Texas Tech football: Five underrated players from the Kingsbury era
WR Dylan Cantrell was one of the most sure-handed Red Raiders of the last 20 years
We often fall in love with the dynamic wide receiver who is a home-run threat every time he touches the ball. However, those that move the chains can be just as important to an offense.
That later applies to Dylan Cantrell who from 2013-17 caught 158 passes for 1,873 yards and 18 touchdowns. Every year (aside from the 2015 season he missed with an injury), Cantrell improved statistically ending up with 71 receptions for 816 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior.
What also made the Whitehouse, Texas native valuable was his ability to play across the formation as he saw time at both outside receiver positions as well as playing in the slot some. He was also strong when it came to the intangibles of playing the position.
Most notably was his willingness and ability to be a devastating downfield blocker. At 6-foot-3, 220-pounds, he was such a physical blocker that he was once flagged for blocking too aggressively in a game at Kansas State. The story goes that the referee told Kliff Kingsbury that Cantrell was not guilty of breaking any rule other than being too physical with the defender he was engaged with.
But what he was most known for were his reliable hands. In fact, it is hard to remember a more sure-handed receiver in the modern era of Texas Tech football.
Cantrell’s best game as a Red Raider came in 2017 against Arizona State. And despite the fact that he had a career-high 160 yards and two receiving touchdowns that night, ironically it was a 3-yard TD run off of a fly sweep late in the 4th quarter that provided the Red Raiders’ winning score and was the defining play of his career.
Cantrell was never a star. He was never awarded any All-Big honors other than honorable-mention recognition as a senior. Still, he was the type of steady and dependable player that teams need and he would be a great addition to the upcoming version of the Red Raiders.