The college football season begins on Sept. 2 for 12 of the 13 FBS teams in the state of Texas. The lone exception in the Lone Star State is UTEP, which face Jacksonville State in Week 0 to begin Conference USA play.
As we approach the start of another season, we’ll countdown the 50-most important players in college football. We’ll go one-by-one until Sept. 1 as we enter the top 20.
Previous rankings: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21
The college football season begins on Sept. 2 for 12 of the 13 FBS teams in the state of Texas. The lone exception in the Lone Star State is UTEP, which face Jacksonville State in Week 0 to begin Conference USA play.
As we approach the start of another season, we’ll countdown the 50-most important players in college football. We’ll go one-by-one until Sept. 1 as we enter the top 20.
No. 19: TEXAS TECH OFFENSIVE LINEMAN RUSTY STAATS
The History
A super-senior originally from Tennessee, Staats arrives in Lubbock after a four-year stint at Western Kentucky. While there, he became a starter at center for the Hilltoppers in 2021 while Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley was there. The two are now reunited, and Staats is expected to slot in as the starting center for the Red Raiders. Staats started in 27 games over the past two years and appeared in 45 different games during his time at Western Kentucky. He was an honorable mention All-CUSA selection twice.
The Importance
Texas Tech returns each of its starters from the 2022 season, but that doesn’t mean the Red Raiders can’t improve up front from a personnel standpoint. Staats provides them with a trigger man and a reliable, experienced anchor at center. His arrival also allows Dennis Wilbrun to play right guard. The interior of the Texas Tech offensive line should be a strength of the team when you add a healthy Cole Spencer – another Western Kentucky transfer – to the mix to start 2023. Both tackles are also back with the Red Raiders flipping sides for Monroe Mills – now at left tackle – and Caleb Rogers.
The Outlook
Texas Tech ran a lot of plays and scored a lot of points in year 1 under Kittley, but the offensive line also allowed too many sacks. Staats should sure up the protection due to his experience and skill. He knows all the calls for the offense and shouldn’t need much time to transition to Power Five football. Keeping quarterbacks healthy is priority no. 1 for Texas Tech in 2023. An improved offensive line improves the prospects of quarterback Tyler Shough and a run game spearheaded by Tahj Brooks.
This article is available to our Digital Subscribers.
Click "Subscribe Now" to see a list of subscription offers.
Already a Subscriber? Sign In to access this content.
Don't Miss Any Exclusive Coverage!