De'Braylon Carroll had many television interests as a kid. Chief among them were SpongeBob SquarePants and Spider-Man, who Carroll dressed as for multiple birthdays.

These interests extended into the realm of the Power Rangers. Many different iterations of Power Rangers have existed in Carroll's lifetime (well over 20) though he's still partial to the original Mighty Morphin version. It's part of the nature Carroll brings to the Texas Tech football team after five years at Rice.

"I will say the graphics did get better in the newer ones," Carroll said, "but the storyline and the plot, and I like the older actors too."

No Power Rangers fan needs to be reminded of the Megazord, a humanized bot made up of five individual Dinozords — or three, depending on the version — that can be combined to make one hulking weapon to attack the enemy. That aspect of the television show resonated with Carroll more than anything.

"I just like how they used to work together and create something to go up against whoever they was going against," Carroll said. "I like how they all kind of had their own part. It wasn't all trying to lead at once."

Carroll sees the function of the Megazord, and the Power Rangers as a whole, similar to a football team. While everyone has a specific task, it's the sum of those roles that creates the identity of a team, something the Duncanville grad will try to help the Red Raiders do this season.

NOW'S THE TIME: Why 2024 is milepost season for Texas Tech football under Joey McGuire

One of the final additions through the transfer portal before spring ball began, Carroll had little time to get acclimated. He spent the first bit of his time at Texas Tech traveling back and forth to Houston to move his belongings to Lubbock after committing in late January. He had to go back in May to deep clean his old apartment, shampooing his own carpets to make sure he got the full security deposit back.

Now that he's settled with the Red Raiders, Carroll has assumed the role of elder statesmen, a seasoned veteran taking on the leadership role for Tech's slew of young interior defensive linemen.

"When I was at Rice," Carroll said, "I kind of had my own unit. Me being there so long and being the guy that's played the most and everything, I played as a true freshman, so coming here, I kind of already knew how it feels to lead a unit. That part wasn't hard. It was more just gaining the trust of these guys."

To earn the respect of his teammates, Carroll said, he needed to lead by example and be a kind ear for his underclassmen teammates. Carroll said he understands the time and place for tough love and when to encourage others.

Head coach Joey McGuire has said he feels the defensive line unit could be seven players deep for the 2024 season. Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter echoed this sentiment on Tuesday during the team's media day.

"To be in a position where we can roll probably about three deep right now," DeRuyter said, "and feel really comfortable that we're going to have some 300-pound guys that are going to be fresh, going to go as hard as they can and as soon as they can't the next guy goes in."

Quincy Ledet Jr. is one of the returning pieces to Tech's defensive line. He's seen Carroll's leadership up close, and just what the 6-foot, 300-pounder brings to the table for the group.

"I feel like our guys, we've grown tight," Ledet said. "So I just feel like we need to just go out there and put on a show. We have talent. We have skill. We have the mentality to go out there and dominate, so we just have to do it."

IS THIS REAL LIFE? How Texas Tech football players viewed their representation in EA Sports College Football 25

Ledet and Carroll are two of the members looking to replace multi-year standouts Jaylon Hutchings and Tony Bradford, who occupied the middle of the defensive line for half a decade.

Looking at the number of snaps taken by Hutchings and Bradford can make the idea of replacing them seem daunting. DeRuyter said in the coaching staff's first year of 2022, the duo had to take about 600 snaps apiece.

Aside from Carroll and Ledet, DeRuyter said he expects big years out of E'Maurion "Dooda" Banks and Braylon Rigsby and Jayden Cofield showed improvements in spring ball. Plus there's another transfer, James Hansen from Nevada, who adds another veteran presence in the middle.

"We've got some big athletic bodies I know we're excited to see," DeRuyter said.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech DL De'Braylon Carroll hoping to lead as final-year transfer