Texas Tech football: Matt Wells tries to bridge roster gap with grad transfers

RB – Armand Shyne; Utah

If there is a position of concern on the offense, it would be running back where the recent suspension of Da’Leon Ward has left the team razor-thin.  Ward and Taz’Hawn Henry both ran for 341 yards last season to lead all Red Raider running backs in what proved to be a paltry ground attack.

With Ward’s status in serious doubt, Tech has added grad transfer Armand Shyne, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back originally from Oakland, California.  In three seasons at Utah, Shyne ran for 885 yards and nine touchdowns on 198 carries (4.5 yards per carry).  His 2018 total of 512 yards would have led all Texas Tech rushers despite the fact that Shyne was the second-string running back for the Utes.

https://twitter.com/TexasTechFB/status/1118589073608925190

In 19 career games, Shyne has two 100-yard games and two 90-yard performances.  His best game thus far is last fall’s 176-yard outburst against Oregon in which he averaged 6.7 yards per carry.

Following last year, Tech lost Demarcus Felton and Tre King to graduation meaning that if Ward does not return, the only returning running backs with any collegiate carries will be Henry and redshirt freshman SaRodorick Thompson (who saw action in only three games last year).  Thus, Shyne will likely have a tremendous opportunity to earn significant playing time.

What’s more, Tech did not sign a scholarship running back in the 2019 class, which is a problem given that Yost will run the ball far more heavily this year than Red Raider fans are accustomed to. Last year, Yost gave his running backs 100 more carries than Kingsbury gave his meaning there will be plenty of touches available this fall and Armand Shyne figures to receive his share.