Jackson Knotts might have thought pressure was playing in the Big 12 with the Texas Tech football team in venues the size of Jones AT&T Stadium and larger.

He's learned more about real pressure this summer. The Red Raiders' deep snapper is pursuing a pilot's license, hoping to someday fly for commercial airlines. He made his second solo flight on Sunday, an off day after the Red Raiders' first preseason scrimmage.

"Talking to ATC (air traffic control), that stresses me out more than snapping in a big game," Knotts said. "You don't want to do wrong, because then you screw up everybody.

"I'm in a small Piper Cherokee, right? And they're telling the Southwest 737 to hold behind me. I'm, like, 'Oh, shoot, if I mess up this landing, I mess up 200 people's day right behind me.' "

The senior from Plant City, Florida, said he's been spending off days learning at Hub City Aviation.

"I've always liked it," Knotts said, "but I just started doing it this summer. I was like, 'You know what? Time to stop thinking about it and just do it.' I've done it all summer, and I've really enjoyed it."

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Knotts's other primary endeavor this summer has been rehabilitating from knee surgery stemming from torn ligaments he suffered in the 2023 regular-season finale at Texas. Tech coach Joey McGuire has said more than once since the end of spring practice that Knotts is trending toward an early season return.

Whether he's cleared for the Aug. 31 season opener against Abilene Christian could go down to the wire.

"I have an appointment next week," he said on Monday. "I don't really know what they're going to say, but as good as I feel right now, I don't see why they would not let me play."

Knotts joined the program as a walk-on and was the Red Raiders' deep snapper from game one of his true freshman season in 2021 until his knee injury on Thanksgiving weekend at Texas. When he missed Tech's season-ending victory over California at the Independence Bowl, it snapped his 38-game streak of being the starter at his position.

'It's been a long eight to nine months," Knotts said. "I was non-weight-bearing for nine weeks, which was the worse nine weeks of my life. I hated crutches so much. I come in at 5:45 every morning, get (rehab) done before practice.

"What I've noticed is you have to be consistent with it. You can't take a day off. What I've been trying to do is challenge myself every single day and push myself past limits I thought I had. I think it's shown greatly, because I feel great at practice right now."

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As consistent a presence as Knotts has been on Tech special teams for three seasons, the cast around him is changing. Gone is Austin McNamara, who doubled as the Red Raiders' punter for the past five years in addition to being the holder for placement kicks.

In McNamara's place on both duties is Jack Burgess, a transfer from Weber State whose punting statistics last season were virtually identical to McNamara's. Burgess's punting average of 47.2 yards and his net of 42.0 yards ranked second in the FCS. He's one of the many rugby-style punters who developed in the Prokick Australia program.

"Right now, I'm focusing a lot on field-goal snaps," Knotts said, "but because we try to get it perfect laces, so Jack can lay it down without even spinning it. That's our goal. ... Just trying to dial in: Perfect laces, easy catch, easy sit-down."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's Jackson Knotts has ambitious summer pursuit