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Meet Texas Tech football's new starters on offense, special teams
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- Meet Texas Tech football's new starters on offense, special teams
The Texas Tech football season is close at hand with the Red Raiders ' opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff coming up at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Tech coach Joey McGuire put out the Red Raiders' depth chart on Monday. Though not a surprise, Tech has new starters at six positions on offense, eight and potentially nine on defense and more on special teams.
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Here's what to expect from the new faces on offense and special teams.
Offense
RB Cameron Dickey, So., or RB J'Koby Williams, So.
Taking over for: Tahj Brooks
Tech knew it would have a new starter at running back with Brooks' graduation, but the identity of that new starter changed late in the game. Southern California transfer Quinten Joyner suffered a season-ending knee injury in an Aug. 16 scrimmage, leaving the job to Dickey and Williams. That's not the worst development since both played virtually all of last season and finished strong in the Liberty Bowl.
More: What's next for Texas Tech football's running backs after Quinten Joyner injury?
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TE Johncarlos Miller, Sr., or TE Terrance Carter Jr., Jr.
Taking over for: Jalin Conyers and Mason Tharp
Tech had an athletic pass-catching tight end last year in Conyers and expects more of the same with Carter, who caught 48 passes last season for Louisiana-Lafayette. Miller also had a three-game streak of touchdown catches last season.
More: Terrance Carter aims to keep trending up with Texas Tech football team
WR Reggie Virgil
Taking over for:Coy Eakin
Eakin has moved into the slot, filling the role leading receiver Josh Kelly had last year and making room for Virgil, a transfer from Miami (Ohio) who's billed as a speedy deep threat. He broke out with 41 catches for 816 yards and 9 touchdowns last year after catching only two passes in his first two seasons.
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Reggie Virgil (right) talks with Terrance Carter Jr. before the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Saturday, April 19, 2025, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
OT Howard Sampson, Jr.
Taking over for:Dalton Merryman and Ty Buchanan
Left tackle was a trouble spot for the Red Raiders in 2024, and two who split the job last year transferred, Merryman to Houston and Buchanan to Arizona. At 6-foot-8 and 343 pounds, Sampson's bigger than both and moves well for his size. He's gone from a no-name recruit who played in four games over two years at North Texas to opening holes for a Doak Walker Award finalist last season at North Carolina.
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OG Will Jados, Sr.
Taking over for:Sterling Porcher
Vinny Sciury was the favorite to reclaim the starting job at left guard after he suffered a season-ending knee injury last September. However, Sciury's missing spring football and much of August practice opened the door for Jados, who showed up ready and steady after being a three-year starter at Miami (Ohio).
More: What's next for Texas Tech football o-line with Vinny Sciury, Hunter Zambrano down?
OT Jacob Ponton, Fr.
Taking over for: Caleb Rogers
Ponton's a redshirt freshman replacing an NFL third-round draft choice who was a 55-game starter. No pressure, huh? However, Tech coaches think a lot of the 6-foot-8, 308-pound Dripping Springs product. The right-tackle competition expected between Hunter Zambrano and Ponton hasn't materialized with Zambrano missing nearly all spring recovering from surgery on both hips, then missing a chunk of August workouts with a back problem.
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Special Teams
K Upton Bellenfant, Jr., or K Stone Harrington, Jr.
Taking over for:Gino Garcia
The battle between Bellenfant and Harrington is one of the Red Raiders' few remaining unresolved going into the opener. There are big shoes to fill, as Garcia made 18 of 19 field goals last year and 33 of his last 36 for his career. Bellenfant made 18 of 21 last season for the University at Buffalo and the strong-legged Harrington's pushing to do more than kickoffs.
DS Rylan Vagana, Fr.
Taking over for:Jackson Knotts
Knotts was virtually flawless from start to finish the past four seasons, doing what the best deep snappers do: Go unnoticed. Vagana was highly regarded for that specialized skill coming out of high school in 2024. Insurance comes from backup tight end Jason Llewellyn, who some think has pro potential as a deep snapper.
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KR Micah Hudson, So.
Taking over for:Drae McCray
Hudson failed to live up to outside expectations last season as a big-time wide receiver recruit — perhaps unfair given his knee surgery the previous winter and another injury in the second half of last season. Hudson starts this season as a second-team receiver who'll get chances to return kickoffs. He has a high bar to meet, given McCray finished among the top 15 in the FBS each of the past two years.
More: New Texas Tech football WR Roy Alexander's long road finally led him to Red Raiders
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PR Roy Alexander, Sr.
Taking over for:Josh Kelly
Interestingly enough for a guy with 202 career pass receptions, Alexander has never returned punts in college — 35 kickoff returns, no punt returns in four seasons at UAlbany and one at Incarnate Word. But he's behind Coy Eakin at inside receiver, and the Red Raiders want to get him touches and take advantage of his good hands.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Meet Texas Tech football's new starters on offense, special teams
