With the influx of additions from the NCAA transfer portal coupled with Davion Carter’s unexpectedly receiving an extra year of eligibility, the Texas Tech football team has six offensive linemen who have been full-time starters for one or more seasons, which makes for heavy competition.
Joey McGuire has some decisions to make in that regard over the next several months, although the Tech coach seems to view one position as not really up for debate. He likes Howard Sampson lining up at left tackle. The transfer from North Carolina is 6-foot-8, listed at 340 pounds — McGuire says 350 — and blocked last season for a Doak Walker Award finalist.
He fit the profile on paper — and in the flesh when the Red Raiders hit the field Monday for the first day of spring practice.
“He gets to linebackers in the run game that we haven’t gotten to, just because of his length,” McGuire said after the workout. “He widens the pocket for the quarterback just because of his length, and so really impressed with him today.”
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Spring weather — sunshine and temperatures in the 70s — greeted the arrival of spring football. Here are other developments on the first day.
Hunter Zambrano to be limited in spring ball
Hunter Zambrano, one of the three offensive linemen the Red Raiders signed from the portal, will be limited to individual workouts over the next few weeks. Zambrano started 25 games at Illinois State, but is recovering from surgery on a hip injury that dates to last season, so McGuire said he’ll be withheld from live contact.
Coy Eakin gets the cherished No. 3
With wide receiver Josh Kelly exhausting his eligibility last season, that left open jersey No. 3 for an offensive player. McGuire has issued No. 3 to represent the fighting spirit of the late Luke Siegel, who wore the number in youth sports and died in August 2021 at age 15.
Linebacker Bryce Ramirez got No. 3 for the defense when he resumed his career in the 2023 season opener after suffering a lower-leg compound fracture in the 2022 nonconference finale.
Tech announced Monday that junior receiver Coy Eakin will wear it on offense.
“I have such a high respect for all my players,” McGuire said, “but Coy in particular, I think he’s one of the toughest kids I’ve ever been around.”
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In 2023, Eakin suffered a broken right collarbone in spring practice and a broken left collarbone in preseason workouts that caused him to miss the nonconference portion of the schedule. He returned to catch 36 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns that year, and to post career highs of 39 catches, 557 yards and six TDs last season.
Eakin said he embraced switching from his No. 8 to No. 3 when McGuire pitched him the idea. McGuire says the player wearing No. 3 exemplifies what he calls “the brand,” being tough, hard-working and competitive.
“The way I see the brand is someone that shows up day-in, day-out, does the right thing when no one’s watching, things like that, works their tail off,” Eakin said. “I feel like I do that. I know the coaches think I do that, for sure. And so I think it’s a good fit.”
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Lee Hunter with line of the day
Defensive tackle Lee Hunter transferred to Tech from Central Florida in January. He started 23 games the past two years, including a 2023 game against Tech at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Asked what he remembered of it, Hunter said, “I got hit with tacos during the game. At halftime, I actually wanted some taco meat with shells. That was just a good memory.”
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Howard Sampson sticks out: Texas Tech football spring observations
