Aug. 28, 2010

Offensive Line Coach Matt Moore

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's offensive line lost two starters from a season ago, but brings back seven letterwinners from last season with only one senior in the bunch.

Offensive line coach Matt Moore is very optimistic about the group and is looking towards Chris Olson, Justin Keown and Lonnie Edwards to lead the group.

"We have a young group, we have one senior. I have a junior at center in Justin Keown," Moore said. "I expect those guys to step up and be leaders in Keown and (Chris) Olson, my starting right tackle. I expect those guys to step up and be leaders and to teach the young guys how to be a unit."

Olson and Edwards bring back the most experience to the squad. Edwards started 10 games last season at left guard and played in a total of 12. Olson played in 11 games while starting nine at various positions.

Every single returning letterwinner played in at least two games during the season with a majority of the group getting five or more.

The Offensive Line Depth
59 Joel Gray, OL, 6-6, 302, Fr-RS, Lewisville, Texas/Hebron

61 Jonathan Guerra, OL, 6-4, 297, Jr-Sq, Victoria, Texas/Memorial

63 James Polk, OT, 6-6, 331, Fr-HS, Houston, Texas/Alief Elsik

64 Alex Dubois, OL, 6-3, 294, Fr-HS, New Braunfels, Texas/Canyon

65 LaAdrian Waddle, OL, 6-6, 322, So-1L, Columbus, Texas/Columbus

66 Deveric Gallington, OL, 6-3, 314, So-1L, North Richland Hills, Texas/Richland

68 Terry McDaniel, OL, 6-6, 315, So-1L, Diana, Texas/New Diana

69 Matt Scott, OL, 6-3, 274, Fr-HS, Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound

70 Chris Olson, OL, 6-5, 300, Sr-3L, Dallas, Texas/Highland Park

71 Kyle Clark, OL, 6-5, 295, Fr-RS, Denton, Texas/Guyer

72 Beau Carpenter, OL, 6-6, 293, Fr-HS, Sulphur Springs, Texas/Sulphur Springs

73 Justin Keown, C, 6-4, 300, Jr-2L, Anderson, S.C./Hargrave Military Academy

74 Mickey Okafor, OL, 6-6, 305, Jr-2L, Houston, Texas/Westbury

75 Blake Emert, OL, 6-5, 297, Jr-1L, Garland, Texas/Sachse

78 Lonnie Edwards, OL, 6-4, 322, Jr-2L, Brownsboro, Texas /Brownsboro

Mr. Versatility
Senior Chris Olson is the type of player coaches covet. Last season, he started nine games at two different positions. He began the season at left tackle then moved to left guard for two games, before finishing the season back at left tackle. This season he has moved to right tackle and has been penciled in as the starter for the group. Olson also pushed Keown at the center position during the spring and fall. He provides offensive line coach Matt Moore with some much needed flexibility during the season.

Weight Watchers
The biggest change that fans will notice about the 2010 Red Raider offensive line is the weight change. Deveric Gallington has lost 36 pounds from last season while fellow teammate Terry McDaniel has lost 20 pounds. LaAdrian Waddle dropped 28 pounds during the spring. Not all of the line lost weight as freshman Beau Carpenter gained roughly 20 pounds since enrolling in January. The weight watching has all been credited to head strength and conditioning coach Joe Walker's system.

Starting Streak
Junior Lonnie Edwards has received praise from Coach Moore for being a physical player. "Lonnie Edwards is really going to be a mainstay and he is one of the most physical players I have," Moore said. He earned the physical play and experience after starting 10 games last season. He has the longest starting streak on the line with eight games. Edwards will start the season at left guard and look to extend his streak.