Texas Tech football: The incredible miss rate of Tech’s top 10 all-time recruits

No. 7: Johnnie Mack

A JUCO bust is the No. 7 all-time recruit in Tech history.  From 2003-04 Johnnie Mack was a running back and kick returner for the Red Raiders and though he had a couple of big kickoff returns, he never showed much as a real offensive difference-maker.

Carrying that ball 99 times for 635 yards and 9 touchdowns while pulling in 52 passes for 419 yards and 4 scores, he was primarily a backup for Taurean Henderson, one of the best to ever play RB at Tech.  Being a career backup is not what is expected of a 4-star recruit.

Mack was the highest-rated recruit in Tech’s 2002 class.  But there were some truly memorable Red Raiders in that class that outshined him by the time they left Lubbock.

Receivers Joel Filani and Jarrett Hicks are among the top-10 pass catchers to ever put on the Double-T.  Vincent Meeks turned into a fantastic safety while both Glen January and Manny Ramirez became dominant offensive linemen.

But the 5-foot-7 Mack never lived up to his billing.  However, his failures didn’t hurt as much as others on this list because while he was on campus, Tech already had Henderson and Shannon Woods on the roster.

Still, when the No. 7 player to ever sign with your program proves to be nothing but a situational backup, it’s less than what was envisioned when he signed with the program.  Unfortunately, that is what Mack’s legacy as a Red Raider will be.