Aug. 26, 2010

Defensive Backs

TexasTech.com will be giving Red Raider fans exclusive access all week long as we preview the upcoming football season, position-by-position. Each day we will feature a different position and will provide insider access to the assistant coaches who have been working with these players each and every day. Assistant coaches are not made available to the general media so TexasTech.com will be providing fans with these exclusive interviews.

The Red Raider secondary will be a young group that has five returning letterwinners with six newcomers and only two seniors among the bunch for the 2010 season.

The group is coached by Travaris Robinson, who played under head coach Tommy Tuberville at Auburn. Robinson has inherited two returning starters in safeties Cody Davis and Franklin Mitchem. He also has senior LaRon Moore recovering from a broken leg. Moore should factor into the starting lineup once healthy.

"We are very excited in what we have here and we will continue to build upon that," Robinson said." "We have some young players that are going to have to come in and help us immediately."

The group of young players will be heavily relied upon as returning letterwinners D.J. Johnson and Will Ford will look to mentor newcomers Tre'Porter, Urell Johnson and Jarvis Phillips. Terrance Bullitt is a name that will be in the mix at safety after redshirting last season.

The mixture of experience, athleticism and determination of the young players look to make up one of Tech's most dangerous defensive backfields Red Raider fans have seen in a while.

The Secondary Depth
1. Terrance Bullitt, S, 6-3, 191, Fr-RS, Garland, Texas/Naaman Forest

3. Urell Johnson, DB, 6-0, 163, Fr-HS, New Orleans, La./O. Perry Walker

5. Tre' Porter, CB, 6-0, 182, Fr-HS, Midwest City, Okla./Carl Albert

7. Will Ford, DB, 6-0, 190, So-1L, Abilene, Texas/Cooper

12. D.J. Johnson, DB, 6-0, 190, So-1L, Austin, Texas/St. Stephen's Episcopal

14. Desmond Martin, S, 6-1, 190, Fr-HS, Round Rock, Texas/Stony Point

16. Cody Davis, S, 6-2, 194, So-1L, Stephenville, Texas/Stephenville

21. Jarvis Phillips, DB, 5-10, 189, Fr-RS, Dallas, Texas/Carter

24. Corey Lee, DB, 5-8, 167, So-Sq, Andrews, Texas/Andrews

26. Franklin Mitchem, S, 6-2, 200, Sr-2L, Klein, Texas/Collins

28. LaRon Moore, DB, 5-9, 200, Sr-3L, Midwest City, Okla./Midwest City

29. Russell Polk, S, 5-10, 211, Fr-HS, Dallas, Texas/Carter

30. Brett Dewhurst, S, 5-11, 197, Jr-2L, Klein, Texas/Klein

31. Eugene Neboh, CB, 5-10, 174, So-Sq, Odessa, Texas/Permian

34. Sawyer Vest, DB, 5-11, 172, Jr-Sq, Childress, Texas/Childress

35. Arlan Waller, DB, 6-0, 190, So-Sq, DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto

36. Nubian Peak, DB, 5-11, 190, Fr-RS, Radford, Va./Pulaski County/Virginia Tech

Dynamic Duo
Tech's secondary has two returning starters at the safety positions in senior Franklin Mitchem and sophomore Cody Davis. Mitchem was fifth on the team a season ago with 57 tackles. He sealed the victory in the Alamo Bowl with an interception late in the fourth quarter. Davis was named a Freshman All-American and finished second on the team in tackles with 81.

Strong Camp
D.J. Johnson has earned the praise of Coach Robinson for having a good camp as well as Mitchem and Davis. Johnson, last season, played in 12 games and recorded 24 tackles, one interception and a forced fumble. The other name Coach Robinson spoke of was redshirt freshman Jarvis Phillips. He is a redshirt freshman from Dallas Carter and is expected to play a big role in the secondary this season.

"We have some young guys that are coming in competing. D.J. Johnson is doing a great job and Jarvis Phillips is doing a great job and of course the two safeties Franklin Mitchem and Cody Davis."

The New Guys
Tech will see the future of its secondary sooner rather than later as incoming freshmen Urell Johnson and Tre'Porter have seen significant reps in fall practice and will see time this season.

Recovering
LaRon Moore is still rehabbing a broken leg suffered during the spring game. The senior has been on the sidelines of fall practice serving as a coach when not rehabbing. Moore had 42 tackles and two interceptions last season and was named All-Big 12 honorable mention.