Texas Tech football, 5 topics: Joey McGuire picks player who had best off-season

The Texas Tech football team’s cornerbacks rotation last season boiled down to three players: Rayshad Williams started 11 games, Malik Dunlap and Bralyn Lux eight apiece with Lux making some starts at other secondary positions.

With Williams and Dunlap out of eligibility, Lux and highly rated 2022 signee Maurion Horn began spring practice as the first-team corners, but there’s another young candidate to watch.

“I think if you ask anybody on our team, any player, who is the number-one biggest surprise in the off-season,” Tech coach Joey McGuire said, “I think every single one of them will tell you Jalon Peoples. He’s had a great off-season. He was never over 189 (pounds) last year, and he’s 197 right now, so he’s battling.”

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound sophomore from Cedar Hill underwent shoulder surgery late in the 2022 season, and Tech coaches tinkered with moving him to safety last summer when depth at those spots appeared less certain.

Related: Behren Morton eager to air it out after comeback from shoulder injury

Related: Texas Tech football welcomes new fleet of tight ends as spring starts

Josh Kelly must fight for favorite jersey

Former Fresno State and Washington State wide receiver Josh Kelly caught 61 passes for 923 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, all five-year career highs. It was Kelly’s first year at Washington State and his first wearing No. 3 in college.

It made sense he’d like to keep going with what worked, but the No. 3 jersey at Texas Tech is given to a player who best represents the fighting spirit of the late Luke Siegel. Linebacker Bryce Ramirez earned No. 3 last season, but two players can wear the same number as long as they’re not in the game at the same time.

“He (Kelly) wore number 3. That’s a big deal to him,” McGuire said. “I told him, ‘Number 3’s earned here.’ I said, ‘I have no problem with you…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-tech-football-5-topics-091756172.html

Author : Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Publish date : 2024-03-23 09:17:56

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