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Texas Tech football: 5 greats we wish we could add to 2019 offense

By Matthew Conner

26 Oct 1996: Running back Byron Hanspard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders moves the ball during a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Lyons Field in College Station, Texas. Texas Tech won the game, 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport
26 Oct 1996: Running back Byron Hanspard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders moves the ball during a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Lyons Field in College Station, Texas. Texas Tech won the game, 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Dunn /Allsport /
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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

WR Michael Crabtree

We will start with the most obvious choice, Michael Crabtree.  There’s no doubt that the best wide receiver in program history would make every version of Red Raider football better but his presence would help the 2019 team more than most Tech offenses.

To put into perspective just how much he could help this year’, consider that every returning player that caught a pass last year combined for just over 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns.

In 2007 alone, Crabtree had 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns, and in his senior season, he had 1,165 yards and 19 more scores to put him atop the program’s all-time receiving yardage and touchdowns list despite playing only two years.

He is now second all-time to Jakeem Grant in receiving yards but it took Grant 23 more games to put up 159 more career yards.  To put it another way, Crabtree averaged 120.2 yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game while Grant averaged 67 yards and 0.5 touchdowns in his career.

Of course, Crabtree is not the only former Tech wide receiver that could help this year’s offense.  Current Texas Tech WR coach Joel Filani would be a great fit as would Jarrett Hicks or Eric Ward.

But given that the Vahser is the only 2019 receiver to have proven himself at the Big 12 level and the candidates to start opposite him (Collins and Erik Ezukanma) had just 365 combined yards last year, adding a proven receiver to this year’s team would be a logical decision.  And no receiver in the history of the Big 12 has been better than Michael Crabtree.

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