Depth Charting // The Offensive Backfield
by Seth C on Aug 24, 2009 11:00 AM CDT
in Texas Tech Football
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Offensive Backfield
| Quarterback | Running Back | Fullback/Tight End |
| Taylor Potts (15) JR; 6-5/218 |
Baron Batch(25) JR; 5-11/205 |
Ryan Hale (5) SR; 6-1/227 |
| Steven Sheffield (1) JR; 6-4/190 |
Harrison Jeffers (10) RS FR; 5-9/204 |
Omar Castillo (89) RS FR; 6-6/257 |
| Seth Doege (7) RS FR; 6-2/205 |
Aaron Crawford (32) SO; 5-11/204 |
Gerardo Acevedo (36) JR; 6-1/197 |
Quarterback: Although there was some question about who would be the second team quarterback, this position has remained fairly static almost the entire spring and fall. Taylor Potts is your unquestioned quarterback and unless something devastating happens, he should be your guy. Everything that's been said about the guy is true. He's big, has a strong arm and may be a little stiff in the pocket. He could force some passes next year, but he'll also be able to make some passes that few quarterbacks have been able to make in Captain Leach's system. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a tad bit nervous about Steven Sheffield being the second team. Not that Texas Tech fans should be afraid of walk-on's leading the league in passing. If there's one thing that Sheffield has going for him, it's that he's got a good head on his shoulders, he's efficient and he seems to keep his cool under pressure. Seth Doege is going to be good and it's just a matter of time before he gets the nod. If things go according to plan, Doege will be just like Potts in that he'll have the opportunity to start for two years, so long as he can keep Jacob Karam and Scotty Young on the sideline. Perhaps I trust Doege because he seems to have a better pedigree than Sheffield, or maybe it's the fact that Doege has been hyped as a Potts-competitor, but I like Doege and I like Texas Tech's future with Doege at the helm.
Running Back: I'm not too concerned about Baron Batch being ready by the Texas Longhorns game. I think we all know what we have in Batch and staying healthy and contributing on the field are his biggest concerns. Harrison Jeffers was the guy last year who took the team by storm by being an absolute best for the scout team. Despite Eric Stephens ink this fall, Jeffers will be the guy and he will turn some heads. Jeffers has break-away speed and can turn the corner like few running backs I've seen. Aaron Crawford should be the third back, and although he's had issues also staying healthy last year, there's no denying that when he plays he's been pretty good. We tend to forget how good he was as a true freshman and helped lead the team to a win over Oklahoma. I always feel that running back may be the most talented position since Mike Leach has arrived, and I can understand why in it's been somewhat over looked, in part because Batch was a relative unknown coming out of Midland, Jeffers was an Oklahoma recruit, and Crawford was another unknown from Tennessee. You've probably heard a time or two about how solid various Big 12 teams are at running back, but the truth of the matter is that Texas Tech is right there with the best of them. Obviously, Texas Tech isn't going to be breaking any rushing records, but the talent is there. I'm pretty sure of that.
Fullback and Tight End: I'm a bit anxious to see where and how Leach utilizes the two-tight end set. Last year, Leach used it quite a bit with Ryan Hale and H Inside Receiver Adam James. Hale returns for his senior campaign, but during the spring game, I didn't notice that the two-tight end set was utilized much at all. That's probably because both teams each had a blocking back, but that still doesn't solve the problem of figuring out which way Leach will lean. I did and still do like Omar Castillo moving to tight end. I have no idea if and where he'll really be able to play, but he should be able to lineup at tight end at some point during the season and block an opposing defensive end or linebacker. Castillo is listed at 257, but that's 257 pounds of ace-whipping material.
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I think RB will be:
Batch – Jeffers – Stephens – Crawford.
Stephens has just shown too much this fall to be kept off the field while Crawford, through no fault of his own, has been unable to show anything, considering that he just hasn’t been medically cleared to play. Still, by mid-season I would be unsurprised to see Crawford bowling-balling around near the goal-line when we give Batch and Stephens breathers. (I don’t think Jeffers will see many short-yardage carries, at least not as called plays, due to his home-run sort of style: he doesn’t pick up yards every play, but you give him the ball enough and he’ll take one to the house.)
Redshirt
This comment is based on my remembering that Stephens is a true freshman… if he is that good I wouldn’t mind seeing him redshirt… he will only get better as he learns our system more and spends more time with Bennie Wylie… I think Batch, Jeffers and Crawford are more than adequate to fill Leach’s needs in his offensive system… why not set it up so that we get another year 4 years down the road of a talent like Stephens’.
Agree...
why not save this guy for next year and have him learn the offense better. Plenty of talent already in the stable for ’09.
I’m of the mindset that if you have a guy with game breaking ability, you find ways to get the ball into his hands (Stephens). If he has THAT kind of talent, get his ace on the field. Honestly, people with maadd skilz don’t really need time in a system, they can just flat-out play, if this is the case, put him in slip screen plays, open-field-Riggie Bush, Felix Jones situations. Otherwise, all I’ve been reading about him is hyperbole(sp?). If he’s simply on par with BB’s ability(which is still a compliment), do what jdee says and save him for the Doege/Karam Jr./Sr. years push.
I agree. You gotta put the best players that you have on the field, especially if something happens to Batch or Jeffers. If they are a true freshman, you still need to use them. they have 4 good years and in that time, keep recruiting and trying to get better. I don’t want to pick Crawford over Stephens for the sole reason of age, especially if Stephens is as good as advertised and Crawford is not performing at a top level. Heck, Tech already has another 4 star recruit in Delans Griffin for next year’s class, so the future of RB appears to be in good hands.
Not only that, but stephens is already the more polished blocker than Jeffers. He might be up there with Batch in terms of blocking. I think the idea is that he can help your team now, use him now. We have 2 running backs coming in next year in aaron spikes and Delans Griffin. Don’t be surprised if Delans is on the field next year as well.
I think you’ll see Stephens be your starting punt returner and #3 running back this year. The coaches have been very, very impressed with his ability to bounce off would-be tacklers: he can’t be arm tackled and if you hit him, you had better hit him out of bounds because you’re not going to knock him down.
Interesting point. Blocking
Blocking may be more important than anything the kid can do with the ball. I fear we’ll miss Woods in that aspect the most.
The best back needs to be on the field.
The stats show the Raiders win games whenever they run it more than 20 times a game. (dedfischer statistics? ) And win convincingly when they average over 4.5 yards per rush and or gain over 110(+) yards on the ground. I personally think rushing attempts are large factor in creating fatigue and confusion for the opponents. Sonny Cumby said few years back " .. the Raiders were making yards on the ground .. by breaking tendencies.." i.e. running when they normally pass. So everybody knows its game of inches but it’s also a game of simplicity. Play to your teams strength – the O-line – blast block, get a hat on someone, let those big aggressive O linemen wear down some defenders. Make the defense play every snap full throttle. Stick the knife in them with the WR’s. The running backs are by design in this system supposed to be the most productive position on the field. Lots of reasons for this, toughness ( type guy the staff recruits) , ease of completion per play, accessibly to the QB, relative success of handoff vs. a pass etc . . Taking advantage of what the defense is giving up. Making the Def. coordinator do weird stuff like drop a D-linemen in coverage. Or over extend and put extra 1 or 2 defensive backs into the game – then we run right at them. All about letting th RB rip of 6.9 – 7.89 yards per carry or reception and never getting into a third and long situation. There is reason a back like T. Henderson could score 25 TD’s. You just can’t outnumber the TTU offense. By that I mean the scheme is designed to make the defense over commit somewhere on the field. A missed tackle or a particularly effective block and its 10 more yards for another first down. If TTU is in the red zone it’s likely the RB or WR is going score. So the Running back with talent must play. I wouldn’t guess we can afford to hold anything in reserve for the next years effort. Beside it would be way cool to have 2 x backs get 700 – 1000 yards rushing in a single season on this team.
"do routine things routinely"
off-topic..but...TMT Interviews the Capt....
I just got back from the taping of the Texas Monthly Talks interview with Coach Leach.
Great stuff! He was a little late, but was in typical Leach form.
At one point Evan Smith says your offense throws a lot of passes, and you score a lot of points, and get a lot first downs do you have any plans to change your offense this season. Leach responds yeah we are gonna score less, not throw the ball, and not get as many 1st downs. LOL!
It was a good turn out and I can’t wait for it to air. It will be on whatever the PBS station is in Lubbock. I think it might air either this friday or next.
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