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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 Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

TE – Travis Koontz

If new offensive coordinator David Yost is going to be able to fully implement his offensive scheme, new Red Raider tight end Travis Koontz is going to have to play a huge role.  As the only true veteran tight end on the roster, the JUCO transfer would be nearly impossible to replace should he suffer an injury.

Yost will deploy his tight end in a variety of ways in both the passing and running game.  That will be a significant change for a program that has not utilized a true tight end since the end of the Spike Dykes era.

This won’t be the same type of “tight end” that Jace Amaro played for the Red Raiders from 2011-13 where he was essentially an over-sized slot receiver who spent 90% of his time running routes.  In fact, last year’s Utah State tight end Dax Raymond caught only 27 passes for 345 yards.

Yost is going to ask his tight end to be a battering ram that can keep defenses honest by being capable of making plays in the passing game.  And at 6-foot-5, 250-pounds, Koontz appears to be the perfect blend of size and athleticism to fit Yost’s scheme.

The No. 2 rated JUCO tight end in the nation last year is the only player on the roster capable of fulfilling all the tasks that will be asked of the tight ends in this year’s offense.  Behind him, there are no solid options on the depth chart.

This year, Tech did sign a true tight end in Magnolia, TX 3-star product Simon Gonzalez.  Interestingly, he was originally recruited by the Kingsbury staff, which did not utilize tight ends hardly at all.

Gonzalez was rated the No. 51 tight end in the nation by 247Sports and he held offers from the likes of Arizona, Arizona State, Virginia Tech and Boise State.  But he is just 222 pounds which would make it tough for him to be an effective blocker the way Koontz is expected to be.

Should Tech have to play without Koontz, the offense would lose some of its versatility because Yost would likely have to rely on Gonzalez or another player as a pass-catcher and turn to bigger players to block, which would be tipping his hand.

The four players on the roster other than Koontz listed as tight ends, Donta Thompson, Tyler Carr,  Mason McHorse and Gonzalez have a combined five career receptions proving just how suspect this position is for the Red Raiders.  Though Koontz is yet to play a snap as a Red Raider, it is not difficult to see how critical he will be for the team this season as he is the only somewhat proven tight end commodity on the roster.

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