Texas Tech football goes all-in on big bodies at receiver

The Texas Tech football program has drifted away from the days of torturing defenses with a short, slick slot receiver. Oh, the Red Raiders have continued to deploy inside receivers in three- and four-wide formations.

Not ones, however, who confounded defenses to the degree of Wes Welker, Eric Morris, Danny Amendola, Jakeem Grant, Keke Coutee, all sub-6-foot playmakers who put up prolific numbers

It’s probably not by design the Red Raiders have gotten away from that. More likely, Tech staffs just had a harder time signing the best of those types during the program’s decline in the 2010s.

The difference this year might be the most drastic. Not that Joey McGuire has anything against quick slot receivers. It’s just that the Red Raiders’ top three pass catchers are shaping to be Caleb Douglas (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), Coy Eakin (6-2, 210) and Reggie Virgil (6-3, 190) — Douglas and Eakin being returning starters, Virgil a transfer.

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The drop-off between their college production and everyone else’s dictates that all three will be starters, moving Eakin inside to facilitate that.

No traditional slot receiver? No problem. Win with size is how Tech coaches see it.

“The first group, you’re big,” McGuire said. “That’s a big group.”

Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas catches a pass during spring football practice, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, inside the Sports Performance Center.

It’s part of the inheritance offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich received when McGuire hired him in December. It’s not merely that the top three are 6-2 or taller, Leftwich observed.

“I think we have really good vertical speed,” he said, “so we can challenge people down the field. We can win…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/texas-tech-football-goes-big-025901178.html

Author : Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Publish date : 2025-03-13 02:59:00

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