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Texas Tech football: Signees that will make or break 2020 recruiting class

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: Defensive back Alex Hogan #27 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders exits the tunnel before the college football game against the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: Defensive back Alex Hogan #27 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders exits the tunnel before the college football game against the Iowa State Cyclones on October 19, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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QB Donovan Smith has to be a legitimate Big 12-caliber player

The biggest boom or bust prospect in this class is likely going to be QB Donovan Smith.  Of course, the 3-star signee from Frienship H.S. is the son of current Tech running backs coach DeAndre Smith.

What makes him such a high-risk, high-reward player is that he’s only had one season as a starting QB.  This fall, he followed his father to West Texas after the elder Smith followed Wells from Utah State to Tech.

Previously, Smith had been a starting wide receiver at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada and after getting his chance to start at QB for the Tigers in Wolfforth, he put up impressive numbers.  Throwing for 3,123 yards and 25 TDs with only eight picks while rushing for 489 yards and 13 more scores, he was the spark that ignited Frienship’s playoff run.

Making Smith so fascinating is the fact that he is an elite athlete.  At 6-foot-4, 195-pounds, he is built like a prototypical QB.

But is he capable of developing into a legitimate Big 12 caliber passer?  Only time will tell and fortunately, he shouldn’t be pressed into immediate action given that Tech has Alan Bowman set to return for at least two more years (and possibly three if he uses 2019 as a redshirt) and 2019 signee Maverick McIvor already on campus.

But remember that in each of the last two seasons, Tech has had to start three different QBs.  What’s more, neither Bowman nor McIvor has played a full season of college football because of injuries (in fact, we haven’t see McIvor take a single snap as a Red Raider after he missed all of last year with a broken foot).

Thus, Smith has to arrive this summer ready to prove he’s capable of playing QB at the collegiate level.  Even if he’s just the No. 3 QB on the roster, he will be one of only three scholarship players at his position and there’s no guarantee that he will have the luxury of easing into his college career.

What’s more, if he taps out his immense physical talents and becomes a star QB by the time his career in Lubbock is over, he will transform the way we view this class when his time at Tech is finished.  Some think that even if he flames out as a QB, he will be able to transition to receiver or maybe tight end but for the 2020 class to be one that we talk about as transformative, Smith will likely have to eventually prove to be a very good starting QB for the Red Raiders.

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