Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Five Most Disappointing Players of the Kingsbury Era

By Matthew Conner

MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 07: Skyler Howard #3 of the West Virginia Mountaineers is tackled in the first half during the game against Nigel Bethel #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on November 7, 2015 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 07: Skyler Howard #3 of the West Virginia Mountaineers is tackled in the first half during the game against Nigel Bethel #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on November 7, 2015 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
TEMPE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 10: Wide receiver T.J. Vasher #86, running back Corey Dauphine #21 and wide receiver Jonathan Giles #9 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders huddle up before the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 10: Wide receiver T.J. Vasher #86, running back Corey Dauphine #21 and wide receiver Jonathan Giles #9 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders huddle up before the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 10, 2015 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

No. 2 – Corey Dauphine

Many Texas Tech fans who grew up before the “Air Raid” era still remember when the program was known for physically dominant running backs like Byron Hanspard, James Gray and Bam Morris.  That’s why 2015 signee Corey Dauphine became an obsession of the fan base from the moment he verbally pledged to come to Texas Tech.

The 4-star recruit was also a track star as one of the nation’s top sprinters despite being 6-foot-1, 180-pounds.  He had offers from a number of top programs such as Baylor, Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Houston, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Utah and Washington State.

But he signed with Texas Tech and immediately, fans began clambering to see him in action.  But they would have to wait.

In 2015, he was redshirted after failing to pick up the nuances of the offense, especially the pass blocking that Kingsbury expects of his running backs.  Then, in 2016, he played in only three games rushing twice for 25 yards and a touchdown as he fell to the bottom of the depth chart due to his continued lack of understanding of the offense.

In the middle of the season, he left the team and announced his intention to transfer, eventually landing at Tulane where he is expected to play a significant role this fall.  In the Tulane spring game, he rushed for 90 yards on six carries, including a 53-yard run.

Dauphine was supposed to be the future of the Texas Tech running game.  He was a player possessing the type of size and speed not seen in Lubbock since Hanspard in the 1990’s.

When he left, the running back position suffered, especially with the graduation of DeAndre Washington following the 2016 season.  Tech has struggled to find a true star at the position since and heading into 2018, the running back group lacks a proven all-Big 12 caliber player.

Dauphine could have been a difference-maker in the “Air Raid” offense but he was unable to carve out a role.  As a result, the running game continues to struggle and Kingsbury is still looking for his next star running back.

Home/Texas Tech Red Raiders News