Welcome back to the weekly RedRaiderSports.com staff mailbag. We had some great questions this week so please continue to send in your questions as those arise, whether that be ITT or in the coming days when we get a new thread up. Let’s dive into this week’s questions.
If you could change one result from last year’s football schedule what would it be and why? @treytonunderwood
Hard to follow up Level’s response to this question in his video with AD, and as much as I wanted to be original, there is so much validity behind the answer to this question being Wyoming. Part of me believes there is an alternate reality where Tech beats Wyoming, then beats Oregon and goes on to have the 9+ win season that many of us expected them to have.
Some of my distaste for this past season was the idea that I never really felt as though we ever saw the full potential of the 2023 team. The overwhelming hope that they would be truly great basically died in Laramie. What’s funny about this question is the case that could be made for every loss and how their result being flipped could have altered the season.
My next choice would be Oregon for similar reasons to Wyoming, though perhaps beating the Ducks could have been an even larger kickstarter to have success in the long run. All you who picked to beat Texas prove a good point, but I’d probably choose to flip either of the first two games and let the season rock from there. - @J. Ramirez
Any athletes in either football or basketball we should have on commit watch? Will we be able to improve upon our 2024 class ranking in 2025? @BeeMack3130
Right now football is in a dead period, so I personally don’t have anyone on “commit watch” per se. That said there are several recruits I’m keeping a close eye on including EDGE Chad Woodfork, CB Micah Strickland and CB Swayde Griffin among others.
Basketball is a little trickier because the staff isn’t heavily involved with many 2024 recruits. 2025 targets to watch are point guard Kingston Flemings, who visited again for the KU game last week and center Jaden Toombs among others. Both have significant interest in Tech.
Texas Tech’s 2024 class was ranked #24 by Rivals, which will be tough to top. Texas Tech is already up to 9 commits with only one currently ranked as a four-star prospect. In order to top 2024 the staff will have to land at least 5 four-star recruits, which is not something I’m comfortable projecting right now. That said, it should still be a top 30-35 class, which is plenty good enough to compete for championships in the new Big 12 with the proper development. - @B. Golan
Who is the most under-the-radar player on the football team that nobody is talking about to have the biggest impact next season? @jordan806
I’ve got one on both sides of the ball with a couple overarching bets on defense. On offense, I think it is Caleb Douglas, the Florida transfer. It feels like he’s going to go under the radar a bit with Josh Kelly and Micah Hudson as the highly productive transfer and the five star.
Like Level said, JC Miller is going to be a big time player at some point, he’s a freak. He is really good and I’m excited to see how they’re able to use him. On defense, I think that Dylan Spencer is primed for a breakout.
He flashed so much talent in ‘23 and was somewhat buried on the depth chart. I also feel like Isaac Smith is getting a bit slept on after missing last year and I’m excited for the young DBs as well. Probably copped it out with so many names here but I think there’s a lot of good with this roster. - @J. Apodaca
Let me offer a couple of names– this will be a position battle that I am extremely excited to see unfold. Chapman Lewis v. Marcus Ramon-Edwards is going to be a huge decision for the defensive staff to make at who will get the start at field safety.
I mention these two because I think a lot of people who don’t keep up on a regular basis will get to know these two very quickly and especially whoever gets the starting job. Chapman has in-game experience but Ramon-Edwards looked like a new specimen with the muscle he’s put on. Book that spot as one I will be paying very close attention to. - @J. Ramirez
Does Grant take away Pop’s green light to chuck up 3’s (and did it happen at the end of the game last night) or is it a ‘let him shoot em until he fixes it’ thing? @OGRaiderRed
If you’ve watched Grant coach over this year I think it is evident that he has gotten on Pop when he takes bad threes. I think that there is intent and has been major improvement to get better looks, it really feels rare for Pop to come down and throw one up.
However, there is no intent to take the ball out of his hands when getting a good look, those just haven’t fallen yet. I think folks are taking Pop missing good looks as him just chucking threes. Has he shot it well? No, and I’ve been vocal about that in post games but I think you can see their philosophy is to live with the bad and win with the good. - @J. Apodaca
Thoughts on the recent CFB 12 Team Playoff Proposals (auto bids and such) and - Do you believe Super Conference (BIG/SEC) post 2026 is inevitable? @stdybrks
With the Pac-12 dissolved I think going to the 5+7 model is the correct answer for now. There are still several things I would switch, such as all games before the semi-finals being on campus, but it is what it is. What I found interesting, and I think many people missed this, is that the Power 4 conferences did not receive auto bids.
The release from the other day said the 4 highest-ranked conference champions get a bye. In theory that could include G5 leagues if their champion is ranked higher than a Power 4 champion.
The B1G/SEC Super Conference is a whole other conversation, and it’s probably inevitable, but I hope it’s not.
Money rules the land and that will win out, but I hope the people in charge find a way to keep the landscape relatively stable. Give them more auto bids, give them more money, but I wouldn’t be a fan. It would be a watered down NFL or a supercharged XFL type league, with the main difference being the alumni who went to those schools obviously would have a more vested interest.
Whichever way it ends up going, I think I can speak for most people when I say we’re ready for a few years of some stability after what’s felt like a decade of change (transfer portal, NIL, realignment) around every corner. - @B. Golan
Coach Cochran was promoted to Run Game Coordinator. What effect will this have on the offense? Will Coach Cochran design the running plays, be relegated to blocking assignments, or have input on the run game mix vs passing game? With his new title, what will his assignment(s) be regarding the offense? @Bighunk
It’ll be interesting to see what actually transpires with this and a lot of it will be dependent on what Kittley wants to do and what he will trust Cochran to handle. Typically, at least what I’ve come to understand a “Run Game Coordinator” to be, is to be more of a ‘details’ person and someone who works hand-in-hand with the game plan for that week’s opponent.
A lot of it is, as you mentioned in the question, focused on blocking assignments and it seems like RGCs do work with the O-line on understanding blitz schemes, something that Cochran should excel at having been an offensive lineman. As far as how much input he has in what exact kind of runs get called or run v. pass, that’s something I think is Kittley’s responsibility until he delegates it to Cochran, which is possible, I’d say.
With Tahj Brooks returning, I’d reckon we will probably see a lot of similar run schemes to help benefit him and to showcase the beefed up IOL of Vinny Sciury and Davion Carter. If Cam Valdez or someone else emerges as an outside zone threat, then perhaps you see that, but if it wasn’t broken they shouldn’t be having to fix it. - @J. Ramirez
I’m personally very curious about what the strategy looks like this season with the coaching changes there. Is Tech going to be gap scheme centric again (Power/Counter) or will we see more zone scheme stuff?’ is the question that I’m personally going to try to get the answer to in spring & fall. Hope I added to Jarrett’s answer, just had some thoughts on this when I saw it. - @J. Apodaca
If you could change one result from last year’s football schedule what would it be and why? @treytonunderwood
Hard to follow up Level’s response to this question in his video with AD, and as much as I wanted to be original, there is so much validity behind the answer to this question being Wyoming. Part of me believes there is an alternate reality where Tech beats Wyoming, then beats Oregon and goes on to have the 9+ win season that many of us expected them to have.
Some of my distaste for this past season was the idea that I never really felt as though we ever saw the full potential of the 2023 team. The overwhelming hope that they would be truly great basically died in Laramie. What’s funny about this question is the case that could be made for every loss and how their result being flipped could have altered the season.
My next choice would be Oregon for similar reasons to Wyoming, though perhaps beating the Ducks could have been an even larger kickstarter to have success in the long run. All you who picked to beat Texas prove a good point, but I’d probably choose to flip either of the first two games and let the season rock from there. - @J. Ramirez
Any athletes in either football or basketball we should have on commit watch? Will we be able to improve upon our 2024 class ranking in 2025? @BeeMack3130
Right now football is in a dead period, so I personally don’t have anyone on “commit watch” per se. That said there are several recruits I’m keeping a close eye on including EDGE Chad Woodfork, CB Micah Strickland and CB Swayde Griffin among others.
Basketball is a little trickier because the staff isn’t heavily involved with many 2024 recruits. 2025 targets to watch are point guard Kingston Flemings, who visited again for the KU game last week and center Jaden Toombs among others. Both have significant interest in Tech.
Texas Tech’s 2024 class was ranked #24 by Rivals, which will be tough to top. Texas Tech is already up to 9 commits with only one currently ranked as a four-star prospect. In order to top 2024 the staff will have to land at least 5 four-star recruits, which is not something I’m comfortable projecting right now. That said, it should still be a top 30-35 class, which is plenty good enough to compete for championships in the new Big 12 with the proper development. - @B. Golan
Who is the most under-the-radar player on the football team that nobody is talking about to have the biggest impact next season? @jordan806
I’ve got one on both sides of the ball with a couple overarching bets on defense. On offense, I think it is Caleb Douglas, the Florida transfer. It feels like he’s going to go under the radar a bit with Josh Kelly and Micah Hudson as the highly productive transfer and the five star.
Like Level said, JC Miller is going to be a big time player at some point, he’s a freak. He is really good and I’m excited to see how they’re able to use him. On defense, I think that Dylan Spencer is primed for a breakout.
He flashed so much talent in ‘23 and was somewhat buried on the depth chart. I also feel like Isaac Smith is getting a bit slept on after missing last year and I’m excited for the young DBs as well. Probably copped it out with so many names here but I think there’s a lot of good with this roster. - @J. Apodaca
Let me offer a couple of names– this will be a position battle that I am extremely excited to see unfold. Chapman Lewis v. Marcus Ramon-Edwards is going to be a huge decision for the defensive staff to make at who will get the start at field safety.
I mention these two because I think a lot of people who don’t keep up on a regular basis will get to know these two very quickly and especially whoever gets the starting job. Chapman has in-game experience but Ramon-Edwards looked like a new specimen with the muscle he’s put on. Book that spot as one I will be paying very close attention to. - @J. Ramirez
Does Grant take away Pop’s green light to chuck up 3’s (and did it happen at the end of the game last night) or is it a ‘let him shoot em until he fixes it’ thing? @OGRaiderRed
If you’ve watched Grant coach over this year I think it is evident that he has gotten on Pop when he takes bad threes. I think that there is intent and has been major improvement to get better looks, it really feels rare for Pop to come down and throw one up.
However, there is no intent to take the ball out of his hands when getting a good look, those just haven’t fallen yet. I think folks are taking Pop missing good looks as him just chucking threes. Has he shot it well? No, and I’ve been vocal about that in post games but I think you can see their philosophy is to live with the bad and win with the good. - @J. Apodaca
Thoughts on the recent CFB 12 Team Playoff Proposals (auto bids and such) and - Do you believe Super Conference (BIG/SEC) post 2026 is inevitable? @stdybrks
With the Pac-12 dissolved I think going to the 5+7 model is the correct answer for now. There are still several things I would switch, such as all games before the semi-finals being on campus, but it is what it is. What I found interesting, and I think many people missed this, is that the Power 4 conferences did not receive auto bids.
The release from the other day said the 4 highest-ranked conference champions get a bye. In theory that could include G5 leagues if their champion is ranked higher than a Power 4 champion.
The B1G/SEC Super Conference is a whole other conversation, and it’s probably inevitable, but I hope it’s not.
Money rules the land and that will win out, but I hope the people in charge find a way to keep the landscape relatively stable. Give them more auto bids, give them more money, but I wouldn’t be a fan. It would be a watered down NFL or a supercharged XFL type league, with the main difference being the alumni who went to those schools obviously would have a more vested interest.
Whichever way it ends up going, I think I can speak for most people when I say we’re ready for a few years of some stability after what’s felt like a decade of change (transfer portal, NIL, realignment) around every corner. - @B. Golan
Coach Cochran was promoted to Run Game Coordinator. What effect will this have on the offense? Will Coach Cochran design the running plays, be relegated to blocking assignments, or have input on the run game mix vs passing game? With his new title, what will his assignment(s) be regarding the offense? @Bighunk
It’ll be interesting to see what actually transpires with this and a lot of it will be dependent on what Kittley wants to do and what he will trust Cochran to handle. Typically, at least what I’ve come to understand a “Run Game Coordinator” to be, is to be more of a ‘details’ person and someone who works hand-in-hand with the game plan for that week’s opponent.
A lot of it is, as you mentioned in the question, focused on blocking assignments and it seems like RGCs do work with the O-line on understanding blitz schemes, something that Cochran should excel at having been an offensive lineman. As far as how much input he has in what exact kind of runs get called or run v. pass, that’s something I think is Kittley’s responsibility until he delegates it to Cochran, which is possible, I’d say.
With Tahj Brooks returning, I’d reckon we will probably see a lot of similar run schemes to help benefit him and to showcase the beefed up IOL of Vinny Sciury and Davion Carter. If Cam Valdez or someone else emerges as an outside zone threat, then perhaps you see that, but if it wasn’t broken they shouldn’t be having to fix it. - @J. Ramirez
I’m personally very curious about what the strategy looks like this season with the coaching changes there. Is Tech going to be gap scheme centric again (Power/Counter) or will we see more zone scheme stuff?’ is the question that I’m personally going to try to get the answer to in spring & fall. Hope I added to Jarrett’s answer, just had some thoughts on this when I saw it. - @J. Apodaca
