Texas Tech football: Five boom or bust players in 2020

Adrian Frye

Adrian Frye is returning to his home at corner after a horrendous season at safety in 2019.  If he can regain his status as one of the Big 12’s most opportunistic corners, he could help one of the nation’s most beleaguered secondaries take a step towards respectability this fall.  If he doesn’t, the Red Raiders will once again be searching for answers at a position in which no team wants to be vulnerable in the Big 12.

In fairness, much of Frye’s struggles last fall were a result of injury woes.  But he also failed to adapt to life as a safety where coverage often requires more of a change of pace to come up and meet receivers as they run in full stride rather than running with them from the snap.

The latter was something he was rather skilled at in 2018 when he led Tech with 5 interceptions and 13 pass breakups as a redshirt freshman.  His INT total was the most by a Red Raider freshman since 1989.

In other words, Frye was on his way to being a fantastic corner.  Thus, Patterson’s decision to move him to safety seemed rather odd.

Now, he’s back where he belongs to pair with senior and former Penn State transfer Zech McPhearson to give Tech a pair of veteran starting corners.  They will team with DaMarcus Fields, who will be the “spur” corner playing in the slot, and the hope is that trio will be more equipped to handle the aerial assault of Big 12 offenses.

If Frye continues to struggle, he could be replaced by true sophomore Alex Hogan, who got his baptism by fire last fall and came out the other side looking the part of a player who will eventually be a fixture in the defensive backfield.

But Tech needs the junior Frye to be closer to the player he was two seasons ago than the one we say make last year’s ill-fated attempt at moving positions.  It truly feels like a make-or-break season for Frye.