Texas Tech football: What we learned in week one win over Montana State
Texas Tech’s inside receiver position will be just fine
Wes Welker, Danny Amendola, Keke Coutee, Jakeem Grant…the list of legendary slot receivers at Tech is impressive. But coming into this season, many were concerned about the production at the “Y” position after 2018 starter Ja’Deion High graduated and returning senior Seth Collins suffered an injury that has kept him out for all of fall camp and at least the first game of the season (but likely far more).
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But if week-one is any indication, there’s no reason to worry about what Tech will be rolling with in the slot this year. Saturday, the trio of Xavier White, McLane Mannix, and Dalton Rigdon combined for 15 receptions, 210 yards, and two touchdowns.
White led the team with 107 yards, including a 45-yard TD. He nearly had another TD but fumbled at the two-yard-line as he attempted to break a tackle.
Meanwhile, Rigdon was tied with T.J. Vasher for the team lead in receptions with 6. And the sophomore from Perryton was featured on Tech’s first drive of the game catching four passes in the 11-play series.
Of the 436 yards Bowman threw for, 48% went to the “Y” position, including his three longest passes of the day (Two to White and one to Mannix). That has to be comforting for those wondering if there was enough talent in the slot to continue the trend of making the “Y” position a hallmark of the Red Raider offense.
We all assumed that Mannix would be able to contribute. He had over 1,600 yards in his two years at Nevada and was named a freshman All-American in 2017.
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But we were not expecting Rigdon and White to become as integral as they appear to have made themselves. Though none of these “Y” receivers are likely to make us forget Welker or Amendola, all three of these West Texas products look ready to provide the type of explosive production that we’ve come to expect from the Red Raider inside receivers.