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Texas Tech football: Ranking our confidence in each offensive position group

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 16: Quarterback Jett Duffey #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders hands the ball to running back Ta'Zhawn Henry #26 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: Quarterback Jett Duffey #7 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders hands the ball to running back Ta'Zhawn Henry #26 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) /
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SaRodorick Thompson #28 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
SaRodorick Thompson #28 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

The running backs are dangerously thin but extremely talented

Another position walking the razor’s edge when it comes to depth is running back.  But they still rank in the middle of our list because of the talent that group will have.  Thus, I give them a confidence scale of 6 out of 10.

If there is one player on the offense that looks to be a future star in the making, it would be SaRodorick Thompson.  Just a sophomore, he is Tech’s most certain proposition from a skill-possession standpoint after he ran for 765 yards and 12 TDs last year, his first season as a starter after he redshirted in 2018.

But he has to be supported by others because RB is a position that takes a pounding like no other.  That’s where the uncertainty creeps in at this position.  Fortunately, there are some intriguing options.

Tahj Brooks, a 3-star 2020 signee, may remind some fans of former Red Raider Kenny Williams in his running style.  At 5-foot-9, 212-pounds, he’s already got the size to compete and that’s exactly what he is going to have to do this fall.

Meanwhile, there’s a chance that Alabama transfer Chadarius Townsend will be a great change-of-pace option for Tech thanks to his speed.  But he’s never played the position full-time as he will this year after playing WR and DB in addition to RB for the Tide.  Thus, we can’t be certain what he will bring to the table.

We learned last year that three RBs aren’t always enough as that’s what Tech entered 2019 with and by November, Thompson was the only one capable of answering the bell.  This year, this trio has to stay healthy for Tech to accomplish what OC David Yost envisions and the numbers are the only question I have about this group.  Therefore, they are No. 3 on my list of position groups that I’m confident in.

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