injury. At defensive end, junior Eli Howard (pictured, left), who had 37 total tackles with 3.5 sacks in 2018, returns as a veteran starter. Inside, the Red Raiders will be led by senior Broderick Washington Jr., who recorded 41 tackles and three sacks last season, and junior Nick McCann.
LINEBACKER Linebacker could be a very interesting position for the Red Raiders this season thanks to a mix of talented returning starters, quality backups and two intriguing transfers. The list starts with senior Jordyn Brooks (pictured, right), who is just 70 tackles shy of becoming one of the program’s top-10 all-time tacklers. He led the team with 84 stops in 2018 – his third-straight 80-plus tackle season since arriving in Lubbock – to go with three sacks and an interception. Also back in the mix is junior Riko Jeffers, who was third on the team in tackles last year with 71, while junior Brayden Stringer, redshirt freshman Patrick Curley and junior college transfer Kosi Eldridge are expected to factor in as reserves. Cal grad transfer Evan Rambo will likely make his mark at the defense’s new Spur position – a hybrid linebacker/defensive back role. Rambo played in 20-plus games in his two years with the Golden Bears and brings a unique blend of size and athleticism to the field. Also watch out for true freshman Quinton Williams at the Spur position.
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REAKDOWN
b y G E O R G EWAT S O N
SECONDARY
Like the receiving corps, the secondary could be another position where fans will recognize several familiar names, just lined up in different spots. Because of their versatility in coverage, coaches have worked with senior Douglas Coleman III (pictured, right) and sophomore Adrian Frye at safety instead of their normal cornerback positions. Frye emerged last year as one of the top defenders in the Big 12 after posting five interceptions and 13 pass breakups to go with 21 tackles, and Coleman continued his improvement with seven pass breakups, an interception and 30 tackles. Of course, if Frye and Coleman stick at safety, that means someone must take over at cornerback. Early in practice, senior Desmon Smith and sophomore John Davis Jr. were getting the early first team reps, but Texas Tech has a number of options there. Junior DaMarcus Fields is in the mix after recording 11 pass breakups and 38 tackles in 2018, while Penn State grad transfer Zech McPhearson has also made a strong case to be a starter. Also working at safety are junior Thomas Leggett and sophomore Adam Beck.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Red Raiders will be starting from scratch on special teams after the departures of kicker Clayton Hatfield and punter Dominic Panazzolo. The kicker spot will come down to one of three options – junior Jonathan Garibay and freshmen Austin McNamara and Trey Wolff. Wolff is a redshirt freshman who was on the team last year while Garibay is a transfer from Riverside City College. Garibay could also handle some punting duties as well along with Lincoln University transfer Cody Waddell. Texas Tech also will have to replace kick and punt returner De’Quan Bowman.
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NOTEBOOK RECRUITING
Busy June for Texas Tech Oh, what a difference a month can make. The Red Raiders went from having just two verbal commitments for their 2020 recruiting class at the beginning of June, to 11 at the end of the month. Matt Wells and his staff added nine new prospects to their class in June, four on defense and five on offense, completely changing the perception of the program’s recruiting efforts for the 2020 class. That momentum continued into July with Texas Tech picking up three more 2020 commitments – two on defense and one on offense. With another prospect on defense already added in August, Red Raiders currently have 15 verbal pledges for the 2020 recruiting class. The Texas Tech 2020 recruiting class is currently ranked as the No. 46 overall class in the nation with an average star ranking of three stars, per Rivals.
Highest Rated - Lufkin WR Ja’Lynn Polk The 6-foot-3, 185-pound receiver is listed as a four-star prospect, the No. 42 overall receiver prospect and the No. 47 overall prospect in the state of Texas in the 2020 class by Rivals. He finished his junior high school season with 37 receptions for 695 yards and nine touchdowns. Polk chose the Red Raiders over 16 other schools, including offers from Baylor, Arkansas, Houston, Kansas State, Arizona and Kansas. Underrated - Tascosa DE L. B. Moore The 6-foot-4, 230-pound edge defender is not underrated in the sense that he lacks an appropriate star ranking, but in the sense that most recruiting media gurus do not frequently make stops in Amarillo. Moore has the potential to develop into an allconference defender, and already has a very impressive frame for a kid that’s about to start his senior season of high school. He finished his junior season with 85 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, six sacks and two fumble recoveries. Moore chose the Red Raiders over Baylor, Purdue, Kansas, Air Force and several others. 30
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Ja’Lynn Polk
L. B. Moore
Donovan Smith
b y MATT C LA R E
New QB at Frenship this Fall Donovan Smith, the son of first-year running backs coach DeAndre Smith, became Texas Tech’s first 2020 commitment in past February. Donovan is attending Frenship High School for his senior season after playing for Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas over the last two seasons. Smith played wide receiver for the Gaels, but he grew up playing quarterback and will play that position for the Tigers this season. We spoke with Frenship head coach Jay Northcutt recently to learn more about Smith as a quarterback prospect and he had this to share from summer practices: “Donovan has played quarterback most of his life, and a lot of people don’t really know that,” Northcutt said. “When we talked about him playing receiver at Gorman, he told me that him and his best friend there were the two best receivers on the team and that is just how it played out for their team. Because when I watched him throw for the first time, I wondered how he wasn’t their quarterback last year at Gorman. “Donovan has a very strong arm and has always considered himself a quarterback, so you can see that he works at it. He already knows our offense and could run every play tomorrow, if he had to. He is just under 6-foot-5, and I believe he measured just under 6-foot-5 at the Tech facility over the summer. He has also been working out every day and Donovan is 210-pounds right now.” Smith and the Frenship Tigers will open their 2019 season at home against Amarillo High School on Friday, Aug. 30.
K
Recruiting Texas When the university announced Matt Wells as the program’s new head coach last year, he took to the podium and talked about building the foundation of his program starting with players from the West Texas area and from the state of Texas. Wells and his staff have stayed true to that promise, as 14 of the program’s current 15 commitments in the 2020 recruiting class hail from the great state of Texas. West Texas Wolfforth Amarillo Wellington Dallas-Fort Worth Corinth Cedar Hill Dallas Mansfield Houston Magnolia Missouri City Houston East Texas Lufkin Longview Central Texas Manor These efforts from Wells and his staff are going a long way with building relationships with high school football coaches around the state. Wells has taken multiple road trips with his entire staff to various conferences and coaching clinics over the summer, volunteering as a guest speaker and even taking his coordinators to various high schools simply to whiteboard concepts with the coaching staffs at these programs. In recruiting, relationships matter the most. This strategy should pay huge dividends for Wells and the Texas Tech program in recruiting for years to come.
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