How improved will the defense be? How long for the transfer portal additions to gel? That and more storylines as Texas Tech football opens preseason camp.
The Texas Tech football team begins preseason camp Wednesday, meaning it's time to finally see what the Red Raiders will be capable of in 2025.
Most of that won't be viewable in the first few days of practice, and probably won't be noticeable in the first few games of the season. For head coach Joey McGuire, though, this is a make-or-break campaign. Thanks to the swarm of attention Texas Tech has received from its massive transfer portal haul and the financial backing of the program, the Red Raiders need to set their sights higher than a fifth-straight bowl game for just the second time in program history.
Achieving that with regular stakes would be a talking point, but it pales in comparison to what's expected of Texas Tech this season. These are the top questions we'll need to find answers for during preseason camp to determine what the Red Raiders' ceiling really is.
How will Texas Tech football's new coordinators integrate their systems?
Before we get to the massive overhaul of the roster, we have to look at two of the biggest changes for the Texas Tech football team. Tim DeRuyter was fired after the defense's putrid showing in 2024 while Zach Kittley got his first head coaching job at Florida Atlantic.
In their place are two up-and-coming names in coaching circles. Shiel Wood comes over from Big 12 rival Houston to take over as defensive coordinator, while Mack Leftwich replaces Kittley as offensive coordinator after a successful tenure at Texas State.
Each was brought in after most of the transfers were added to the fold, and they had the spring to start implementing their personal styles and flare. Returning players said there wasn't a huge change schematically from what they were doing under the previous coaches, but Wood and Leftwich are sure to have their own spin on things.
Will it take time for the transfer portal additions to gel?
Most of Tech's transfer portal haul came in the winter window, allowing the majority to get to know their new coaches, teammates and surroundings. There are a few players, though, who came in later and will have to adjust in real time.
Stanford transfer David Bailey got a good amount of time with Tech after joining the team in April, so his acclimation period should be smoother. The same could be said for transfer-turned-returnee Micah Hudson, who left through the portal before coming back in the spring.
Despite the majority of players participating in spring ball together, there's a different feel to regular-season preparations compared to getting ready for the glorified practice that is the spring game. Not to mention Tech's projected starting receiver trio of Coy Eakin, Caleb Douglas and Reggie Virgil each missed the majority of the spring with various injuries.
How healthy will Behren Morton be throughout the season?
It seems odd to say Behren Morton wasn't at 100% last season, considering he became the first Texas Tech quarterback to start every regular-season game and throw for 3,000 yards since 2017. But Morton skipped the Liberty Bowl to undergo another surgery on his shoulder and missed spring practice recovering.
Like it or not, Morton — like his predecessor Tyler Shough — has the label of being injury-prone. That's not going away unless he can get through the entire season, including whatever postseason awaits Texas Tech, taking every snap at quarterback.
Will a true Tahj Brooks replacement emerge?
Spring practice led to talk of Texas Tech utilizing a running back by committee approach to replacing Tahj Brooks. Seems like a fair idea considering Quinten Joyner, Cameron Dickey and J'Koby Williams all have different traits that can be beneficial to the Red Raiders.
Will the season show that all three get their fair share of time on the field, or will one of them emerge as the go-to back as the season progresses?
Will all the hoopla lead to quantifiable success?
Yes, Texas Tech should be better than last year, particularly on the defensive end — hard to get much worse than it was in 2024, right? What that equates to, though, is the question, and there's a clear-cut way to define success for the Red Raiders in 2025.
Will Texas Tech be in Arlington for the Big 12 championship game? Do the Red Raiders need to start ordering rings to signify their conference title? Could Lubbock be a host site for the College Football Playoff?
If the answer to all three of these is no, then it's fair to say the offseason talk surrounding the Red Raiders, their transfers, the attention generated on the national level, will have been a waste of time. McGuire has put this added pressure on himself, and if it doesn't come to fruition, he'll take the blame for it, deserved or not.
The small victories like winning eight regular-season games for the first time since 2009 isn't going to cut it this year. It's CFP or bust.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 5 stories we're monitoring as Texas Tech football opens preseason camp
Category: General Sports
