It is no secret that Texas Tech football relies heavily on its offensive power to win games. However, this season, the Red Raider defense has shown more promise than it has in over four seasons.

This can be attributed to Texas Tech defensive coordinator David Gibbs, who is in his second season with the Red Raiders. Having a defense that was ranked last in the nation just a year ago to a unit that can stop the run game is a big accomplishment for this team.

The defensive improvement showed when the Red Raiders held Eastern Washington to just 10 points in the 56-10 win at the start of the season. The defense was on full display again in the 65-19 win over Kansas, which resulted in a No. 24 national ranking for Texas Tech.

With one of the most versatile offensive teams in the Big 12 Conference showing its defensive improvements, one would think the 2018 Texas Tech recruitment class is filled with off the ball prospect. However, that is not the case.

Of the 18 Texas Tech recruiting commits for the 2018 class, only five are defensive players. This includes two 3-star commits and three 2-star commits.

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— Zay (@Zayyy_Benson) July 24, 2017

One notable asset is 3-star linebacker Xavier Benson, who stands at 6-3 and weighs a solid 200 pounds. His stature mimics that of standout Texas Tech linebacker Dakota Allen, who is third on the team with 64 total tackles and second with two interceptions. With Allen only being a junior, Benson could benefit from being under the wings of one of the best linebackers in the Big 12.

Mekhi Garner is the other 3-star prospect on the defensive side as a safety. In his 2016 season, Garner totaled 39 tackles and two interceptions, showing his versatility. One Red Raider he can be compared to is junior defensive back Jah’shawn Johnson.

As far as the Red Raider offense being lackluster, Johnson said he just has to focus on the defensive side of the game and hope for the best.

“I’m 100% behind them. I trust them on any given play,” Johnson said. “I know that they’ll do the right thing and try to put some points on the board and trust us to stop the other offense and give them the ball back.”

This season, Johnson leads all defenders with 44 solo tackles and 67 total tackles. In his three years at Tech, Johnson has proven to pose problems for wide receivers in the backfield. However, with Garner standing at 6-1, his reach is beyond that of Johnson, who is 5-10.

Garner is one commit who is almost guaranteed to start the 2018 football season due to his size and ability to hold off opponents.

Texas Tech has also signed 2-star defensive end John Scott, 2-star defensive end John Graves and 2-star defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings, who was a three-star commit before suffering from an ACL injury.

Armchair had the chance to talk with Hutchings and he said he has seen the Texas Tech defense improve this season.

“The defense is definitely improving,” Hutchings said. “If we can put all of the pieces together, we are going to be a force to be reckoned with. So, I’m really excited to become a part of that.”

With only two games remaining on the schedule and having just snapped a four-game losing streak, it may be time to start looking ahead and focusing on defensive recruits.