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What can Texas Tech football's Ben Roberts, Jacob Rodriguez do for an encore?
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- What can Texas Tech football's Ben Roberts, Jacob Rodriguez do for an encore?
The 2023 season couldn't have ended a whole lot better for the Texas Tech football team. Not overlooking the fact the season as a whole and a 7-6 record fell well short of expectations, the Red Raiders nevertheless finished out by not only beating California 34-14 in the Independence Bowl , but containing Jaydn Ott, the Pac-12 rushing and all-purpose yardage leader .
The Golden Bears' scatback carried 17 times for 55 yards, 26 coming on one run early in the game.
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For three weeks, Tech inside linebackers coach Josh Bookbinder said, Ott was the source of sleepless nights. For three hours, though, the Red Raiders kept him pinned up.
"When we went out and we stopped the run and stopped it early and really shut him down," Bookbinder said Wednesday, "taking that into the off-season and showing our guys ... . Down the stretch, four of the last five games of the season, I thought we played really solid defense. And so trying to build upon that this off-season, I think the bowl game was a springboard into what we're trying to do."
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Texas Tech inside linebackers coach Josh Bookbinder has reason to be excited with the return of leading tackler Ben Roberts, starter Jacob Rodriguez and seasoned veteran Bryce Ramirez.
Even better for Bookbinder, his position group returns the two players who ended the year as the top hands. Sophomore Ben Roberts , who racked up 107 tackles, was named second-team All-Big 12 by The Associated Press panel members who cover the conference.
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Junior Jacob Rodriguez , who began and ended the year as a starter but missed eight games with a foot injury, might be as good or better than Roberts, given a healthy full season. He made 32 tackles in five games and was named the outstanding defensive player of the Independence Bowl.
"Towards the end of the year, when both those guys were on the field together, when J-Rod got healthy, we were playing pretty good defense," Bookbinder said. "I think they feed off each other. They're both high-intelligence guys, high-effort guys. ... Having those guys back together on the field, there's a difference in our defense."
Among others who played last season, Jesiah Pierre transferred to Central Florida, his hometown school, and Tyrique Matthews completed his eligibility. Pierre made seven starts last season and had 66 tackles, but his role diminished.
Behind Roberts and Rodriguez, the Red Raiders return a solid, experienced third option in sixth-year senior Bryce Ramirez.
Texas Tech inside linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) signals in celebration after intercepting a pass in the Red Raiders' Independence Bowl victory over California. Rodriguez was named the game's outstanding defensive player after he was credited with eight tackles, the interception, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
"Bryce made the transition middle of the year (from edge rusher) to inside 'backer and has flourished," Bookbinder said.
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The young player who seems to be making the next best push to be in the inside linebacker two-deep is John Curry , the 6-foot-2, 225-pound redshirt freshman from Coronado.
"John's going to be a really good player here," Bookbinder said. "He understands the defense. He's smart. He learns well and has a high football IQ. Number two, he's athletic. He has some natural tools at inside linebacker, and then three, man, he's consistent. He shows up every day, works his tail off and consistently plays hard."
Also returning are two former walk-ons from Midland Legacy — Trent Low and Wesley Smith — who were in the rotation early last season before they suffered season-ending injuries. Low remains not yet cleared from knee surgery, whereas Smith is back on the field after being sidelined last year by a latissimus dorsi injury.
Bookbinder said redshirt freshman Justin Horne and fourth-year walk-on Gage Elder, a junior from Rockwall, have made strides.
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"Both those kids have had big-time improvement this spring," he said.
The Red Raiders have completed 10 of their allotted 15 sessions of spring ball with the 11th workout set for Thursday. The annual spring game is at 1 p.m. April 20 at Astound Broadband Stadium in Midland.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's Ben Roberts, Jacob Rodriguez aim for higher level
