Texas Tech offensive guard Jack Anderson had red and black running through his veins long before he was a blue-chip offensive lineman from Frisco. If you look through his family photo albums, you’ll see Anderson with Red Raider gear from the time he was two years old. When the offer came in the middle of his freshman year of high school, there wasn’t much to think about.

But now, with two years of elite play under his belt, the third-year junior is a long way away from being that young child supporting the Red Raiders. He’s a 6-foot-5, 320-pound veteran who can put Texas Tech’s underrated offensive line on the map nationally.

Anderson flashed his versatile skill set, both on and off the field, when true freshman quarterback Alan Bowman took the field last season. While Anderson isn’t a talkative leader, he helped Bowman work through the difficult transition of going from high schooler to starter in the Big 12.

“Seeing him and how he does meetings, how he does workouts, how he does practice every day, him coming in as a freshman and me starting as a freshman, it really helped,” Bowman said.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Anderson allowed just a single sack all season long.

The talent has never been in question. Anderson came in Week One of his freshman season ready to dominate. As a true freshman, he earned freshman All-America. As a sophomore, Pro Football Focus named him All-Big 12 First Team, thanks to his top run-blocking grade among guards.

With a new staff coming in, Anderson’s role will become even more important. Four of five offensive line starters are back. Right tackle Terence Steele and left tackle Travis Bruffy are potential all-conference picks, but Anderson is the All-America candidate that holds the entire offensive line together.

“Watching him in the weight room, watching him interact with his teammates, we know he’s a great football player,” offensive coordinator David Yost said. “The question is now whether he’s going to be the alpha on that offensive line.”