Texas Tech Red Raiders Spring Practice: Three Things We Learned

With Texas Tech’s spring practice in the books, here’s what we know and what we learned about the Red Raiders as the offseason continues.

It’s crossroads time in Lubbock for Kliff Kingsbury, who’s gone 17-26 since debuting with seven straight wins in 2013. Texas Tech has finished below .500 in two of the last three years, with a porous defense sticking out as a glaring liability that’s getting the attention of everyone on the Red Raider staff this offseason.

Texas Tech Spring Game Redux

1. The D Made Strides In March, Which Means Absolutely Nothing Until September

Everyone in Lubbock, including Kingsbury, is singing the praises of the beleaguered defense. But until the Red Raiders face opponents, it’ll be little more than an attempt to build the confidence of a unit that yielded 43.5 points per game in 2016.

Tech ought to be better defensively because many key starters, like LB Jordyn Brooks and S Jah’Shawn Johnson, are a year older and because, well, this group can’t get much worse. But how much better? A lot hinges on the impact of junior college and high school newcomers. CB Octavious Morgan, a Butler County (Kans.) Community College import, made the kind of first impression in spring that Kingsbury & Co. need to become contagious this summer.

2. QB Nic Shimonek Is Ready For His Moment

Shimonek is next in line to be Kingsbury’s gunslinger, which is one of the most coveted jobs in college football. And the senior is up for the challenge.

All signs point to Shimonek being Kingsbury’s latest prolific pupil at quarterback, following in the footsteps of Patrick Mahomes, Davis Webb, Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Case Keenum. Shimonek knows the system and earned valuable reps when Mahomes was unavailable for last September’s game with Kansas. He used his 15 spring practices to build distance on the competition and improve his chemistry with a talented receiving corps returning the top four pass-catchers from 2016.

3. Excitement Grows For OT Travis Bruffy

The Red Raiders really like the trajectory of Bruffy, a second-year sophomore on the verge of padlocking the job to protect Shimonek’s blindside.

Bruffy was a linebacker early in his high school career. And he was a 265-pound blocking tight end, who caught a touchdown pass, when he arrived in Lubbock a year ago. However, he’s since packed on 37 pounds, while maintaining his light feet. Plus, the staff really likes his demeanor, passion for the game and football IQ. Bruffy has a great future in Lubbock, and his rapid ascent has allowed the team to keep returning starter Terence Steele on the right side, where he feels more comfortable.

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