Texas Tech football: 5 best offensive players Red Raiders face in 2019
Just missed the cut
It is tough to trim this list down to just five players. Some really dangerous weapons just missed the cut starting with a couple of top quarterbacks.
OU grad transfer Jalen Hurts is thought by many to be a Heisman candidate after helping Alabama reach the national title game in each of the last three years, winning the title as the starting QB in 2017 following his true freshman season.
But the last time we saw Hurts as a starter, he was pulled from the 2018 National Title Game in favor of true freshman Tua Tagovailoa. And there are questions about just how good of a passer he is.
It will be fascinating to see how he develops in that regard under Riley, who has never had to take a run-first transfer and mold him into the type of passer that can execute his offense at its most efficient level. Certainly, Hurts is not anywhere in the neighborhood of Murray or Mayfield as a passer and the fate of OU’s season will largely depend on the accuracy of his right arm.
But there’s reason to believe Riley will get the absolute most out of him. Still, until he proves to be able to win games with his arm, it is hard to just assume he will be one of the top players on Tech’s schedule this year.
Another QB set to face the Red Raiders this year that is somewhat of a wildcard is Arizona’s Khalil Tate. After a great 2017 that saw him complete 62.0% of his passes, he regressed in that area as a junior as his completion percentage dropped to 56%.
What’s more, the dual-threat QB saw his production with his legs drop from 1,411 yards and 12 touchdowns two years ago to just 224 yards and two touchdowns last year in the first season under new head coach Kevin Sumlin. Still, he is one of the most dangerous players in the PAC 12 and will be a handful for Tech’s defense in week-three.
Next, there is TCU inside receiver Jalen Reagor. After 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns last year, the junior is considered by some to be the most dangerous receiver in the Big 12. But the uncertainty surrounding TCU’s QB position was enough to keep the son of former Texas Tech great Montae Reagor off this list.
ISU sophomore QB Brock Purdy was a consideration after throwing for 2,250 yards and 16 touchdowns last year. But I want to see how he handles the loss of All-Conference wide receiver Hakeem Butler and star running back David Montgomery before anointing his head with oil.
OU receiver CeeDee Lamb could also be on this list after going for 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns last year. But let’s see if his productivity remains the same with Kyler Murray, one of the best passers college football has ever seen, now plying his craft in the NFL.
There’s no reason to think that these three players are not elite talents and any of them could be players that make Texas Tech’s defense look silly. When the Wildcats, Sooners, Cyclones, Wildcats, and Frogs show up on the schedule, keep an eye on how the Red Raiders are able to stand up against these dangerous weapons.