Demetrius Alston and Texas Tech coaches both downplay the fact Alston’s listed as a starter going into the season opener.
They don’t downplay, however, that the senior defensive tackle has earned the right.
“He had a great camp,” co-defensive coordinator Mike Smith said this week. “He’s going to play a lot. He’s probably the most improved kid in the room (of defensive linemen). He’s going to hopefully have a good year.”
Alston’s been trying to make that happen for some time, hitting roadblocks along the way. The Norcross, Georgia, product suffered two season-ending injuries in the last three years — a broken tibia in 2012 at Hutchinson (Kan.