Texas Tech football: Former Red Raiders that would be perfect fit on 2020 team

DALLAS - JANUARY 02: Brandon Carter #76 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders before play against the Mississippi Rebels during the AT&T Cotton Bowl on January 2, 2009 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS - JANUARY 02: Brandon Carter #76 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders before play against the Mississippi Rebels during the AT&T Cotton Bowl on January 2, 2009 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Detron Lewis #17 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Detron Lewis #17 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

WR Detron Lewis could help at both inside or outside receiver

One aspect missing from last season’s receiving corps was consistency.  So why not bring in a player who has three-straight 800-yard seasons in his career?  That’s what Tech would get if Detron lewis could be added to this year’s team.

For his career, the College Station product caught 238 passes for 2,729 yards and 18 touchdowns.  And one reason he would be a great fit for the 2020 team is that he played both in the slot and at outside receiver during his time in Lubbock.

He began as an inside receiver and put up a career-high 913 yards to go along with three scores from the slot in 2008.  He then moved outside when Michael Crabtree left for the NFL and had a pair of 800-yard seasons while catching six scores in both.

That versatility could be highly-beneficial for this year’s team given how the current receiving corp is constructed.  On the surface, it appears that the outside receiver positions can be manned adequately by senior T.J. Vasher and sophomore Erik Ezukanma.  But given that Vasher was suspended for two games last season and Ezukanma has fewer than ten career starts, another accomplished outside receiver like Lewis would be great to have around.

But in the slot is where Lewis would be needed most in 2020.  Tech lacks a proven play-maker on the inside and received only decent production from the 2019 slot receivers.

There seem to be some intriguing possibilities in the slot this year, especially 2019 JUCO transfer Xavier White and Kesean Carter, who likely moves into the slot after putting up a career-high 150 yards in his first career start inside against Texas in last year’s season finale.

Still, Lewis would be the type of security blanket that Alan Bowman would love to have in the slot because he was a dependable target during his time as a Red Raider.  That’s something we have yet to see any of the current receivers prove capable of being.