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

DB – Zech McPhearson, Penn State

When Texas tech fans took a glance at the high school recruiting profile of new Red Raider defensive back Zech McPhearson upon learning that the former Penn State Nittany Lion had decided to transfer to Texas Tech, they were quite impressed.  A 4-star recruit in 2014, the Maryland native held offers from Alabama, Clemson, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin out of high school.

But in two seasons at Penn State (he redshirted as a freshman meaning he has two years eligibility remaining), he mainly saw action only on special teams.  Thus far in his career, he has made just eleven tackles while being credited with three pass defenses.

https://twitter.com/ZMcphearson/status/1118179381208408064

And given that the defensive backfield in Happy Valley is annually populated by a new wave of high-profile recruits, it made sense for him to explore his options elsewhere.  Now, one must wonder if he will be able to carve a niche for himself in a Red Raider defensive backfield that is returning quite a bit of talent.

2018 All-Big 12 corner Adrian Frye is coming off a 5-interception season while Damarcus Fields returns after a sophomore campaign that saw him rank second on the team with eleven pass breakups.  Additionally, Douglas Coleman (who was specifically mentioned by his coaches as a player who stood out this spring) looks to have a strong senior campaign after starting six gams last year.  That’s not to mention Des Smith who started eight games in 2018.

But despite the talent of the individual pieces on the roster, the Red Raider pass defense ranked second-to-last in the nation last year allowing over 280 yards per game through the air.  And in the Big 12 there is always a need for waves of defensive backs.  Hopefully in Lubbock, McPhearson can finally live up to the hype that surrounded him in 2016 when he was one of the most coveted recruits in the nation.