SB Nation - Sam Fehoko

The Defensive Revolution Begins

Seth C — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:43:28 -0000

More photos » by Duane A. Laverty - AP

Let the revolution begin. LAJ's Don Williams writes this morning that redshirt freshman S Daniel Cobb (who was also from Killeen, but his mother and family are safe from the Fort Hood tragedy) will hopefully replace current weak-side linebacker Marlon Williams, who will play his last game for the Red Raiders in January. Read the article first, as Williams goes through a couple of different scenarios regarding who will play where, including going through the motions of eliminating Sam Fehoko (will play middle linebacker), Julius Howard (will continue to play safety) and Tyrone Sonier (will play strong-side linebacker).

Per defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, the solution is going to be moving Daniel Cobb:

"I think he can handle it," McNeill said this week. "He’s been doing a pretty good job for us. When you move a DB down, it’s the run game he has to get used to. But he’s got athleticism and a really good mentality about him. The pass-coverage part, he’s been a safety and that helps him in pass coverage quite a bit. The run game is the phase he’ll have to learn."
Snip

"There’s a certain type of guy that I want at (weak-side linebacker)," McNeill said. "I’m looking for that guy that can cover down more on wide receivers. He has to cover down on wide receivers more than a (strong-side linebacker) normally. People are spreading us out."

For those of us who have wondered why McNeill continually puts a linebacker, who we all know cannot cover a slot receiver, on a slot receiver, then this move, as admitted by McNeill, that it's time for a change. And it's not just the slot receiver, but it's also the running quarterback that simply plagued this year's squad (Houston, TAMU and Oklahoma St.) in terms of being able to run out of the pocket and pick up incredibly easy first downs.

When Leach, McNeill & Co. recruited and signed 6 defensive backs in the 2009 recruiting class, there were some of us that were curious as to why McNeill would sign so many defensive backs, but the potential signing of another large group of defensive backs will continue in 2010:

2009: Terrance Bullitt, Daniel Cobb, Will Ford, Yahshua William, D.J. Johnson and Jarvis Phillips
2010: Urell Johnson, Desmond Martin, Russell Polk, Tre'Vante Porter and Brandon Smith

The 2009 list doesn't account for LB Brandon Mahoney, who apparently had a shoulder injury all year while redshirting, but has quite a bit of explosiveness and LB Dion Chidozie, who according to McNeill, hasn't played with confidence while redshirting, but is getting more comfortable later. Both Mahoney and Chidozie are speed guys, but McNeill is looking elsewhere. I have no idea if McNeill has the same type of thought with the 2010 class and if I had to guess, Carter S Russell Polk might be the most likely candidate to eventually make the move.

Without looking ahead, it's comforting that McNeill sees the same thing we see when DTN discusses a game and one of the flaws of the defense. And for those of us that aren't in the locker room or in staff meetings, I think this is confirmation that the team understands it's defensive limitations, but the staff understands that it's foolish to throw out a player out on the field that doesn't have some experience, and despite physical limitations, that experience plays into how this staff makes personnel decisions.

Personally, this makes me truly excited about the future. I think this staff is trying ot adjust, but adjusting during the middle of the season isn't always easy, especially when the potential options available don't have the speed that a true freshman has, like Cobb. It was one thing to get Will Ford and D.J. Johnson early playing time, but that may have been out of necessity, with such little returning depth in the secondary, especially safety. I don't think it's any sort of heresy to suggest that McNeill sees the exact same thing that we all see, whether it be a linebacker struggling to keep pace with a slot receiver or that same linebacker being unable to contain a quarterback on the run. Implementing change, especially during a season can be difficult, but the fact that the staff recognizes the problem and is actively trying to address the issue is encouraging . . . very encouraging.

I also like the idea that McNeill isn't completely selling out to only recruit speed linebackers as there have been years that McNeill converts high school defensive ends to linebacker (Fehoko and Sonier come to mind immediately) and McNeill also has a commitment from Fred Harvey, a 5-11/230 middle linebacker type of player and Zac Winbush, who already has a 6-2/200 frame that will eventually fill out nicely.

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 12.09.09

Seth C — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:10:01 -0000

More photos » by Tom Pennington - AP

10 days ago: TCU center Zvonko Buljan (15) scrambles for a loose ball against Texas Tech David Tairu (13) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. Texas Tech beat TCU 80-70. (AP Photo/Tom Pennington)

Browse more photos »

9-0: I didn't get a chance to either watch the game or listen to the game, but I'll throw up some post-game thoughts and feign some sort of expertise. Another nice win, on the road, and for those of you just checking in on things, the Red Raiders beat TCU 80-70 (Box Score).

Down from 14: That appears to be the theme of most of the game stories (LAJ's Courtney Linehan and FWST's Stefan Stevenson and TR's RRR also has post game thoughts). Head coach Pat Knight told his team to keep it close:

"If you can just keep this between four and six points you have a chance to do this," Tech coach Pat Knight told his team in the midst of its 9-0 run to close out the first half. "That was huge, because if we let them go on a run or hit some more shots on us then it would have been really hard for our guys to come back."

And TCU head coach Jim Christian had this to say about PF D`Walyn Roberts, who had 19 rebounds, 9 of them offensive, and 9 points:

"He’s not very big, but he’s very athletic and aggressive," Christian said of the 6-foot-7 Duncanville graduate. "He’s a great player and he’s going to do that when you don’t put a body on him and let him roam free, and that’s what he did."

And PK had is proud of Roberts' performance:

"I’m just glad people are finally noticing what D’walyn does," Knight said. "It’s the stuff that helps you win games. Sometimes it’s not the stuff that’s going to make SportsCenter, but it makes me happy."

Without Ray: This story by LAJ's Courtney Linehan wasn't published until after I posted yesterday's DD, but it essentially details the situation of PF Corbin Ray, who suffered a concussion in a scrimmage, and is still expected to miss another month. PK had this to say about Ray and his situation and the type of skill-set that Ray brings:

"The kid competes. He wants to play; that’s why he came here," Knight said. "You’ve got to be careful because he’s one of those kids who will tell you what he thinks you need to hear so he can play, not thinking about his own health. We’re taking it slow this time around to be sure."

Snip

"He’s not a post threat, really, but he can guard the post really well because he’s more athletic so he can get around the big guys," Knight said. "He’s really good at facing the basket and passing. From a defensive standpoint we don’t lose anything when he’s in, but from an offensive standpoint he’s different because he can set back screens and hit 3s."

Davis 1st Team All-American: Congrats to S Cody Davis for being named first team All-American by Phil Steele publications. Steele also released his All-Big 12 teams and there are a number of Red Raiders represented as Steele goes 4 teams deep. DT's Adam Coleman talked with Davis about how he plays (there's also some quotes from other players about Davis):

"Just flying out to the ball," Davis said. "Being around the ball, just trying to make the secure tackle whenever it comes my way.

"But I’m still looking for my interception. I’m so hungry for it."

Initial Bowl Allotment Sold Out . . . Not So Fast: LAJ's Don Williams wrote last night that Texas Tech has sold out their initial bowl allotment, but then Texas Tech posted that the the allotment has been replenished.

MSU Suspended Players: FWST's Dwain Price writes that head captain Mike Leach had this to say about the Michigan St. suspended players and how that can affect a team:

"Sometimes a team gets better by getting rid of some folks,'' Leach said. "The other thing is those guys have a funny way of being available by the time you play them, so who knows?''

DT's Alex Ybarra talked with some of the players about the same topic, and LB Bront Bird feels that the backups are just as good as those players suspended:

"This is a Division I level, and that’s a big conference," linebacker Bront Bird said. "The guy (who was suspended), his backup is probably just as good as him. I honestly don’t pay too much attention to all that, and I don’t think we as a team should either."

Snip

"Suspensions are tough for a team, you can either keep moving and try to fight forward or some teams it can ruin their season," Bird said. "Obviously, I have no idea what their mindset is. Yeah they can be tough, but if you’re mentally tough, I’m sure their group will push through it and they’ll be just fine."

Hawaiian Trip: It appears that the coaches will be taking a trip to Hawaii to recruit LB V.J. Fehoko, who is the brother of Texas Tech's own LB Sam Fehoko, and was also named as the High School Athlete of the Year. I wish the coaching staff well in their travels.

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 11.18.09

Seth C — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:07:16 -0000

Clogged Pipes: Remember when I said that I was busier than normal this week? I am, and now I've got a clogged kitchen sink. The night before last, I spent a couple hours after work trying to unclog the damned thing and then I called a plumber, who then spent a couple of hours trying to unclog the thing. No dice. Our only options are for the plumber to crawl under the house and cut some pipe to find the clog or use some sort of fancy machine that produces 3,000 p.s.i. of water that will blast any clog a few miles away. Pray for me.

Leach to ________: I refuse to post to any link regarding any coaching vaccancy and Captain Mike Leach. I would love it if Leach just made a statement regarding the fact that he has no interest in __________ University. I understand that all of the "sources close to the program" is mainly B.S. What this really means is that high profile booster at _________ University got drunk, started talking about who he would like and thought that Leach would like it too. There's nothing concrete nor is there any actual quote from said source. Besides this entire situation gave me tremendous tired-head last year and I'm not going to feed the rumors unless there's actually something to report.

Sooners Want Win in Lubbock: LAJ's Don Williams writes that the Sooners would love to get a win in Lubbock. Here's CB Dominique Franks on wanting to play well:

"We haven’t played too well in the past in Lubbock,’’ Franks said. "We know this year also, we haven’t played too good on the road. We want to make sure we go out there and give them our best shot on Saturday.’’

Not the Same Sooners: DT's Adam Coleman writes that this year's version of the Sooners are not the Sooners of previous year, but head coach Mike Leach knows that the Sooners still have talent at every position:

"The biggest thing is they don’t have any serious holes," Tech coach Mike Leach said. "They are a team that would like to have some games back, but they don’t have any serious holes. They have good talent and good coaches. They played together really well last year."

And RT Marlon Winn talks about DT Gerald McCoy:

"Very athletic, very strong, fast around the edges. He can work inside as well, good with his hands and he is always focused," Winn said. "I think he is an awesome athlete really."

Texas Tech Notebook: LAJ's Don Williams writes that WR Jacoby Franks has been demoted to the scout team this week and Williams has this from WR coach Dennis Simmons and where players played in practice yesterday:

Simmons said Lyle Leong divided his time between split end and flanker in Tuesday’s workout, so it was starter Alex Torres and Leong at flanker, and Edward Britton, Leong and Brik Brinker at split end.

Snip

"I fault myself, because they’re a direct reflection of me,’’ Simmons said. "If they’re not playing well, then obviously I’m not doing something right. I need to fix me in order to make sure that they’re fixed. That’s what we’re doing. We’re fixing each other right now.’’

. . . LB Marlon Williams and CB Jamar Wall did not practice yesterday, which means there is a good chance that they will not play on Saturday. If Wall doesn't play, then CB Brent Nickerson will get the start and in place for Williams, you could see LB Brian Duncan move over to the weakside and LB Sam Fehoko to middle linebacker or move S/LB Julius Howard to Williams spot . . . the Baylor vs. Texas Tech game is almost completely sold out . . . DE Brandon Sharpe has been added to the Hendricks Watch List, a post-season award that goes to the nation's top defensive end (huge congrats to Brandon!)

Oklahoma Sooner and Big 12 Links: TulsaWorld's Dave Sittler writes that the Sooners need to be ready for strange happenings in Lubbock . . . NewsOK's Jake Trotter with an extensive OU notebook, including WR Brandon Caleb and OG Brian Simmons should be back for this weekend's game . . . TulsaWorld's Guerin Emig also has a notebook . . .

Its Official on 3 Signings: The official site finally announced that all of the paperwork has been returned on the 3 players who have signed with Pat Knight's Red Raiders.

Taking a Breath :: Looking Ahead to the Texas Tech Defense of 2010

Seth C — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:29 -0000

by Dave Weaver - AP

Nebraska's Chris Brooks (1), is brought down by Texas Tech's Cody Davis, in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Texas Tech beat Nebraska 31-10.(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

View full size photo »

THE DEFENSE

With the football bye week, DTN is taking this opportunity to look at Texas Tech's offense and defense in 2010. Up today is a look at the 2-deep, the talented players who are on the roster, but have not contributed much this year, the 2010 defensive recruiting class and a look back at the past 5 years recruits and the washout rate of players who were recruited by Texas Tech.

Who Returns (2010 Projected 2-Deep)

POSITION	PLAYER	STATS	YEAR
DE	Ryan Haliburton	6-4/245	SO
	Aundrey Barr	6-3/238	RS FR
	Christopher Knighton	6-3/240	RS FR
	Kerry Hyder	6-3/255	RS FR
DT	Colby Whitlock	6-2/287	SR
	Chris Perry	6-4/300	JR
	Pearlie Graves	6-1/278	RS FR
	Myles Wade	6-2/340	JR
LB	Bront Bird	6-3/240	SR
	Brian Duncan	6-1/240
	Tyrone Sonier	6-2/225	JR
	Sam Fehoko	5-11/220	JR
	Brandon Mahoney	6-2/203	RS FR
	Dion Chidozie	6-1/194	RS FR
CB	LaRon Moore	5-9/200	SR
	Taylor Charbonnet	5-10/175	JR
	D.J. Johnson	6-0/170	SO
	Yashua Williams	6-3/181	RS FR
S	Franklin Mitchem	6-2/198	SR
	Cody Davis	6-2/200	SO
	Brett Dewhurst	6-0/193	JR
	Will Ford	6-1/186	SO

If it's not incredibly clear, the weakness of this team will be at defensive end. I've mentioned this a couple of times and for 2 years straight, Texas Tech is losing quite a bit of production from the defensive end position. The key to all of this is that no one has seen any of these guys play on the collegiate level, other than Haliburton, who has done reasonably well in some spot duty early in the season and filling in for Howard, Sharpe and Henley during the early part of the season when there were so many injuries.

The strength of the defense will be up front with the return of Whitlock and Perry, who should form a formidable front and I think there's plenty of talent behind them in Graves and Wade. Much like Jacob Karam, Graves travels with the team and that's an indication that his personality in infectious and reading the tea leaves, he is going to be a player next year. I'd also mention that I do not see any of these tackles moving to defensive end. Perhaps that changes during the spring, but for the time being, I think this is your 2-deep.

Linebacker also returns 2 of the 3 starters from this year. Marlon Williams has been servicable, but he's been virtually non-existent for the better part of conference play, this past weekend's game excluded. You can expect Sonier to fill Williams spot at WLB. I'm also intrigued by Mahoney and Chidozie, who perhaps represent a change in the type of linebacker that Ruffin McNeill wants, which are projectable athletes who can run. If you see a change in philosophy, I think it starts at linebacker and continues to the secondary.

Jamar Wall will be the only player that needs replacement in the secondary next year and Johnson will have to step up his game during the offseason. I think the staff is enamored with his athletic ability, but you saw against TAMU how athletic ability can only carry you so far, he's got to be better from a technique standpoint as well. Ford should also take a step in the right direction this offseason and I may be in the minority, but I'd like to see more Charbonnet and expect Y. Williams to get some time next year as well. All in all, a pretty experienced group returning next year.

Lots more after the jump.

Don't Sleep On

DT: Britton Barbee (6-2/296; SR) and David Neill (6-5/280; JR)
DE: Jonathan Brydon (6-3/220; SR)
LB: None
CB: Jarvis Phillips (6-0/189; RS FR)
S: Jared Flannel (5-11/167; JR); Aaron Charbonnet (5-11/201; RS FR); Andre McCorkle (6-2/204; JR); Daniel Cobb (6-1/211; RS FR) and Terrance Bullitt (6-3/182; RS FR)

I think the only guys that I'm comfortable stating could make an impact from this group is Cobb and Bullitt, although I like Barbee and Neill from a depth perspective

Recruiting

POSITION	PLAYER	STATS	RR	STARS
DE	Kedrick Dial	6-5/215	5.6	3
DE	Jackson Richards	6-4/245	5.8	4
DT	Coby Coleman	6-3/290	5.7	3
DT	Lawrence Rumph	6-4/270	5.7	3
LB	Zac Winbush	6-2/200	5.5	3
DB	Urell Johnson	6-1/185	5.6	3
DB	Desmond Martin	6-0/173	5.6	3
DB	Russell Polk	5-11/200	5.6	3
DB	Tre'Vante Porter	6-0/185	5.7	3
DB	Brandon Smith	6-1/175	5.6	3
AVERAGE			5.63	3.09

If additional recruits are added, I think it's on the defensive side of the ball, namely at defensive end or linebacker. The one guy that I think could get some burn next year is Rumph, especially with the lack of defensive end. Keep in mind that Rumph was luke-warm when he committed to Texas Tech, so I would not count on his commitment until he's actually signed. I think you could also see Richards make an impact next year and Dial is another player who might make a difference next year. Richards is one of the more higher rated players of the class, he's a mature player and already has the size to play defensive end on the collegiate level. At this point, I'd imagine that it's about technique more than anything else. The sleeper of this group might be Martin, who was highly impressive in his film and possibly Porter.

Recruit Trending

YEAR	AVG. RR	AVG. STARS	WASHOUT RATE
2010	5.63	3.09	-
2009	5.57	3.00	2/15 = 13.33%
2008	5.63	3.13	5/8 = 62.50%
2007	5.47	2.70	2/10 = 20.00%
2006	5.53	2.89	7/19 = 36.84%

Disclaimer: I'm using the Rivals recruiting rankings and each player is assigned an RR number and a star.

To explain again, the Washout Rate are players who either never made it on campus or played only 1 year. As you'll note, the 2008 class was small, only 16 recruits total (keep in mind that there will be some classes that are smaller than others and a staff is typically limited to a certain number of scholarships in relation to the number of players on scholarship) but you had guys like Joey Fowler, McKinner Dixon, Broderick Marshall, Brandon Sesay and Brandon Reid (who could return to Texas Tech after a stint at JUCO) that all never made it at Texas Tech. This was Ruffin's first class officially, but this was also the same year that he replaced Setencich. If you wanted to take a look at the year that McNeill was in place early as the defensive coordinator then it's really the 2009 class that's his first class from start of the recruiting season to signing day. In that 2009 class you only had Romario Cathey who never made it on campus and James Scott, another guy who has gone the JUCO route but has a good chance of returning to Lubbock.

Post Game Thoughts :: Texas Tech Red Raiders 24, Texas Longhorns 34

Seth C — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:38:24 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

3 months ago: Texas Tech receiver Lyle Leong (19) catches a pass for a touchdown as Texas defender Chykie Brown (8) looks on during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. Texas won 34-24 (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Browse more photos »

SBN Box Score :: TTU Box Score

The Result :: Frustrating: I mentioned in this morning's Daily Diatribe that the result was frustrating, but on some level acceptable. As a fan, you always want your team to compete for a number of reasons, most importantly because you're a fan of the team and seeing your team getting blown out of the water is the worst.

Early this week, Leach contemplated the downside of what could happen to a program if you lose early and badly:

"The school’s got a duty to help do the wise thing," he said. "You can get money on the front end, short term, but if it weakens the team overall — then all of a sudden they take a couple more losses that they wouldn’t have or they don’t go to as good a bowl as they might or they miss going to a bowl — you impact a lot of things.
"You impact recruiting. You impact your team’s performance that year. You impact your team’s performance the next year perhaps through recruiting. You impact the mentality of your team as far as their ability to be successful. You may impact their chances once they get to conference, and then ultimately you may impact the chances of how well (a school) can sell seats and market their program."

All of these things considered, I think that the only thing that didn't happen was that the Red Raiders didn't get the win. And to be truthful, there were a lot of positives coming out of that game, despite the loss.

Who Needs Defensive Ends: Seriously, they're all over-rated. Just kidding, sorta. Perhaps this turn of events is what we may consider in the very near future as what turned this defense into what many want it to be. The defense used an odd and effective mix of Daniel Howard, Richard Jones, Bront Bird, Chris Perry, Sam Fehoko and just about anyone else at defensive end. This is a group of versatile and sometimes quick players that were able to contain Texas' most potent weapon in Colt McCoy. I could not have been any more impressed with Bront Bird's play. He was made to play whatever position he was playing on Saturday night. Daniel Howard was a grunt, and I mean that in the most positive way. The guy put forth effort all night and I know that he probably didn't see much, if any rest. Richard Jones surprised me with his quickness.

Besides, it's events like this that can sometimes galvanize a team and Richard Jones mentioned after the game:

On stepping up with a lot of the defensive ends hurt: It was hard with us not being deep at D-line but we had to suck it up and step it up and do what we had to do. I’m proud of everybody that played D-line, I think we played good and we fought until the end, that’s all we could do.

Walk-On's Can Play: I'm sure this happens all of the time. Player gets injured or is awful and player is replaced by a walk-on. SS Franklin Mitchem doesn't even make the trip to Austin and former walk-on Brett Dewhurst more than just filled in for Mitchem.

On experience like for you being a walk on and starting against the No. 2 team: I don’t think of it as the No. 2 team, I think of it as another game, but I have confidence in myself and I go out there and practice like I play. It happened to be Texas, a conference game and everything but I didn’t think of it like that, I just came out here and played the game.

His stat-line for the day was only 5 tackles and 1 TFL, but I thought he played well.

Donnie Carona thought it would be best to simply punt the ball as low and as short as possible and the result is a Shipley punt return for a touchdown. Enter walk-on Ryan Erxleben who was punting for Lake Travis last year and now he's punting in the biggest and best teams in the nation. Erxleben's punting wasn't flawless, but it was just fine I shudder to think what would have happened had he not been in the fold.

Perhaps this exemplifies the biggest difference between Texas and Texas Tech. A Longhorn goes down and they get replaced by an all-state player that has a tremendous pedigree. A Texas Tech player goes down and we're talking about making things work with what we have.

They're All Growns Up: You're seeing some freshmen be difference makers on defense. For those of you who've never seen CB D.J. Johnson, then you're seeing the future at cornerback. Redshirt freshman FS Cody Davis laid the hit on the Longhorn and although the pass was high, perhaps that's the why the ball wasn't caught. Johnson was there to make the play. True freshman RB Eric Stephens looks like a seasoned kick-returner and he's going to return one sooner rather than later. Redshirt freshmen receivers Alexander Torres (7 : 59), Cornelius Douglas and Austin Zouzalik (5 : 73) got playing time on one of the biggest stages in the college football world.

The Offensive MVP :: QB Taylor Potts: I'm going to quote Leach again on his thoughts on Potts, which as I said this morning, may have been the highest praise that I've seen a quarterback receive:

He’s really tough. He got hit hard a number of times and got up. I don’t think it affected his play to the negative. He’s a rare, rare, rare quarterback. There are a lot of great quarterbacks out there that ultimately have great careers that can’t do what I just described, and that is; getting hit really, really, really hard, and then come in the next play, the next series, and march down the field at 10 yards a clip, and he did that twice. I think anyone that had any doubts about Taylor Potts not being able to be a good Division-1 quarterback, I think those can pretty much be dispelled.

Potts finished the day with a less than stellar 6.77 yards per attempt (46-62 : 420 : 3 TD : 1 Int), but I don't recall seeing a Texas Tech quarterback do what he did. He can make just about every throw and despite not going deep very often, he was awfully effective, completing near 75% of his passes.

The Defensive MVP :: LB Bront Bird: Bird catches a lot of crap from me on DTN and I hope I've qualified my complaints this year about Bird in that he's a helluva run defender, but struggles in the passing game. I blame the coaching staff, not Bird, for putting him in those situations, but last night, Bird was a machine. Playing defensive end, a position, he's probably never played before, he finished the day with 8 tackles, 3 TFL and 1 QB hurry. You could make a case that the rest of his linebacker mates could have deserved this honor, each had 10 tackles, or make a case for the beleagured defensive line, but in my opinion Bird deserves this all by himself.

The Special Teams MVP :: P Ryan Erxleben: I mentioned Erxleben above, but averaging 38 yards a punt, getting off a punt that should have been downed inside the UT 5 yard line and coming off the bench completely cold. Again, all as a preferred walk-on and true freshman.

Double-T Nation Daily Diatribe :: 09.19.09

Seth C — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:07:54 -0000

Odds and Ends

Max Stallings: Last night I went to go see Max Stallings in Greenville (yep, Greenville) and it was a good time (i.e., open air venue, Lone Star on tap, and good music). If you've never heard of Stallings, it's quality Texas country, although I think that term may not mean the same thing to everyone. Give him a listen:

Runnin' Buddy - Max Stalling

Texas Tech Football

There Are No Defensive Ends: That's an exaggeration, there's one, Daniel Howard. LAJ's Don Williams reported last night that Brandon Sharpe did not travel with the team due to an "internal issue". Sharpe is officially out for the game. Just in case anyone wants to check, the dress roster (pdf) can be found on the official site under each game link. Williams does a good job of running down the options, including although if you read DTN carefully, you'll know that you need to watch where DT Richard Jones, LB Sam Fehoko and LB Bront Bird line up tonight.

Texas Tech Wants More: LAJ's Adam Zuvanich writes that the Red Raiders want more than what 2008 offered and knows that winning on the road against the top-tier teams is a big part of being a part of the elite:

That’s largely because the Red Raiders haven’t won at Texas or Oklahoma in more than a decade, and as a result, they haven’t beaten either team in back-to-back years since 1997 and ‘98. Leach, in his 10th season at Tech, has yet to beat UT and OU in the same year, and he didn’t have a winning record in Big 12 Conference road games until last fall.

Until Leach and the Red Raiders cross those items off their checklist, and prove they can beat the big boys on an annual basis, the rest of the world won’t be convinced that they can.

A win today would go a long way in that regard, and it certainly would vault Tech back into the top 25. And with a remaining schedule that includes five more ranked opponents – three of those games are on the road – anything is possible from there.

Dr. Saturday Knows it was the Defense in 2008: Dr. Saturday's Matt Hinton looks at the 2009 game, but acknowledges the difference in 2008 was the defense:

The difference in last year's win, without question, was the Raider defense, the only D to hold the 'Horns below 400 yards all season and a contributor of nine essential points on an early safety and a third quarter touchdown. By the time UT finally got on the board with a field goal in the second quarter -- which itself came on a short field following the Raiders' only turnover -- the Longhorn offense had been hit for a safety, stopped for three consecutive three-and-outs (four if you count the field goal "drive"), been outgained by more than 250 yards and trailed by three scores. Those first half heroics, the shining defensive moment of Leach's tenure, put the offense in a position to win even when Texas kicked into gear in the second half.

The Hurdle is Winning in Austin: LAJ's Don Williams also writes that Mike Leach's biggest hurdle thus far has been winning in Austin:

Something he’s never done is beat the University of Texas in Austin. It’s not getting any easier. With the latest expansion, capacity of Royal-Memorial Stadium is up to 100,119, meaning as far as the eye can see people wearing burnt orange will be rooting for No. 2 Texas to keep Leach oh-for-the decade in Austin.

"Maybe it’ll be the loudest place now," Leach said this week. "I’ve felt since I’ve been here that the loudest place is A&M."

LB Williams Got Out of Austin as Quickly as Possible: FWST's Dwain Price features LB Marlon Williams who never wanted to play for the Longhorns:

"I’ve never really liked Texas, actually," the Texas Tech senior weakside linebacker said. "If they offered me [a scholarship] I probably still wouldn’t have went there.

"I just never really have liked them as a team. I really actually wanted to go somewhere where I could actually play against them."

Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill likes what Williams did during the offseason:

"I gave him some assignments over the off-season to work on — change of directions, foot quickness, trust in his eyes and read — and he’s done those things," McNeill said. "He’s pulling the trigger, as Coach [Mike] Leach says. But the biggest thing he’s doing is he’s trusting the technique, and he’s really not hesitating on the field."

Texas Tech Links: RaiderAde's ayileen previews today's game . . . LAJ's Tale of the Tape . . .

Muschamp Game Plan: The Statesman's Suzanne Halliburton writes that UT defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has learned some lessons from last year, but this year, Texas Tech can expect to see more of the same:

"That's always our game plan, to get to the quarterback," said Texas defensive end Sergio Kindle. "Those guys are great blockers and they're massive human beings, so we're just going to have to see how that goes.

"That was the game plan last year, too. They had a good game blocking. Maybe we can take from what we saw and what we learned from last year and implement it to this year's package and see how we can modify it to be even better this year."

Texas Longhorn Links: What joy! Texas Tech is losing players by the hour, meanwhile, the NCAA has cleared UT's most experienced cornerback in Deon Beasley . . . DMN's Chuck Carlton writes that the UT secondary has learned lessons from 2008 . . . and LAJ's Adam Zuvanich also writes that the UT secondary has matured . . .

Recruiting on the High Seas :: LB Fred Harvey

Seth C — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:43:45 -0000

Linebacker Fred Harvey has committed to your Red Raiders and as always, I'm digging up as much as humanly possible in 20 minutes on Harvey. I should also mention on the Scout profile, and I thought this deserved front page mention, that Harvey is a smart kid, and we all like smart kids:

Harvey plans on majoring in engineering and reports a 4.0 core GPA (4.0 scale with honors classes) and a 21 ACT, which he plans on retaking in the fall.

Ed Note: If it's been a while since you checked out the recruiting information on some of the Texas Tech commits on the ESPN site, it's worth your time take a look as a number of profiles have been updated.

The Measurables:

via vmedia.rivals.com

Fred Harvey
Position: LB
Rivals Profile
Scout Profile
ESPN Profile 77 Grade
Ht: 5'11"
Wt: 230 lbs
Forty: 4.59
High School: White Station (Memphis, TN)

The Film

No film, except on the ESPN profile, which is quality video.

The Scouting Report

When I look at the limited film on Harvey, I can't help but think of Sam Fehoko and Tyrone Sonier. Harvey is a defensive end on the high school level who looks to easily play linebacker collegiately. He looks to be plenty fast, but he's all about rushing the passer (which I'm sure he's been instructed to do as much as possible), which means that there are a number of plays where Harvey misses the play. Still, it's not necessarily technique with a high school player, just as long as he has an idea of how to play the game and I think Harvey does. Here's the down-low from the ESPN profile:

Harvey is an undersized, yet hard-hitting linebacker prospect with a lot production behind the line of scrimmage. A good upfield, vertical attacker. Lacks ideal height and bulk but has a longer, well-built frame that should continue to physically develop. Plays taller and covers more ground than his shorter measurables would suggest. Plays in a defense that allows him to attack of the edge and he excels in that role with his good first-step quickness and short-area burst to the football. This guy is a very active presence on the perimeter and creates a lot of havoc. Flashes very good quickness to the football and springs onto ball carriers with deceptive explosiveness. Scrapes well off-tackle and can be difficult to seal off and outflank. Shows good upper-body strength jolting back blockers and separating at the point of attack. Range and acceleration are more than adequate when pursuing sideline-to-sideline.

The 2010 Class

Position	Commitment
QB	Scotty Young (6-3/185)
RB	Aaron Spikes (5-10/185) Delans Griffin (5-10/180)
WR	Shawn Corker (6-1/189) Kadron Boone (6-1/197)
OL	Beau Carpenter (6-7/260) James Polk (6-7/290) Denton Simek (6-4/260)
DL	Kedrick Dial (6-5/215) Jackson Richards (6-4/240) Coby Coleman (6-3/280)
LB	Zac Winbush (6-2/200) Fred Harvey (5-11/230)
DB	Desmond Martin (6-0/173) Russell Polk (5-11/200) Brandon Smith (6-1/175) Urell Johnson (6-0/180) Tre'Vante Porter (6-1/185)

Fred, welcome to Texas Tech and Git Your Guns Up!!

Drive Chart :: North Dakota 13, Texas Tech 38

Seth C — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 13:08:19 -0000

Participation

Offense

Starters: LT Chris Olson, LG Brandon Carter, C Shawn Byrnes, RG Mickey Okafor, RT Marlon Winn, QB Taylor Potts, RB Baron Batch, IR Adam James, IR Detron Lewis, WR Edward Britton, WR Alexander Torres. Reserves: IR Cornelius Douglas, IR Austin Zouzalik, WR Jacoby Franks, RB Harrison Jeffers, WR Lyle Leong, RB Eric Stephens, RB Aaron Crawford, RT Joe King, RG Devric Gallington, LT Terry McDaniel, LG Lonnie Edwards.

Defense

Starters: DE Rajon Henley, DT Richard Jones, NT Colby Whitlock, DE Brandon Sharpe, SLB Bront Bird, MLB Brian Duncan, WLB Marlon Williams, CB Jamar Wall, FS Cody Davis, SS Franklin Mitchem, CB LaRon Moore. Reserves: S Will Ford, S Julius Howard, S Jared Flannel, CB Taylor Charbonnet, S Brett Dewhurst, WLB Blake Collier, CB Nathan Stone, MLB Sam Fehoko, S Daniel Cobb, SLB Tyrone Sonier, DE Sandy Riley, DE Ryan Haliburton, NT Victor Hunter, DE Daniel Howard, DT David Neil, DT Chris Perry.

Drive Chart Texas Tech Offense

Texas Tech Drive 1

What Went Right: 10 of Texas Tech's 40 rushing yards came from this drive, while Taylor Potts completed passes to Detron Lewis, Lyel leong, Austin Zouzalik and Adam James. Batch finished up the drive with a 3 yard touchdown

What Went Wrong: Not much. Only one incomplete pass to Britton

Texas Tech Drive 2

What Went Right: This drive was about to fall flat but was kept alive with a UND facemask. Potts then had a 14 yard completion to Alexander Torres and Potts rushed 1 yard for the touchdown.

What Went Wrong: Looks like some end-arounds and fancy running plays rather than straight ahead rushing. Potts also missed on 3 pass attempts.

Texas Tech Drive 3

What Went Right: Started nicely with a 15 yard completion to Harrison Jeffers and another pass completion to Lewis for 21 yards.

What Went Wrong: Potts first interception of the day while inside the UND 20 yard line. That's either 6 or 3 points that get taken off the board because of Potts mistake.

Texas Tech Drive 4

What Went Right: Potts gets back on track with a nice 6 play 74 yard drive. Completes passes to Torres, Britton, Cornelius Douglas, and Lewis gets the touchdown.

What Went Wrong: Nothing, other than an incomplete pass to Jacoby Franks.

Texas Tech Drive 5

What Went Right: Started great with completions to Torres for 9 and Lewis for 14 yards. Then things fall apart

What Went Wrong: After those 2 completions Potts gets sacked, fumbles the ball and Marlon Winn recovers. Perhaps Potts is a little gun-shy or is wanting to do too much. Remember that Texas Tech is again on the UND 26, within field goal distance, and Potts throws his 2nd INT of the day on 3rd down and 15. It's the end of the half, but there's 3 or 6 more points not on the board although Texas Tech was primed to score.

Texas Tech Drive 6

What Went Right: Nothing.

What Went Wrong: A Matt Goetz false start and this is a whopping 3 play drive for 1 yard. Carona punts and Nathan Stone recovers a fumble giving Texas Tech the ball back.

Texas Tech Drive 7

What Went Right: Potts completes passes to Britton (15), Leong (11) and Britton (6) again.

What Went Wrong: Terry McDaniel holds on first down and this is the last you see of McDaniel for the game. Potts pulls Texas Tech out of the whole and gets Texas Tech to the North Dakota 3 yard line on 4th down, but a jump-ball pass to Detron Lewis falls flat. Again, this is the 3rd drive for Texas Tech inside the UND 20 yard line and no points are on the board.

Texas Tech Drive 8

What Went Right: This is the infamous 4 down on the North Dakota 1 yard line with Potts scoring on the 4th down play. In between then, Potts completes passes to Franks (4), two to Jeffers (24 and 5) and Lyle Leong (8).

What Went Wrong: It takes Texas Tech 4 times to score from UND's 1 yard line.

Texas Tech Drive 9

What Went Right: A nice 19 yard completion to Detron Lewis.

What Went Wrong: Potts' 3rd and final interception of the day.

Texas Tech Drive 10

What Went Right: The return of RB Baron Batch. Batch touches the ball 4 times in this 10 play drive that ended in a Matthew Williams field goal. Also included was a pass to Leong for 28 yards and a 13 yard run from Batch.

What Went Wrong: Texas Tech was driving down the field nicely, but a false start penalty stalled the drive and this is the 4th drive of the day that ended in the UND 20 yard line, although Mike Leach did finally go for the field goal.

Texas Tech Drive 11

What Went Right: Potts completions to Torres for 12 yards and an 18 yard touchdown pass to Adam James.

What Went Wrong: Nothing.

Drive Chart Texas Tech Defense

North Dakota Drive 1

What Went Right: A three and out is always a good outcome. Tackles by Brian Duncan, Jamar Wall and Rajon Henley with blocked punt by Edward Britton.

What Went Wrong: Nothing.

North Dakota Drive 2

What Went Right: Not much, other than the defense finally holding from their own 22 yard line and allowing a 39 yard field goal. Lots of little gains for UND including a big 13 yard 3rd down completion from Jake Landry.

What Went Wrong: How about two personal foul penalties, the 1st one on Marlon Williams and the 2nd one to some unknown player. That's 30 gifted yards to UND

North Dakota Drive 3

What Went Right: 3 plays and 4 yards, thanks to a UND illegal formation penalty.

What Went Wrong: Nothing.

North Dakota Drive 4

What Went Right: Too much yardage given up here including 1 pass for 18 yards and 2 for 10 yards. UND's kicker made a 52 yard field goal, so this wasn't a situation where the defense just gave up a ton of yards. Only 45 to be exact.

What Went Wrong: A 9 yard pass interference penalty by Julius Howard kept the drive alive.

North Dakota Drive 5

What Went Right: End of half.

What Went Wrong: End of half.

North Dakota Drive 6

What Went Right: Another 3 and out, 3 plays 8 yards.

What Went Wrong: Nothing.

North Dakota Drive 7

What Went Right: And another 3 and out, 3 plays 9 yards.

What Went Wrong: Nothing.

North Dakota Drive 8

What Went Right: Not much.

What Went Wrong: 13 plays and 80 yards, with a 9 yard rushing touchdown from UND and a roughing the passer penaltty that gave the ball to UND on the Texas Tech 9 yard line. Too many small completions in the soft underbellly of the Texas Tech defense.

North Dakota Drive 9

What Went Right: Not quite a 3 and out, but a 5 play, 13 yard drive led to another UND punt.

What Went Wrong: Not much, other than a 13 yard pass given up by Cody Davis.

North Dakota Drive 10

What Went Right: A 3 and out, but a Daniel Howard sack led to a 3 play, -7 yard drive.

What Went Wrong: Nothing.

North Dakota Drive 11

What Went Right: This was the end of the game and Sam Fehoko made two tackles. The clock ended this drive.

What Went Wrong: Nothing really and it was nice to see Fehoko make two stops for little yardage.

Depth Charting // The Linebackers

Seth C — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:00:10 -0000

Linebacker

Weak Linebacker	Middle Linebacker	Strong Linebacker
Marlon Williams (39) SR; 6-0/218	Brian Duncan (57) JR; 6-1/240	Bront Bird (20) JR; 6-3/240
Blake Collier (35) JR; 6-2/212	Sam Fehoko (41) RS SO; 5-11/220	Tyrone Sonier (45) RS SO; 6-2/225
Dion Chidozie (23) FR; 6-1/194	Chris Wallace (58) SR; 5-11/199	Brandon Mahoney (19) FR; 6-2/203

Weakside: At one point of watching Marlon Williams I wasn't too impressed, but as the season wore on last year, the more I came to appreciate the job that Williams does. That's not to say that I think he's a perfect player, but Texas Tech could do a lot worse than Williams. I know that isn't necessarily a ringing endorsement, but he's more than a serviceable player. He's not great, he's very solid. Blake Collier has struggled to find the field for the past two years as he rehabbed from a torn hamstring. If Collier can stay healthy, then I have no doubt that his superior speed and nose for the ball will pay off for Texas Tech next year. An experienced player who has speed to burn is a welcome addition to any team. Dion Chidozie is the prototypical linebacker that I can see Ruffin McNeill recruit from this point forward. Lanky with lots of speed and athleticism.

Middle: Brian Duncan is the unquestioned leader of the defense, and despite not getting enough Big 12 looks, he is an All Big 12 performer. Duncan is a model citizen and tremendous against the run. What more could you ask for from a middle linebacker? Behind Duncan is Sam Fehoko, who struggled coming out of high school because he was asked to change positions, from a rushing defensive end who was asked to just run after the quarterback at all costs, to a read-and-react middle linebacker. It's taken Fehoko two years, but I think he's finally ready to make the move. Another guy who looked pretty good in the spring game. McNeill signed James Scott in the 2009 recruiting class and I think that McNeill wanted his linebacking corp of the future. Despite the fact that Scott didn't qualify, I'm thinking that Scott makes an appearance in Lubbock after his two year stint in JUCO. I get the feeling that by sticking with Scott through this process, it's an indication that McNeill still wants this guy. From a size and speed standpoint, he's your prototypical middle linebacker. If Texas Tech gets down to Chris Wallace playing middle linebacker, the Red Raiders have big problems.

Strong: I really shouldn't be down on any player, but Bront Bird's lack of speed bothers me to no end. I know, I need to be supportive, but the truth of the matter is that Bird needs to be quicker and run up and down the sideline. Bird would have been perfect a few years ago, a big, bulky linebacker who could stop the run, but with the increase in the spread offense, Bird needs to be able to cover a lot of ground. His backup, Tyrone Sonier, is another high school defensive end converted to linebacker. I can't say that I've watched him that much, but from what I have seen of him, I do know that he can run and I think he's faster than Bird. I could very well be wrong about that, but I don't think I am. Brandon Mahoney is the commit that switched from Oklahoma to Texas Tech fairly late in the process. Whether it was a situation where OU didn't think Mahoney would qualify, I'm happy as hell that he did. Again, another prototypical linebacker. Athletic, rangy and speed to boot.

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview // Double-T Nation's Preview of the Texas Tech Red Raiders

Seth C — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:15:10 -0000

View full size photo »

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview: In partnership with CBS Sports, the SB Nation Big 12 blogs are previewing each of their respective teams in the Big 12. This is Double-T Nation's entry and for all of those who are getting this way through the Texas Tech page on CBS Sports, we welcome you and hope you enjoy the content. Thanks to the Ralphie Report for compiling all of the previews and make sure and visit the Ralphie Report for a more extensive Big 12 conference breakdown.

TOP PLAYERS

Offense:
QB Taylor Potts
RB Baron Batch
OL Brandon Carter
OL Marlon Winn
WR Detron Lewis
WR Edward Britton
WR Tramain Swindall
Defense:
NT Colby Whitlock
DE Rajon Henley
LB Brian Duncan
LB Marlon Williams
CB Jamar Wall
S Cody Davis

OFFENSE: As is the case with each Texas Tech team, there is no question that the offense is led by its quarterback, and after three years of Graham Harrell, the Red Raiders usher in a new signal caller in junior Taylor Potts. It's easy of course to think that Potts will have a difficult time replacing Harrell's production, but Texas Tech has finished with the top passing offense in the Big 12 from 2008 through 2004. Something tells me that head coach Mike Leach understands a thing or two about running an offense. At receiver, the Red Raiders will lean heavily on inside receiver Detron Lewis to lead the way and although there are usually at least four receivers who receive a significant amount of passes, right now this may be a receiver by committee situation. Of course, the big question is who will replace Michael Crabtree at the flanker position and currently it's a three man race, with redshirt freshman Alexander Torres leading the group, followed closely by Lyle Leong and Jacoby Franks. Split end Edward Britton is the lone senior of the receiver corp and it would not surprise those who follow the program closely that inside receiver Tramain Swindall will contribute significantly in 2009. Most think that the offensive line lost three starters, but the truth of the matter is that center Shawn Byrnes started in 2007, lost his job to last year's starter, Stephen Hamby, but is expected to start in 2009. At left tackle, the starting job is between redshirt freshman Terry McDaniel, who showed that he is more than capable of protecting that left side, and all-purpose lineman, Chris Olson. At left guard the Red Raiders return an All-American candidate Brandon Carter and is moving from playing right guard last year. Sophomore Mickey Okafor will take over for Carter at right guard and incumbent Marlon Winn will get the nod at right tackle.

TOP GAMES

1. @ Texas Longhorns :: 09.19.09
2. Oklahoma Sooners :: 11.21.09
3. @ Nebraska Cornhuskers :: 10.17.2009
4. @ Oklahoma St. Cowboys :: 11.14.09
5. Kansas Jayhawks :: 10.31.09

DEFENSE: Texas Tech lost quite a bit of production defensively and previous years, there would have been quite a bit of worrying about replacing both defensive ends and both safeties, but with the increase in talent at Texas Tech, the less of a worry it is replacing quality players. Both defensive ends have moved onward, Brandon Williams has moved to the NFL, and McKinner Dixon declared for the NFL supplemental draft this summer, but went undrafted. Replacing Williams and Dixon will be no small task, but former defensive tackle Rajon Henley has lost weight during the off season and will solidify one end position, while the other end position will be left to Daniel Howard, a JUCO transfer, who was close on a number of sacks last year, has a motor that just doesn't quit. Look for fellow seniors Brandon Sharpe and Sandy Riley to see plenty of time alongside Howard and Henley. Inside, nose tackle Colby Whitlock returns for his junior year and senior Richard Jones will start at defensive tackle. The second and third team could consist of some of the newcomers listed below, but should certainly include in the rotation Victor Hunter, Chris Perry, Britton Barbee and David Neill. All three linebackers return from 2008, including the highly underrated junior middle linebacker Brian Duncan, who could be an all-conference performer, this year. Backing up Duncan is Sam Fehoko, who many think will be could be an impact player right now. At the weakside linebacker spot is senior Marlon Williams, although look for Blake Collier to edge his way into the lineup as he has superior speed which is obviously useful in the wide-open Big 12. At the strongside linebacker spot is junior Bront Bird, who will be fighting off Tyrone Sonier. Left cornerback Jamar Wall returns for his senior season and opposite Wall there is a three man race with LaRon Moore, Brent Nickerson and Taylor Charbonnet all hoping to nab that right starting cornerback position. The Red Raiders lose both safeties from 2008, but redshirt freshman Cody Davis should surprise many in 2009 at free safety and Franklin Mitchem looks to be the starter at strong safety. Brett Dewhurst, Julius Howard and Jared Flannel round out the veterans amongst this safety group.

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

Strengths: Quarterback position
typically performs at a high level,
quality receiver depth despite loss
of Crabtree, all starting linebackers
return and depth at defensive tackle.
Weaknesses: Lack of defensive end
depth as three ends graduated or
left the program, must replace or
improve right cornerback and
no experience at safety.

SPECIAL TEAMS: For the first time in the Mike Leach era, he's hired a full-time special teams coach, Eric Russell, and the talk during the spring and fall practices is that there's a noticeable difference in the attitude of special teams this year. Quite possibly the feel-good story of 2008 returns in plackicker Matt Williams, who was plucked from the stands to kick a field goal to win free rent, will return as the guy to kick short-yardage field goals and extra points. Donnie Carona returns to take care of the long field goals and should see competition from Brad Hicks. Punter Jonathan LaCour is suspended for the first six games and freshman Brian Exlerben and Carona will compete for the punter position. Returning punts, there are at least five or six option, but leading the charge is cornerback Jamar Wall, receiver Detron Lewis, running back Eric Stephens, while Stephens, receiver Jacoby Franks, receiver Edward Britton and Wall could each return kickoffs.

KEY LOSSES: LG Louis Vaszuez, LT Rylan Reed, C Stephen Hamby, IR Eric Morris, FL Michael Crabtree, RB Shannon Woods, QB Graham Harrell, DE McKinner Dixon, DE Brandon Williams, S Daniel Charbonnet and S Darcel McBath.

NEWCOMERS: The defensive side of the ball presents the most opportunity for newcomers to make a difference for this team as I think it takes at least a year to acclimate to the Texas Tech offense. With that being said, sophomore defensive tackle Myles Wade has the physical gifts to make an impact immediately, as does fellow defensive tackle Pearlie Graves. The Red Raiders signed six defensive backs in 2008 and although they are all talented defensive backs Will Ford, Daniel Cobb and Terrance Bullitt could all see time at safety in 2009. Receiver Eric Ward, a freshman who landed in Lubbock in the spring semester and has a leg up on the competition, has the talent to break into the receiver rotation quickly. Although technically not newcomers in the truest sense of the word, the aforementioned left tackle Terry McDaniel has the potential to start and running back Harrison Jeffers will surprise many opponents in 2009 as he should be the combination running back with Baron Batch. Also watch out for former quarterbacks turned receivers in Austin Zouzalik and Cornelius Douglas. Both are explosive athletes, Zouzalik may be one of the fastest players on the team, and Douglas is could be utilized in a Wildcat-type of formation.