Texas Tech football: Where will big plays come from in 2018?

After mass departures from the 2017 offense, the Texas Tech football team opens the season uncertain of where it will find big plays.

Big plays and Texas Tech has long been synonymous. Throughout the “Air Raid” era, the Red Raiders have made a living on scoring drives of five plays or less which often take less than two minutes off the clock.

But heading into 2018, there is uncertainty about whether Kliff Kingsbury’s re-tooled offense will be as explosive as previous incarnations of the “Air Raid”. That is because Texas Tech is replacing its starting quarterback, three starting receivers and its leading rusher from last year.

The 2017 offense accounted for 73 plays of at least 20 yards (tied with Oregon for 28th most in the nation). Of those 73 plays, 59 came through the air.

But almost all of the players responsible for those big passing plays are no longer on the roster. The biggest loss is Keke Coutee, who is now in the NFL with the Houston Texans.

Coutee finished 5th in the nation with 22 plays of at least 20 yards in 2017. Additionally, Coutee had twelve 30-yard, nine 40-yard and six 50-yard plays. Overall, he averaged an impressive 14.7 yards every time he touched the ball (including a 95-yard kickoff return touchdown against Baylor).

Not to be forgotten is the work of wide receiver Dylan Cantrell, who is now in training camp with the San Diego Chargers. Last year, the senior was 46th in the nation with 35 plays of at least 10 yards among which ten covered at least 20 yards.

And in the running game, Tech also lost it’s most explosive player in Justin Stockton. Last year’s leading rusher averaged 6.0 yards-per-carry and 8.7 yards per reception. Stockton was a weapon on draw plays and screen passes on which he routinely broke into the open-field for huge gains.

The good news for the Red Raiders is that there appears to be plenty of players on the current roster with the ability to be big-play weapons. That list begins with the team’s only proven play-maker, T.J. Vasher.

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As a redshirt freshman, Vasher led the Red Raiders with an average of 18.8 yards per reception in 2017. The only reason that Vasher was not among the nation’s leaders in big plays was the fact that he did not become a starter until the middle of the season.

But once he was inserted into the offense, Vasher quickly became Tech’s second-most dangerous big play option behind Coutee. This year, it will be interesting to see if Vasher will be able to continue with that type of production given the fact that he will be the focal point of opposing defensive coordinators this fall.

Aside from Vasher, there is no clear-cut candidate to provide explosive plays on a regular basis. Players such as Antoine Wesley, Ja’Deion High and Zach Austin (who are all expected to be significant contributors, if not starters) have proven to be less explosive and look more like possession receivers.

Look for two inside receivers to be potential big-play threats along with Vasher. Senior De’Quan Bowman and junior Seth Collins (a transfer from Oregon State) have the speed to beat defenses deep or take short passes and turn them into huge gains.

In the running game, a true freshman might be the replacement for Stockton. Ta’Zhawn Henry, a Houston product, is expected to be Texas Tech’s most explosive running back. The 5-foot-7 Henry is a player that Texas Tech will try to get the ball to in space similar to how Stockton was used.

Henry’s high school highlight tape is an impressive collection of huge plays and that is what Kliff Kingsbury will look for him to add to the Red Raider offense this year. Henry is only 170-pounds which might limit his role in the offense as he may not be big enough to be a reliable pass blocker.

Additionally, Henry could be a candidate to return kickoffs and even some punts this year. But be certain that the Red Raiders will want to get this explosive newcomer involved.

While Texas Tech will continue to look for big plays on offense, fans should expect the “Air Raid” to be more deliberate than in the past. If, as expected, Kingsbury relies more heavily on the legs of veteran running backs Da’Leon Ward and Tre King, neither of which possess game-breaking speed, Tech will have fewer big plays than in the past, especially through the air and that will be by design.

What’s more, Tech will likely continue to see more of the extreme “cloud” zone defenses that teams implored with regularity last year to slow the Tech offense. Should that trend continue, look for Kingsbury to ride his running game more heavily than ever.

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Still, there will be a need for the Red Raiders to threaten opposing defenses down field. For that to happen, some previously un-proven players will have to come through in a big way.

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