What we're hearing after first Texas Tech football scrimmage

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What we're hearing after first Texas Tech football scrimmage

Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal · Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Sun, Aug 11, 2024 ·

4 min read

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Few, if any, outside the Texas Tech football team's inner circle were allowed to see the Red Raiders' first preseason scrimmage on Saturday. Anyone near Jones AT&T Stadium heard it, though.

Subjecting his players to game-like pressure was one of Tech coach Joey McGuire's takeaways from his trip to see Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell. McGuire said last month he wants his offensive players to feel the heat as much as possible, from having them enter via the visitors' tunnel, occupy the opposing sideline and have to deal with crowd noise.

"We really cranked it up," McGuire said of the piped-in sound. "I think the sound system has even more. Gio (senior associate athletics director Robert Giovannetti) was trying to be, I guess, sweet to all the neighbors around the stadium, but it was great for us."

The NCAA approved experimental use of in-helmet communication devices last season for bowls, including the Independence Bowl in which Tech beat California. In-helmet communication is approved for full use this season with one player on each side of the ball allowed to wear a device.

"We piped in crowd noise whenever we were on that big Jumbotron end," McGuire said, "and all our quarterbacks had to cover their ears because it was hard for those guys to hear (the in-helmet communication)."

Here are other developments McGuire discussed in a post-scrimmage session with reporters:

Wide-receiver screen game shows signs

Tech coaches put an offseason emphasis on improving a wide-receiver screen game that was lacking in 2023. They studied teams that did it well, especially Washington and Florida.

Drae McCray took advantage of some opportunities in the scrimmage, and McGuire said new receivers Josh Kelly and Micah Hudson blocked well for each other.

"We've got to be better (on perimeter screens) because it's easy yards. It's layups," McGuire said, "and then we have too many guys at the skill positions — talking about Drae McCray, Josh Kelly, Caleb Douglas, Jordan Brown, guys that are really, really good screen guys. Micah Hudson — that are so sudden. We've got to do a better job on the perimeter."

Jordan Brown is one of several targets that Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire says should make the Red Raiders more effective in the wide-receiver screen game. During the offseason, Tech coaches studied teams who did it well last season, especially Washington and Florida.

Cameran Brown waits for the real games

McGuire said second-team quarterback Cameran Brown evaluated his showing Saturday as just all right. McGuire reminded the transfer from West Georgia that his capabilities aren't on full display in scrimmages, where quarterbacks are off-limits to contact. Tech recruited him to run the football as much as he throws it.

"You're not going to see it in scrimmages," McGuire said, "because I don't want to get him hit. But the quarterback run game goes to a whole different level whenever he comes in the game."

Texas Tech football gets creative with Braylon Rigsby

Saturday was only the ninth session of practice, so experiments at this stage might lead to nothing. But Braylon Rigsby, a 6-foot-2, 295-pound defensive tackle, might be more than that.

"We've done some different things with him, playing him all over the place," McGuire said. "Our bigger (defensive-front) packages, I think, can be more effective than what we have been, especially the first two years, just because of our depth."

A.J. McCarty, Brenden Jordan present different looks

For the first eight games last season, Julien (C.J.) Baskerville and Brenden Jordan formed a solid one-two at Texas Tech's field safety/outside linebacker position designated as the Star position. A.J. McCarty and Jordan might give the Red Raiders a similar two-deep this season.

"I would say A.J. would be the starter going out," McGuire said, "but I feel really good about both. A.J. does a really good job in coverage and is a really good blitzer. He's very sudden, and he takes great angles.

"B.J. (Jordan) has a little more experience in this defense, playing last year, and then he's 210 pounds. So lining up over a tight end, being physical on the edge, setting edges is what he's really good at."

Young backs J'Koby Williams, Adam Hill show out

True freshman running back Cameron Dickey, No. 3 on the depth chart, didn't scrimmage Saturday because of a twisted ankle.

So two other freshmen made the most of the extra carries available. Tech published a highlight on social media of Adam Hill going 22 yards for a touchdown, and J'Koby Williams, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound graduate of Beckville, broke runs for 25 and 35 yards, McGuire said.

"That kid is special," McGuire said.

Hill starred both ways for back-to-back state champion Albany and joined the Red Raiders as a preferred walk-on. Though Hill's position could change down the road, Tech put him on offense because it has less depth at running back than inside linebacker and fewer good-sized running backs. Hill's 6-1 and 215.

"We want to have a bigger back back there that can hold up in pass pro (protection)," McGuire said.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football: What we're hearing after first scrimmage

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