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September 17, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; An overhead view of a Texas Tech Red Raiders helmet at Carter-Finley Stadium. Required credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Certainly, the 2023 Texas Tech football team will go into next season weighed down by expectations not supported by this program in a decade. This is largely due to the large number of contributors returning from last season’s 8-5 squad, which seemed to turn the tide towards technical football.
What’s interesting, though, is that the Red Raiders don’t necessarily seem to be stocked with branded players who will gain national notoriety in the preseason. Rather, this team’s strength is expected to be its depth, with there appearing to be no glaring weaknesses in either position group, at least on paper.
Still, despite the fact that national pundits aren’t necessarily talking about Tech’s individual players, Red Raider fans are certainly excited about what a handful of players can bring to the table this September.
For example, there is a strong belief that QB Tyler Shough could be an all-conference player if he could stay healthy. After all, he’s 8-0 at Texas Tech in games he’s started and uninjured.
Likewise, their best wide receiver, Jerand Bradley, is also primed to become a star after throwing for 744 yards and 6 touchdowns a year ago. In fact, he recently earned preseason All-Big 12 recognition.
On defense, many people know about Tech’s 1-2 punch at defensive tackle. Jaylon Hutchings also earned All-Big 12 honors this preseason, while Tony Bradford is attracting a lot of attention after a season that saw him rack up 9.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2022.
Also, some newcomers have people chatting in Lubbock. Syracuse transfer Steve Linton was one of the stars of spring training, where he caused the Red Raider offense a lot of trouble by taking the passer off the rim. Last year he racked up 6.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, and given that he gained 10-15 pounds of good weight and changed positions, many expect him to be a significant passing factor this year.
Likewise, big things are expected from wide receiver Drae McRay, a Florida native and transfer from Austin Peay. The 6-foot-1 sprinter has caught 129 passes for 1,888 yards and 17 touchdowns combined over the past two years at FCS level and is now expected to bring some much-needed explosiveness to this season’s offense.
On the other hand, there are some key Red Raiders that aren’t being discussed enough. In some cases, these players are being taken for granted due to their reputation for consistency, while other players will be asked to be key contributors in new ways or for the first time in their Texas Tech football careers.
So let’s take a look at five Red Raiders we need to talk about as fall approaches. That’s because each will be a major factor in determining how this season plays out in Lubbock.
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Coming to Tech as a replacement for JUCO, the Lubbock native began his Red Raider career at receiver before moving up to running back. But last year, he was brought back into the receiving corps, where he caught 45 passes for 572 and three touchdowns.
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Now, though, it looks like he's slated to be a jack of all trades for Tech in his final college season. That's because the inside receiver position is more solidified with a healthy Myles Price set to join McRae and Tech's two big tight ends Baylor Cupp and Mason Tharpe to give offensive coordinator Zach Kittley plenty of firepower in the slot.
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Thus, many believe that White will have many moments at running back, where his versatility can be a great weapon. With Tech looking to play as fast as possible on offense, player substitutions are a way for the offense to be a little hampered. So White's ability to get back to the receiver and come back on any series could be a huge asset in those times when Kittley has a defense on his heels and wants to keep the pressure on.
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White is a player who was not a top-level recruit and has never starred in any position. But the hometown boy has proven he can be effective as both a running back and receiver, and has at times proven to be explosive, which is something this offense needs more of in 2023. So don't overlook what White can bring to the table. the table this year because he has the skill set to be a sneaky weapon for Kittley.
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Texas Tech kicker Gino Garcia (99) kicks for an extra point against Murray State, Saturday, September 3, 2022, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
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Kicker Gino Garcia has big shoes to fill
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It's not fun to talk about kickers because, especially in college, these discussions often revolve around mistakes. However, over the past two years, Tech has enjoyed great success in that position, with Jonathan Garribay and Trey Wolff combining to make 36 of 41 field goal attempts.
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Now, the onus is on Gino Garcia to continue that tradition of excellence in a position that often decides games. But is he ready for that job?
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The Richardson, Texas native missed his only field goal attempt of 2022 but went 7-7 on extra points. What's more, he's never been in the kind of high-pressure situation as a kicker that he'll face in all 12 Big 12 games.
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On the plus side, he was 32-of-46 on FG attempts during his three years with Houston Baptist (now known as Houston Christian). In fact, he was honored at every conference in 2021.
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Still, he needs to earn the trust of Texas Tech fans this fall. But for some reason, not much is said about him this offseason and that's intriguing.
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Perhaps the lack of discussion is simply because he is a kicker. Or maybe it's because there isn't a kicking competition this summer as Garcia has basically been given the job since he's the only viable option on the roster.
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Still, remember that last season, Tech won three games (against Houston, Texas and Oklahoma) in overtime, which came down to important shots at the end of regulation or overtime. Of course, the year before Tech only managed to play in one bowl game because Garibay hit a 62-yard punt as time expired to beat Iowa State to give Tech its sixth win of the season.
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Will Garcia be able to pass the clutch in a similar fashion this year? Only time will tell, but there should be more talk about whether or not this new kicker will be able to keep Tech's quality alive in that position.
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- Published on 7/15/2023 at 2:18 pm
- Last updated on 07/15/2023 at 2:18 pm
