Every fall camp holds surprises. Texas Tech could face an unexpected battle for the starting left tackle spot in 2024.

Senior Sterling Porcher, a transfer from Middle Tennessee, was expected to hold that spot all season. He has played left tackle on the first team since the start of spring practice and was listed as a starter at that position in the post-spring roster.

However, on the first day of fall camp, Porcher suffered a torn hamstring that kept him out for some time. That opened the door for a contender to push for the job. According to head coach Joey McGuire, junior Dalton Merryman is playing so well that there is now real competition for the starting left tackle spot.

“We have Sterling back today,” McGuire told the media on Tuesday, August 6. “We left Dalton in the No. 1s because he played really well. It’s going to be a tough battle, but today was Sterling’s first day of playing some games.”

Merryman came almost out of nowhere to earn a spot at left guard. He was an unranked JUCO signee out of Blinn College in the class of 2023, with Tech being his only Power 5 offer. Now, the Montgomery, Texas, native is one of the most improved players on the team, according to his head coach.

“Dalton, man,” McGuire said. “If you ask me, one of the biggest players from the spring to now would be Dalton Merryman. In the spring, he really struggled with his physicality. You know, it’s tough, I mean, he’s 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, so he’s got to use his padding properly and utilize what he’s got, and man, he’s starting to do that. He’s had six really good practices so far.

“You know, there’s a fight going on and Sterling sees that and that’s only going to make Sterling better.”

The battle for the Red Raiders’ offensive line is taking on unexpected forms. Three offensive players and one JUCO addition were brought to the team during the offseason. At the beginning of the spring, it was assumed that Tech’s final starting lineup could consist of four players who are new to the program this year.

However, homegrown players Ty Buchanan and Sheridan Wilson have put themselves in a position to start at right tackle and center, respectively. In addition, longtime Red Raider Caleb Rogers is slated to start at right guard.

So if Merryman gets the job at left tackle, left guard Vinny Sciury, who comes from Toledo, would be the only freshman in the program to get a starting spot. Devion Carter and Porcher, who come from Memphis, could be limited to the backup positions in their final college seasons. That would be a pretty surprising development.

Maybe that’s a sign that new offensive line coach Clay McGuire, who was hired in February nearly two months after the four new offensive linemen signed with the program, saw something he liked in the players already on campus. Whatever the reason, the offensive line battle is shaping up to be the most exciting battle of fall camp.

It’s also the most important position group to sort out, so it’s great to see a player like Merryman step up and give the coaching staff another option as they try to put together their top five players.