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Texas Tech football: Numerous roster changes precede start of spring practice

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warms up before the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Alan Bowman #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders warms up before the college football game against the Kansas State Wildcats on November 23, 2019 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Wide receiver Xavier Martin #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs the ball during the first half of 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: Wide receiver Xavier Martin #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders runs the ball during the first half of 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) /

Tech still trying to figure out how to get this dynamic athlete on the field

There is no bigger vagabond on the Texas Tech football roster than Xavier Martin.  Now, the 2017 QB signee is trying to work his way onto the field by moving to his third position since he arrived.

The Cibolo, Texas product was a 3-star signee out of high school but almost as soon as he arrived on campus, Kliff Kingsbury moved him from QB to inside receiver to utilize his dynamic athleticism.  However, he never seemed to take to playing in the slot the way Kingsbury had hoped and when Matt Wells took over, Martin was given the opportunity to move back to QB.

Now, he’s trying to make the transition to safety.  According to Wells, Martin’s athleticism is something that this coaching staff is trying to find a way to best utilize.

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"“I’m trying to get him on the field,” Wells told Don Williams of the Avalanche-Journal. “Very good athlete.”"

It’s been a disappointing college football experience for Martin thus far. His athleticism supposedly rivals that of any of his teammates and this is a program that desperately needs a talent infusion at almost any position on the field.

However, Martin has never been able to break through and claim a key role or even crack the two-deep rotation.  And it could be argued that taking him as the 2017 QB was one of the moves that ultimately led to Kingsbury’s demise.

Remember, in Kingsbury’s final season (2018), the program suffered unprecedented misfortune at the QB spot with Alan Bowman, Jett Duffey, and McLane Carter all missing starts due to injury.  That could have been a year when the 2017 QB signee could have been a savior but because Martin proved to be incapable of being a college QB almost as soon as he unpacked his belongings in Lubbock, Carter was signed out of the JUCO ranks in that same class and he too was not a player that could compete in the Big 12 leaving Tech woefully short of talent in 2018 at the game’s most important position.

Next. The all-decade secondary. dark

You’ll have to forgive Tech fans for being skeptical about ever seeing Xavier Martin be a significant component of this program after hearing about him for three years but never seeing him make an impact on Saturdays.  But perhaps the junior can finally find his home at safety and allow us to see the athleticism that we’ve only heard about thus far.

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