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Texas Tech football linemen Rusty Staats, Dennis Wilburn switch positions
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- Texas Tech football linemen Rusty Staats, Dennis Wilburn switch positions
Rusty Staats ' issues with low snaps has prompted a shuffling of the Texas Tech football offensive line.
The Red Raiders are moving Dennis Wilburn from right guard to center and Staats from center to right guard, Tech coach Joey McGuire said after the team's practice Wednesday. Wilburn started at center for the Red Raiders the entire 2022 season, and Staats started at center each of the past two years for Western Kentucky before he transferred to Tech in the off-season.
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The Tech staff charted Staats at 26% of his snaps being off-target in the Red Raiders' 27-14 loss Saturday at Brigham Young.
"That quarterback, I don't care who it is, any time you've got to take your eyes away, down or anything like that, it's hard to play that position," McGuire said.
McGuire said Staats will remain in the starting lineup because he's one of the team's five best offensive linemen.
Staats suffered an elbow injury during the game, but McGuire said it wasn't a reason for errant snaps earlier.
"It's happened all year at different times, of guys trying to do too much," McGuire said, "instead of just doing what they're supposed to do. Everything starts with the snap, so the center's got to understand that that's the most important thing, especially in the offense that we're in.
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"Anytime you're in the (shotgun formation) for 95 to 99% of the time, those snaps are so important, because the quarterback can't make it right. If you're under center, the quarterback can make some bad snaps right just by strong hands and stuff like that."
McGuire said Staats' snaps were not a problem at Western Kentucky, where he played for current Tech offensive line coach Stephen Hamby and offensive coordinator Zach Kittley.
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Texas Tech center Rusty Staats (53) and right guard Dennis Wilburn (56) are trading positions, Tech coach Joey McGuire said, because of issues Staats has had with off-target snaps. Wilburn started every game for Tech last season at center, and Staats started every game the past two years at center for Western Kentucky before he transferred.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football linemen Rusty Staats, Dennis Wilburn trade positions
