Texas Tech Football: Five New Faces To Know For 2018

WR Erik Ezukanma

The next star Texas Tech wide receiver could hail from the back yard of one of the program’s top rivals.  Ft. Worth native Erik Ezukanma, a 4-star 2018 signee has the size (6-foot-3, 180-pounds), hands and explosiveness to become a star in the Air Raid offense.

The opportunity for Ezukanma to play immediately was only enhanced by this summer’s dismissal of former wide receiver Quan Shorts who was expected to be a starter this fall.  But now, Tech may have to turn to its highly-regarded group of 2018 high school wide receiver signees to fill Shorts’ spot.

Ezukanma posted 2, 471 career receiving yards and 32 touchdowns during his high school career.  The No. 52 receiver in the nation in the 2018 class, Ezukanma was one of the most highly-coveted prospects in Texas.

Wide receivers coach Emmett Jones thinks that Ezukanma and fellow true freshman Corey Fulcher from Lake Highlands, Texas, are big play threats.

"“They’re solid with the ball in their hands after the catch,” Jones told the Avalanche-Journal. “You can’t even consider those guys as possession-type wideouts. I see those guys catching a 1-yard screen and can turn that 1-yard catch into a 50-yard gain. They have a different skill set than we’ve seen in the past with the outside receivers.”"

It is also likely that Texas Tech fans will see true freshmen receivers Myllar Royals of Abilene and Kisean Carter of Houston and redshirt freshman Dalton Rigdon from Perryton on the field in some form this year.  But none are slated to play at positions where there is as much of a need as there is at the “X” receiver spot opposite Vasher where no starter has taken command of the job.

Do not be surprised to see a true freshman get the nod from week-one.  If that is what happens, Ezukanma is the most likely to develop into a star this fall.