I need some football in my life, there's something about this offseason that makes football season feel as far away as ever. It's probably because I basically quit on this thing last year after the Kansas State debacle, so I've basically already had eight months without meaningful football. With that being said, I don't really want to get into the realities of expectations or overall program direction... at least not yet. I just want to dive into a "tradition unlike any other" (hopefully I got that in before Jim Nantz's trademark went through), and gulp in some good ol' fashioned offseason Kool-Aid.
It is nearly impossible to hear someone gauge the outlook of the 2021 season for the Red Raiders and not hear one certain name mentioned, Marquis Waters. Waters is a grad transfer who, from his Duke bio, in 49 career games (35 starts), had 234 tackles, 13.0 TFL, three INTs, one fumble recovery, 18 PBUs, seven QB pressures and one blocked field goal. Those are impressive numbers, especially from a guy who basically played every position. Duke lined him up at corner, slot corner, linebacker, mostly safety, but would also call on him to give them some juice in obvious pass rush situations. His film, along with these counting stats, show a good football player who has a nose for making big plays and being in the right place at the right time (which is absolutely a skill).
Before we look at a few plays, full disclosure, I just looked at highlights because this is a Kool-Aid thread after all. There' are reasons he is here, instead of on an NFL roster, but that doesn't mean he can't help Texas Tech win football games.
This first clip is made up of a couple of excellent plays Waters made against the run. This first thing that stands out to me is his awareness and recognition of what the offense is doing. As important as that is, the athleticism to make the play is also necessary, and he appears to have plenty of that. As "highlight worthy" the first play is, I find myself being far more impressed by the second. He recognizes run, makes his way into the box (where a lot of DBs are not comfortable), and eliminates the ball carrier's "two-way go." Meaning that the ball-carrier can either run back inside for a minimal gain or Waters is making the tackle. Not only does he force the ball-carrier into this situation, but he backs it up by making the solo tackle. Watching his film you'll notice that he is an excellent solo-tackler, he seems to relish the opportunities, that is something that has been sorely missed on this defense, even with the recent progress made.
These pass plays are where I get really excited about Waters addition to the defense. Not only can he make one-on-one plays in the run game, but watch these first two plays and you'll see he can do it in the passing game too. DB's who can make those plays have been few and far between for Texas Tech over the past decade. Both wins are done through physicality, recovery speed, and a nose for the football, which, again, are rare traits for DBs who have recently worn the red and black. Just like the one-on-one tackles, he seems to relish these matchups in the passing game.
The last play in this clip is just ridiculous, and sums up just about everything that I drooled over this entire article. He starts this play lined up over the Georgia Tech receiver on the offense's left, but his man is the tight end on that side. When the ball is snapped, he immediately recognizes the play, and absolutely flies to the other side of the formation. The offensive coordinator is thinking that, even is Waters recognizes what's coming, he will either get caught "in the trash" of the play or have to take a bad angle to avoid everything; either way, the TE will have space. Waters expertly moves across the formation, avoiding all the trash while staying close to the line of scrimmage, and completely smokes the TE before he can even get his head turned. Just excellent.
Waters' ability is one thing, it is borderline special and he brings elements to this defense that it is currently lacking. A defense that finished 111th in turnover rate, according to FootballOutsiders.com, can use a guy who seems to have a nose for the football. However, what I am most excited about is the mentality he brings, he will fit right in with Riko, Schooler, Merriweather, Bradford, and Hutchings. He's another defensive player who is confident in his abilities, savors the violence, and wants to bring the fight to the offense... you really can't ask for any more that.
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This is brought to you by our good friends at Gator's Bayou. If you are looking for a real, authentic Cajun restaurant in Lubbock complete with a fun, Louisiana-style atmosphere, Gator's Bayou is the place to go!"
It is nearly impossible to hear someone gauge the outlook of the 2021 season for the Red Raiders and not hear one certain name mentioned, Marquis Waters. Waters is a grad transfer who, from his Duke bio, in 49 career games (35 starts), had 234 tackles, 13.0 TFL, three INTs, one fumble recovery, 18 PBUs, seven QB pressures and one blocked field goal. Those are impressive numbers, especially from a guy who basically played every position. Duke lined him up at corner, slot corner, linebacker, mostly safety, but would also call on him to give them some juice in obvious pass rush situations. His film, along with these counting stats, show a good football player who has a nose for making big plays and being in the right place at the right time (which is absolutely a skill).
Before we look at a few plays, full disclosure, I just looked at highlights because this is a Kool-Aid thread after all. There' are reasons he is here, instead of on an NFL roster, but that doesn't mean he can't help Texas Tech win football games.
This first clip is made up of a couple of excellent plays Waters made against the run. This first thing that stands out to me is his awareness and recognition of what the offense is doing. As important as that is, the athleticism to make the play is also necessary, and he appears to have plenty of that. As "highlight worthy" the first play is, I find myself being far more impressed by the second. He recognizes run, makes his way into the box (where a lot of DBs are not comfortable), and eliminates the ball carrier's "two-way go." Meaning that the ball-carrier can either run back inside for a minimal gain or Waters is making the tackle. Not only does he force the ball-carrier into this situation, but he backs it up by making the solo tackle. Watching his film you'll notice that he is an excellent solo-tackler, he seems to relish the opportunities, that is something that has been sorely missed on this defense, even with the recent progress made.
These pass plays are where I get really excited about Waters addition to the defense. Not only can he make one-on-one plays in the run game, but watch these first two plays and you'll see he can do it in the passing game too. DB's who can make those plays have been few and far between for Texas Tech over the past decade. Both wins are done through physicality, recovery speed, and a nose for the football, which, again, are rare traits for DBs who have recently worn the red and black. Just like the one-on-one tackles, he seems to relish these matchups in the passing game.
The last play in this clip is just ridiculous, and sums up just about everything that I drooled over this entire article. He starts this play lined up over the Georgia Tech receiver on the offense's left, but his man is the tight end on that side. When the ball is snapped, he immediately recognizes the play, and absolutely flies to the other side of the formation. The offensive coordinator is thinking that, even is Waters recognizes what's coming, he will either get caught "in the trash" of the play or have to take a bad angle to avoid everything; either way, the TE will have space. Waters expertly moves across the formation, avoiding all the trash while staying close to the line of scrimmage, and completely smokes the TE before he can even get his head turned. Just excellent.
Waters' ability is one thing, it is borderline special and he brings elements to this defense that it is currently lacking. A defense that finished 111th in turnover rate, according to FootballOutsiders.com, can use a guy who seems to have a nose for the football. However, what I am most excited about is the mentality he brings, he will fit right in with Riko, Schooler, Merriweather, Bradford, and Hutchings. He's another defensive player who is confident in his abilities, savors the violence, and wants to bring the fight to the offense... you really can't ask for any more that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is brought to you by our good friends at Gator's Bayou. If you are looking for a real, authentic Cajun restaurant in Lubbock complete with a fun, Louisiana-style atmosphere, Gator's Bayou is the place to go!"
