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Texas Tech football: 4 players Red Raiders can’t lose this season

By Matthew Conner

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 24: T.J. Vasher #9 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders catches a pass for a touchdown defended by Davante Davis #18 of the Texas Longhorns in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 24: T.J. Vasher #9 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders catches a pass for a touchdown defended by Davante Davis #18 of the Texas Longhorns in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

WR – T.J. Vasher

Normally, one might think of Texas Tech football and assume that there are all-conference caliber receivers falling out of the trees around Jones Stadium.  That is not necessarily the case this year.

That’s because Tech’s current receiving corps is heavily stocked with young and unproven players.  That puts a tremendous amount of responsibility on junior outside receiver T.J. Vasher to not only step up his productivity but to also stay healthy.

Vasher is Tech’s most proven pass-catcher having caught 85 passes for 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns.  Last year, he was third on the team in receiving yards with 687 to go along with seven touchdowns.

But this season, he will have to be an even bigger part of the offense and finally realize the all-conference potential that he has flashed at times.  If he can be a consistent weapon in the passing game and make the routine plays with the same consistency that he makes the spectacular, he will be a true weapon for Alan Bowman and one of the top receivers in the Big 12.

Vasher also has to stay healthy because behind him, there are not any proven options.  Assuming that senior Seth Collins (who had 548 career receiving yards playing outside receiver at Oregon St. before moving inside last year for the Red Raiders where he racked up 317 yards and two touchdowns) and redshirt freshman Erik Ezukanma will be splitting time at the other outside receiver position, should Vasher go down, Tech would have to find some answers in a very green talent pool.

If Tech didn’t move either Collins or Ezukanma to Vasher’s spot, the first player to get a shot would likely be redshirt freshman Myllar Royals from Abliene, who did not make a catch last year in three appearances.  The other options might be 6-foot-1 redshirt freshmen Caden Leggett or 5-foot-11 sophomore Dalton Rigdon, both of whom are nowhere near the physical specimen that Vasher is and who have a combined four career receptions.

Any way you break it down, T.J. Vasher has to be on the field for the Red Raiders this year.  If he is forced to miss significant time, an unusually thin wide receiver group will be put under considerable strain as some young players will have to grow up in a hurry.

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