BY DON WILLIAMS l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

What now?

Texas Tech’s first-team defensive front on Wednesday consisted of Ra’Jon Henley and Daniel Howard at end and Colby Whitlock and Richard Jones at tackle. That’s the easiest way to get the team’s top defensive linemen on the field together.

Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill wasn’t ready to say that Henley is likely to play more snaps at end than at tackle. He said Henley will continue to practice at both end and tackle as he has all spring, and he’s likely to be a tackle in pass-rush packages.

Pass-rush specialist Daniel Howard might take on a bigger role next season with Tech's attrition at defensive end.

Tech coach Mike Leach suspended defensive end McKinner Dixon on Monday for a lack of commitment to schoolwork and said he doubts Dixon will be on the team in the fall. The unexpected departure of early NFL draft entrant Brandon Williams, coupled with Dixon’s loss, has Tech’s defensive staff looking at how to make up for players who had 13 and nine sacks, respectively, in 2008.

“You hate to lose those kids, but you’ve got to go on,’’ McNeill said.

Nose tackle Chris Perry, who was out for the first nine workouts of spring, returned for the first time Wednesday on a limited basis. Brandon Sesay has missed this week’s workouts for time in study hall.

During Wednesday’s 11-on-11 team period, the second-team defensive line was Sandy Riley and Ryan Haliburton at end and Victor Hunter and Britton Barbee inside.

McNeill said he expects highly touted February signees Myles Wade and Pearlie Graves to come in and play next season. Wade is a 6-foot-2, 311-pound defensive tackle. Graves, at 6-3 and 264, is similar in size to Henley and will be tried at end and tackle.

“We lost two,’’ McNeill said, “but Myles is going to play when he comes in. Pearlie’s doing well academically. We expect him to play as well. We’ve just got to develop some.’’

An offensive day

Tech’s offense scored three touchdowns in the first four series of the 11-on-11 team period in Jones AT&T Stadium.

That aggravated defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, who was all over his players from the period’s beginning to end. He had seen enough when the offense needed only a six-play series and two five-play drives to score the TDs.

McNeill stopped the team period, gathered all the defensive players around him and had them all do 30 up-downs.

“There’s a couple of things we ask: Give effort and be fundamentally sound,’’ McNeill said later. “Some days are (bad) like that, but we can’t have them here. It’s unacceptable and if it’s unacceptable, we’re going to take timeout, and I’m going to straighten it (out) immediately.’’

Taylor Potts led the first two scoring drives, which were capped by an 8-yard TD pass to Cornelius Douglas and an 11-yard TD run by Baron Batch. Douglas’ 60-yard reception was the key play in the first series. Two passes to Detron Lewis and a 41-yard pass to Austin Zouzalik keyed the second.

On the third scoring drive, Seth Doege completed three passes, the longest for 19 yards to Adam James. Then Harrison Jeffers broke a 45-yard touchdown run.

Back in the neighborhood

Tech coach Mike Leach developed many of his offensive tactics while he worked under Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan (1989-91), Valdosta State (1992-96) and Kentucky (1997-98).

On Wednesday, Mumme was hired as head coach at McMurry. With him being only three hours down the road in Abilene, Mumme and Leach might see each other more often.

“We see each other from time to time, talk to each other probably once every two weeks,’’ Leach said. “So I’m sure we will.’’

McMurry president John Russell said Mumme’s track record for turning around struggling programs was a big factor in his hiring.

Leach echoed the observation.

“He’s a guy that has an incredible array of talents,’’ Leach said. “He’s really good at fundraising, organization, and he’s probably the most capable person I’ve ever seen as far as getting the most out of a program. I think that challenge kind of excites him, really.’’

Mumme is a native Texan who, from 1976-88, made coaching stops at Corpus Christi Moody, Aransas Pass, West Texas State, Texas-El Paso and Copperas Cove.

Not his brand of pirates

Tech coach Mike Leach’s love for talking pirates is well-known and a source of amusement to fans and media. To Leach, though, there’s nothing amusing about the current headline-making stories of hostage-taking Somali pirates.

Asked if he’d be an intermediary, Leach said, “I don’t think they need an intermediary. They need somebody to go clean that deal out. Whoever that leader of the Navy SEALS is, I think he’s got it right. They ought to get the Navy SEALS out, have a long weekend and go have their fun; that’s what I think.’’

Somali pirates have been wreaking havoc in and around the Gulf of Aden, taking hostages and ransom payments.

“I’m surprised it’s gone on to this point — the paying them off and the rest,’’ Leach said. “If you stabilize the government and they’re able to feed their people, that stuff’s less likely to happen. At some point, they need to put criminals in jail.

“Americans do have the ability to kind of ruthlessly get behind their causes for a short term, and I think those pirates are a short-term problem. So I don’t think it’s going to turn out well for them.’’

In brief

CBs Brent Nickerson and Jarrell Routt had class conflicts that kept them from finishing practice. Taylor Charbonnet got the first-team snaps at cornerback paired with usual first-teamer LaRon Moore. … FL Alex Torres, injured last Friday, returned for some drill work. Torres wore a bandage from ear to ear around his bottom jaw. … Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill has been happy with the play of second-string LBs Blake Collier, Sam Fehoko and Tyrone Sonier. He praised Fehoko and Sonier for good work during the middle drill.