Posted: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:00 AM - 9,212 Readers

By: Mike Graham

The Texas Tech football program is already through Practice 12 of the 15 allotted spring football practices for 2011.

With 12 practices down, here are five things we have learned about the 2011 Red Raider football team:

Seth Doege is expected to start at quarterback

Junior quarterback Seth Doege should be the Red Raiders' signal caller this fall.

Doege gets a majority of reps and the coaching staff makes no bones about where Doege stands on the depth chart in comparison to last spring's Taylor Potts-Steven Sheffield situation.

Michael Brewer will most likely redshirt

Quarterback Michael Brewer, a two-time state champion quarterback and an early enrollee from Lake Travis High School, will probably redshirt the 2011 season.

With Doege penciled in as the starter and quarterback Jacob Karam clearly in the backup role in addition to Scotty Young and Navarro Junior College transfer Brant Costilla on the roster, it just makes sense to hold Brewer back.

Redshirting Brewer also gives Brewer a year of separation from Young, another young quarterback fans expect big things out of. Young redshirted the 2010 season.

Expect to see Ronnie Daniels on the field

Running back Ronnie Daniels, an early enrollee from Albuquerque, N.M., looks like a blue chip recruit.

At 6-2 and 195 pounds already, Daniels has college size and he has garnered a lot of attention this spring.

Daniels was one of three major running back recruits the Red Raiders picked up in February but he was the only running back to enroll early. Consequently, the coaches have a lot of time to experiment with Daniels capabilities. Aside from normal running back duties, Daniels also is getting some reps as the head of the wildcat offense.

Blake Dees helps further the Class of 2011's case as Texas Tech's best recruiting class ever

Linebacker Blake Dees, yet another early enrollee, has performed surprisingly well during the spring practice sessions. During Thursday's scrimmage Dees played with the starting defense ahead of senior Sam Fehoko.

Dees might not start this season but it's looking more and more like he could be a part of the linebacker rotation in 2011.

The defense is faster

The 2011 defense will play faster than the 2010 defense did.

Players claim that new defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow's 4-2-5 defense is simpler than former defensive coordinator James Willis' 3-4. Consequently, the defense is reacting faster in the 4-2-5 defense.

Additionally, a majority of the Texas Tech defense enjoys the return to a four-man front. Former defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill ran a 4-3 defense under Mike Leach before one-season defensive coordinator James Willis installed the 3-4 with the arrival of Tommy Tuberville. There's more familiarity with the four-man front and therefore the players are more comfortable with the 4-2-5 than they would be otherwise.

*  Story Contributed by: Mike Graham