THERE'S NOTHING HE CAN'T HANDLE

In late July, a couple of weeks before preseason football practice started, Adrian Frye flew to California for a family gathering to celebrate his grandmother's birthday. In Moreno Valley and Carson, California, the Texas Tech defensive back got to reconnect with aunts, uncles and cousins he'd not seen in ages, since he was about 6.

Little Adrian is all grown up. It's not just that he's shot up to 6 feet tall and fills out his Tech football jersey at 195 pounds. But last year, in his first shot at college football, he led the Big 12 Conference in interceptions and passes defended.

And, oh yeah, out in California, they've heard. Stephen Frye keeps Margaret Frye up to speed.

"My dad keeps my grandma in the loop," Frye said, "and she tells everybody. Everybody was talking about how proud of me they are and how they can't wait to see me play this year and every game they'll be tuning in. So I'm just glad that my family has my back."

As for Big 12 coaches and quarterbacks, it's safe to assume Frye has their attention.

Earning extended playing time last year as a redshirt freshman, Frye intercepted five passes and broke up another 13, good enough to earn first-team All-Big 12 recognition from The Associated Press and freshman all-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America.

It's not just that Frye snared the most interceptions by a Tech freshman since Tracy Saul's eight in 1989, but they came at big moments, too. Fourth-quarter picks at Oklahoma State and TCU helped wrap up Tech victories.

You might think that when Frye swung over to Venice Beach on that recent trip out west, he had license to kick back and feel pretty satisfied with himself. If he hasn't made it, he's at least proven already he's made of Big 12 stuff.

But if anything, Frye says, his attitude now compared to this time last August is just the opposite.

"I'm hungrier now," he said. "I mean, some people would think that I would get comfortable and get kind of relaxed, but there's no reason to get relaxed when we haven't won a Big 12 championship. So I'm going to be just as hungry, even hungrier than I've been before, because I want this team to win as many games as possible. I want this team to be the best team in the nation."

The successful debut, however, didn't insulate Frye from change.

With the departure of four-year starting safety Jah'Shawn Johnson, Frye quickly asked Wells if he could take the No. 7 left by his former teammate. Fine by me, Wells said.

That's not as important as what Wells and defensive coaches asked Frye — if he'd consider moving from cornerback, the position he played so well in 2018, to another spot in the secondary if it helped the team. Thus began weeks of experimentation in which Frye was one of a few DBs who trained at cornerback, safety and nickel back.

And when the Red Raiders started preseason practice, Frye was stationed at safety.

Wherever he can help the most, he says.

"I play both of them with the same amount of intensity," he said. "I have the same amount of confidence in both positions, because of my teammates' (confidence) in me."

As a matter of fact, Frye might have a stronger preference about the jersey number he wears. Getting that No. 7 really means something to him. No. 7 was the first number Frye ever wore, he explained, when he was 10 years old for a Houston youth football team called the Northwest Tigers. Ever since, he's tried to keep it, provided an older player didn't have it when Frye aged up onto a new team.

Then he idolized defensive backs Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, both of whom wore No. 7 at LSU. In addition to his DB duties, Frye could return punts this season for Tech, as the former LSU stars did.

"They didn't just play one side of the ball," Frye said. "They didn't just play defense. They play special teams, too. Not everybody buys into special teams as much as some. Special teams is a big factor in football.

"Those guys did everything they could for the team, so I'm going to take that same mindset and do whatever I can for mine."