How does Texas Tech football depth chart shape up for season opener? Now we know
Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire on Sunday announced the game-week depth chart for the Red Raiders' season opener Saturday at Wyoming. McGuire made the reveal on the team's online media channel.
"There's been some really great battles," McGuire said. "We talked about getting on the plane (making the travel roster) to go to Wyoming. There's been some really good battles, trying to make that depth chart."
There are no major surprises compared to the depth chart the Avalanche-Journal projected last week. Two players, both transfers, earned first-team status over the course of August practice. Speedy Austin Peay transfer Drae McCray is listed first at H inside receiver. The mid-year transfer came out of spring No. 2 at one inside receiver spot and No. 3 at an outside receiver position.
Fresno State transfer Bralyn Lux is listed as a co-first team cornerback with returning starter Malik Dunlap, a combination of how Lux has competed in August and Dunlap missing time with an ankle injury. Dunlap and Rayshad Williams, the returning starter on the other side, are both seniors returning on their Covid-bonus year.
"We have three starting corners," McGuire said. "(Defensive coordinator) Tim DeRuyter doesn't care who's in the game. Lux, Williams and Dunlap, they're all very interchangeable. You're going to see our dime package take a step forward this year against teams that like to spread it out and throw the football."
McGuire said tight end Mason Tharp was "probably the best camp guy on our team as far as growth. He's just been amazing. I've coached tight ends at this level for two years (at Baylor), and I told him I don't know if I've seen more growth in a player, especially at the tight end position."
Tharp is listed as co-first team with returning starter Baylor Cupp.
Tech and Wyoming square off at 6:30 p.m. CDT Saturday with the game televised on CBS.
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL DEPTH CHART
Here is the Texas Tech football depth chart going into the season. The ^ symbol denotes a player in his final year of eligibility. Players in bold-face type started six or more games for Texas Tech last season.
OFFENSE
Wide receiver X
11 Loic Fouonji, 6-4, 215, Sr-3L
4 Jordan Brown, 5-11, 185, Jr-1L
Inside receiver H
10 Drae McCray, 5-9, 185, Jr-Tr
13 Brady Boyd, 6-1, 195, Jr-1L
Inside receiver Y
1 Myles Price, 5-10, 190, Sr-3L
14 Xavier White, 6-0, 195, ^Sr-3L
20 Nehemiah Martinez, 5-9, 205, Jr-2L
Wide receiver Z
9 Jerand Bradley, 6-5, 215, So-1L
6 J.J. Sparkman, 6-4, 220, Jr-2L
Tight end
80 Mason Tharp, 6-9, 270, Jr-2L
or 88 Baylor Cupp, 6-6, 260, Sr-1L
43 Henry Teeter, 6-4, 255, ^Sr-2L
or 15 Jayden York, 6-4, 245, Jr-1L
Left tackle
71 Monroe Mills, 6-6, 315, Jr-1L
66 Matt Keeler, 6-6, 305, Jr-1L
Left guard
70 Cole Spencer, 6-4, 300, ^Sr-RS
75 Jacoby Jackson, 6-6, 335, So-1L
Center
53 Rusty Staats, 6-5, 325, Sr-Tr
65 Sheridan Wilson, 6-5, 295, Fr-RS
Right guard
56 Dennis Wilburn, 6-3, 320, ^Sr-1L
72 Landon Peterson, 6-6, 300, Sr-3L
Right tackle
76 Caleb Rogers, 6-5, 305, Sr-3L
79 Ty Buchanan, 6-6, 310, So-1L
Quarterback
12 Tyler Shough, 6-5, 232, Sr-2L
2 Behren Morton, 6-2, 217, So-1L
17 Jake Strong, 6-1, 210, Fr-HS
Running back
28 Tahj Brooks, 5-10, 230, Sr-3L
0 Cam'Ron Valdez, 5-9, 205, So-1L
22 Bryson Donnell, 5-10, 220, Fr-RS
or
24 Anquan Willis, 6-0, 220, Fr-HS
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DEFENSE
Field end
6 Myles Cole, 6-6, 285, ^Sr-1L
14 Joseph Adedire, 6-3, 270, So-1L
11 Charles Esters, 6-3, 260, So-Sq
52 Harvey Dyson, 6-3, 260, Fr-RS
Nose tackle
95 Jaylon Hutchings, 6-0, 305, ^Sr-4L
5 Quincy Ledet, 6-2, 305, Sr-Tr
91 Blake Burris, 6-5, 310, So-1L
Defensive tackle
97 Tony Bradford, 6-1, 305, ^Sr-4L
98 Dooda Banks, 6-5, 300, So-Sq
93 Trevon McAlpine, 6-3, 305, Fr-RS
Boundary end
7 Steve Linton, 6-4, 235, Sr-Tr
3 Bryce Ramirez, 6-2, 250, Sr-1L
or 17 Isaac Smith, 6-6, 240, So-1L
11 Charles Esters, 6-3, 260,
45 Terrell Tilmon, 6-5, 230, So-Tr
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Middle (field inside) linebacker
10 Jacob Rodriguez, 6-1, 230, Jr-1L
32 Tyrique Matthews, 5-11, 235, ^Sr-4L
40 Wesley Smith, 5-10, 220, So-1L
Will (boundary inside) linebacker
8 Jesiah Pierre, 6-2, 240, Sr-2L
13 Ben Roberts, 6-3, 230, Fr-RS
Cornerback
0 Rayshad Williams, 6-3, 205, ^Sr-2L
2 Jalon Peoples, 5-11, 185, Fr-RS
or 21 Cameron Watts, 5-11, 200, ^Sr-2L
Star (field safety/linebacker)
9 Julian (C.J.) Baskerville, 6-3, 212, Jr-Tr
27 Brenden Jordan, 6-0, 210, Fr-HS
31 Joseph Plunk, 5-10, 180, Jr-1L
Free safety
1 Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, 5-11, 195, ^Sr-4L
25 Chapman Lewis, 6-1, 180, Fr-HS
Boundary safety
18 Tyler Owens, 6-2, 205, ^Sr-1L
31 Joseph Plunk, 5-10, 180, Jr-1L
or 28 Jordan Sanford, 6-0, 195, Fr-HS
Cornerback
12 Bralyn Lux, 5-11, 175, Sr-Tr
or 24 Malik Dunlap, 6-3, 220, ^Sr-2L
22 Maurion Horn, 5-11, 180, Fr-RS
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
99 Gino Garcia, 6-2, 210, Jr-RS
38 Reese Burkhardt, 6-1, 205, Jr-Tr
Holder
31 Austin McNamara, 6-4, 210, ^Sr-4L
Punter
31 Austin McNamara, 6-4, 210, ^Sr-4L
37 Brook Honore, 6-0, 185, Fr-RS
Long snapper
30 Jackson Knotts, 5-11, 190, Jr-2L
47 Jacob Mauch, 6-3, 220, Jr-Sq
Kickoff return
4 Jordan Brown, 5-11, 185, Jr-1L
14 Xavier White, 6-0, 195, ^Sr-3L
1 Myles Price, 5-10, 190, Sr-3L
20 Nehemiah Martinez, 5-9, 205, Jr-2L
Punt return
1 Myles Price, 5-10, 190, Sr-3L
14 Xavier White, 6-0, 195, ^Sr-3L
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How does Texas Tech football depth chart shape up for season opener? Now we know
