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Texas Tech football: Players that saw their stock rise the most in 2019

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 16: Defensive back Douglas Coleman IIII #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders enters the field before the college football game against the TCU Horned Frogs on November 16, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 16: Defensive back Douglas Coleman IIII #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders enters the field before the college football game against the TCU Horned Frogs on November 16, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 16: Nose guard Jaylon Hutchings #95 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders pumps up the crowd during the first half of the college football game against the TCU Horned Frogs on November 16, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 16: Nose guard Jaylon Hutchings #95 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders pumps up the crowd during the first half of the college football game against the TCU Horned Frogs on November 16, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

DT Jaylon Hutchings has become the man in the middle of the defense

Defensive tackles don’t get as much love from fans as they should.  Engaged in hand-to-hand warfare on a play-by-play basis, they are hard to notice but when they don’t perform well, the rest of the defense suffers mightily.

While the Red Raider defense was one that suffered mightily in 2019, it wasn’t due to poor play by DT Jaylon Hutchings.  In fact, by the end of the year, he had taken over as the team’s starting tackle, a nice accomplishment for a redshirt freshman.

The 6-foot, 295-pounder from Forney, Texas arrived on campus without any fanfare.  In the class of 2018, he was just the No. 270 player in Texas and the No. 128 defensive tackle in the nation.  What’s more, his only other Power 5 offer came from Kansas State.

After redshirting in 2018 after playing in three games, he started the year behind Nick McCann on the depth chart.  But by the time Big 12 play arrived, McCann was battling injuries and Hutchings was thrust into a more significant role.

Starting the final ten games of the year, he was able to amass 27 tackles (18 solo).  Only Broderick Washington had more along the defensive line.

He also had 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles per loss.  And who could forget that he was Tech’s go-to on fake punts as twice Tech snapped the ball to him in the backfield?

Look for Hutchings and McCann to both split time this year at DT and for this defense to play well, they have to both stay healthy.  As we saw a year ago, having just one viable option at any defensive line position is a recipe for failure.

Hutchings enters this year as one of the most proven commodities on the Red Raider defense and he joins Eli Howard as the players we feel best about along the defensive front.  If Tech is going to make strides on that side of the ball in year-two of the Wells era, Hutchings will have a huge role to play and that’s not something anyone was expecting from him at this time a year ago.

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