Learn something new every day. Spring training starts Tuesday.
This from Don Williams on the QB Derby this spring:
By Don Williams
Early in preseason practice last August, Texas Tech football coach Matt Wells declined to say that Jett Duffey, based on an edge in experience, would be the team’s No. 2 quarterback to begin the 2019 season.
Less than a week before spring practice this year, Wells declined to say that Alan Bowman, based on an edge in experience, is the team’s No. 1 quarterback.
“Somebody’s got to take the first rep,” Wells said. “Alan’s certainly started 10 games as a Red Raider, but I’m just looking forward to watching them compete.”
“Them” refers to Bowman and redshirt freshman Maverick McIvor, the only two scholarship quarterbacks on campus as the Red Raiders gear up to start spring drills on Tuesday.
Jett Duffey has a year of eligibility left, but he’s no longer in the program. The Red Raiders signed Frenship’s Donovan Smith in February, but he won’t join the team until summer.
Logan Greene, the redshirt freshman walk-on from Snyder, is the only other QB on the roster this spring.
Bowman and McIvor have spent much of the past two seasons sidelined by injury — to a lung and a collarbone in Bowman’s case, to a knee and a foot in McIvor’s.
McIvor underwent surgery for the foot injury that derailed his 2019 season in mid-August, and Bowman missed the last nine games of Tech’s 4-8 season after suffering the collarbone injury in the non-conference finale. So they both have catching up to do.
“I think it’s going to be a great competition,” Wells said, “and that’s what it needs to be. We need to have competitive spots at every position on this team.
“But those two guys will take 90, 95 percent of every rep this spring, and they need it. They need it in this offense. They need it in terms of all the passing-game reads. They need it in terms of experience, and not only experience in playing, but experience in this offense.
“They both missed significant time, and so it’ll be a fun competition. Obviously something we watch and evaluate every single day. And I’ll get asked about it every single day.”
McIvor made an impression the first two weeks of August. With Duffey, McIvor and senior Jackson Tyner competing for the No. 2 spot, Wells wouldn’t say that job was Duffey’s to lose, even though the year before Duffey had started games for Tech and McIvor had missed nearly the entire season at San Angelo Central.
The read on the situation was that Wells was impressed by McIvor.
“I was,” he said last week. “Just that first couple of weeks ... until he got hurt. The accuracy. He’s got some poise. I think he’s got savvy. And he’s smart. He’s a smart kid. He’s a good quarterback. He’s got a bright future.”
Duffey was the Red Raiders’ regular quarterback throughout Big 12 play last season, and his five interceptions tied for fewest among the conference’s starters.
But since earning a Tech degree and putting his name into the NCAA transfer portal, Duffey has been denied admission at two schools after being the subject of two Title IX investigations in three years pertaining to alleged sexual misconduct.
A university spokesman said recently there’s nothing to prevent Duffey from applying for admission to Tech as a graduate student.
But when asked if there is any possibility of Duffey resurfacing with the Red Raiders, Wells said, “I don’t think so.”
Bowman, in 11 career games, has been a 68-percent passer for 3,658 yards and 23 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He’s averaged 332.5 yards passing per game.
But with injuries having derailed each of his first two seasons, he’s looking to stay healthy and on the field for extended time.
With three games left last season and Tech at 4-5, Wells said publicly that Bowman and McIvor were fully cleared and full participants in practice and the weight room. But Duffey was performing well at that time. The Tech staff ultimately decided not to use Bowman for the one more game he could have taken part in while keeping his redshirt status.
“His ability to potentially play late in November was all centered on, once they (medical staff) fully cleared him and he felt good about it, where were we?” Wells said. “That’s kind of how we approached the whole thing. Had we been in contention, the possibility of him playing would’ve increased significantly.”
This from Don Williams on the QB Derby this spring:
By Don Williams
Early in preseason practice last August, Texas Tech football coach Matt Wells declined to say that Jett Duffey, based on an edge in experience, would be the team’s No. 2 quarterback to begin the 2019 season.
Less than a week before spring practice this year, Wells declined to say that Alan Bowman, based on an edge in experience, is the team’s No. 1 quarterback.
“Somebody’s got to take the first rep,” Wells said. “Alan’s certainly started 10 games as a Red Raider, but I’m just looking forward to watching them compete.”
“Them” refers to Bowman and redshirt freshman Maverick McIvor, the only two scholarship quarterbacks on campus as the Red Raiders gear up to start spring drills on Tuesday.
Jett Duffey has a year of eligibility left, but he’s no longer in the program. The Red Raiders signed Frenship’s Donovan Smith in February, but he won’t join the team until summer.
Logan Greene, the redshirt freshman walk-on from Snyder, is the only other QB on the roster this spring.
Bowman and McIvor have spent much of the past two seasons sidelined by injury — to a lung and a collarbone in Bowman’s case, to a knee and a foot in McIvor’s.
McIvor underwent surgery for the foot injury that derailed his 2019 season in mid-August, and Bowman missed the last nine games of Tech’s 4-8 season after suffering the collarbone injury in the non-conference finale. So they both have catching up to do.
“I think it’s going to be a great competition,” Wells said, “and that’s what it needs to be. We need to have competitive spots at every position on this team.
“But those two guys will take 90, 95 percent of every rep this spring, and they need it. They need it in this offense. They need it in terms of all the passing-game reads. They need it in terms of experience, and not only experience in playing, but experience in this offense.
“They both missed significant time, and so it’ll be a fun competition. Obviously something we watch and evaluate every single day. And I’ll get asked about it every single day.”
McIvor made an impression the first two weeks of August. With Duffey, McIvor and senior Jackson Tyner competing for the No. 2 spot, Wells wouldn’t say that job was Duffey’s to lose, even though the year before Duffey had started games for Tech and McIvor had missed nearly the entire season at San Angelo Central.
The read on the situation was that Wells was impressed by McIvor.
“I was,” he said last week. “Just that first couple of weeks ... until he got hurt. The accuracy. He’s got some poise. I think he’s got savvy. And he’s smart. He’s a smart kid. He’s a good quarterback. He’s got a bright future.”
Duffey was the Red Raiders’ regular quarterback throughout Big 12 play last season, and his five interceptions tied for fewest among the conference’s starters.
But since earning a Tech degree and putting his name into the NCAA transfer portal, Duffey has been denied admission at two schools after being the subject of two Title IX investigations in three years pertaining to alleged sexual misconduct.
A university spokesman said recently there’s nothing to prevent Duffey from applying for admission to Tech as a graduate student.
But when asked if there is any possibility of Duffey resurfacing with the Red Raiders, Wells said, “I don’t think so.”
Bowman, in 11 career games, has been a 68-percent passer for 3,658 yards and 23 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He’s averaged 332.5 yards passing per game.
But with injuries having derailed each of his first two seasons, he’s looking to stay healthy and on the field for extended time.
With three games left last season and Tech at 4-5, Wells said publicly that Bowman and McIvor were fully cleared and full participants in practice and the weight room. But Duffey was performing well at that time. The Tech staff ultimately decided not to use Bowman for the one more game he could have taken part in while keeping his redshirt status.
“His ability to potentially play late in November was all centered on, once they (medical staff) fully cleared him and he felt good about it, where were we?” Wells said. “That’s kind of how we approached the whole thing. Had we been in contention, the possibility of him playing would’ve increased significantly.”
