Every football coach from the middle school level all the way up the NFL knows that the key to offensive success or failure starts with a stellar offensive line. Texas Tech new head coach Joey McGuire has been busy combing the transfer portal and has brought in new Red Raiders to join the program this spring.
Texas Tech was able to land OL Michael Shanahan from the transfer portal this past week from UT-Martin. Shanahan is a stout, 6’5″, 310 lineman who can play both tackle and guard. While at UT-Martin, Shanahan stood out in 20 games and earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors and has two years of eligibility left once he starts school in Lubbock. Shanahan’s experience will help anchor the incoming offensive line as the Red Raiders have also landed three other high school recruits. Prior to committing to Texas Tech, Shanahan was also recruited by schools including Oklahoma State, UTSA, East Carolina, North Texas and Marshall but chose Tech after making his official visit to Lubbock. Shanahan was a rock-solid standout while at UT-Martin and during the 2021 regular season played every offensive snap and was also credited with 91 “pancacke” blocks this past season. In reality, Shanahan played more in 2021 than the usual college lineman since UT-Martin is a FCS school and their 2020 season was moved to the spring of 2021. Shanahan may well be joined soon enough by his younger brother T.J. Shanahan who is ranked at the number two prospect in Texas and is currently a junior at Austin Westlake High School.
Joining Shanahan on the O line this coming season in Lubbock will be fellow transfer Cade Briggs. Briggs is joining Tech from the University of New Mexico. Briggs was originally offered a scholarship once he entered the transfer portal by coach Stephen Hamby while he was still at Western Kentucky and once he moved over to Tech he extended that same scholarship offer. Briggs was also offered by Washington State and Syracuse but chose to stay in the more familiar confines of west Texas. Briggs was a regular on the New Mexico O line and had 24 career starts and 28 game appearances. Originally a right guard as a freshman, Briggs was moved over to left tackle and stayed there with the Lobos. Briggs played in 515 snaps in 2020 (shortened by Covid) and 722 snaps this past season and with new OC Zach Kittley and Stephen Hamby coming over from Western Kentucky, Briggs will no doubt play a key role in the pass-crazy offense that should be debuting in Lubbock this coming year.
