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Texas Tech football: Positions that might take a step back in 2019

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 10: Antoine Wesley #4 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders makes the catch against Kris Boyd #2 of the Texas Longhorns during the 2nd half of the game on November 10, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas defeated Texas Tech 41-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 10: Antoine Wesley #4 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders makes the catch against Kris Boyd #2 of the Texas Longhorns during the 2nd half of the game on November 10, 2018 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas defeated Texas Tech 41-34. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

After losing some key contributors this offseason, the Texas Tech football team might see these position groups take a step back in 2019.

One of the few negative aspects of college athletics is that our favorite players don’t stick around too long.  Unlike in professional sports where payers can spend a decade or more with one franchise, in college, we get to see our favorite players represent our school for at most four years.  And in 2018, the Texas Tech football program had to say goodbye to some beloved Red Raiders.

Middle linebacker Dakota Allen is one of the most inspiring Red Raiders of the past decade as he went from an All-Conference selection as a freshman to kicked off the team to Last Chance U and back to Lubbock in a career that seems straight out of a made for television movie.  And after recording 249 career tackles, his presence and leadership will be missed in the middle of the defense.  But with Jordyn Brooks and Riko Jeffers in place to anchor the linebacking corps, Tech should still be solid at the position.

Another popular Red Raider that exhausted his eligibility last fall was Jah’Shawn Johnson.  Starting 45 games in his college career, Johnson finished with 312 tackles and six interceptions earning multiple All-Conference honors in his career.

And while Johnson has seemingly been an integral part of the Texas tech football program forever, 2018’s leading receiver Antoine Wesley was someone we hardly got to know.  Heading to the NFL after a junior season in which he put up the third-most yards in program history (1,410) Wesley never had a chance to become a truly beloved Red Raider, playing a staring role for only one season, but he gave us plenty of spectacular plays to remember him by in 2018.

Though Tech didn’t suffer massive losses in terms of the volume of players that departed this offseason, many of the players that are not returning made significant impacts on the field last fall. As a result, the following position groups could take a step backwards in 2019.

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