March has been all about the basketball team, so many Texas Tech fans may not have noticed that spring football began for Joey McGuire’s football program last week. It’s a crucial part of the offseason calendar, where positions are competed for, strategies are worked out, and rookies try to make their mark.
“Hey, it’s great to be back on the field today,” McGuire said March 19 after the team’s first spring session. “The players were excited…you could see it in the energy they had in practice.”
But fans may not be as excited about this spring as they were before. This is because two major rookies will not play due to injuries.
Five-star true freshman signee Micah Hudson, a wide receiver from Temple, Texas, is the highest-rated recruit in program history and is on campus recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Due to this, he will miss spring ball. Meanwhile, Arizona State transfer tight end Jarrin Conyers from Gruber, Texas, is also out with a broken foot.
Both players are expected to be ready for fall camp. However, their absence could slow their growth and ability to mesh with the new offense.
However, there are many players to keep an eye on this spring. So, let’s take a look at three Red Raiders that Texas Tech fans should keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
Like football coaches around the world, McGuire craves speed. That’s what he has in Mikel Dingle. However, the program is still figuring out the best way to get this two-sport athlete on the field.
Dingle, who also runs track and field at Texas Tech, played inside linebacker last season. He recorded 12 tackles in four games while remaining redshirt eligible.
But he may not need to be an inside linebacker, considering Tech covers that position with returning starters Jacob Rodriguez and Ben Roberts. That’s why Dingle is trying to master the “star” position this season.
The role is a combination of linebacker and safety, meaning the player is sometimes called upon to play in the box and at other times has to cover receivers down the field. At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Dingle is big enough to thrive near the line of scrimmage and has the speed to play in the secondary.
This season, last year’s starter, Tyler Owens, graduated, leaving a vacancy at the “star” position. So keep an eye on our coverage of Dingle. Because his athletic ability makes him an attractive candidate for one of the key defensive positions in football.
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