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Texas Tech football: Players that need a strong spring

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: The sun sets to the southwest behind Jones AT&T Stadium before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: The sun sets to the southwest behind Jones AT&T Stadium before the college football game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 24: Wide receiver T.J. Vasher #9 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX – NOVEMBER 24: Wide receiver T.J. Vasher #9 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

WR T.J. Vasher has one last chance to maximize his potential

There might not be a more frustrating player in the recent history of Texas Tech football than senior WR T.J. Vasher.  After spending the last three years tantalizing us with jaw-dropping circus catches while infuriating us by failing to consistently make the routine plays, the former 4-star signee has not ever broken out the way we have been anticipating.

The Wichita Falls native had career-highs of 687 yards, 54 catches, and seven touchdowns in 2018 but followed that up with a career-low of 515 yards last fall.  That was due in part to the fact that he was suspended for two games late in the season for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Now, he enters the most important spring of his Red Raider career.  That’s because there simply are no other proven options behind him on the roster.

That was not the case in 2019 thanks to the addition of grad transfer R.J. Turner.  The former Louisiana-Monroe standout led Tech with 54 receptions last year and was second to Erik Ezukanma with 654 yards while scoring three touchdowns and by the second half of the season, he had taken over the starting job from Vasher.

Such a fall-back option is not currently on this roster should Vasher prove once again to be untrustworthy.  However, there will be some new blood that might push Vasher for playing time.

In fact, the top two signees in the 2020 class are wide receivers.  That includes 4-star Loic Fouonji from Midland and 3-star Ja’Lynn Polk from Lufkin.

While both are exciting prospects, Tech needs Vasher to be the type of player that he should be given his physical tools.  That’s because true freshman receivers rarely make the type of impact that a three-year starter should make.

But Vasher enters this spring on somewhat shaky footing given that he finished 2019 in the dog house.  If he doesn’t do enough to rehabilitate his reputation with his coaches and prove capable of being a productive player this spring, Tech will likely once again be in the hunt for another grad transfer receiver to compete for his starting spot come fall camp.

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