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Texas Tech football: The most disappointing JUCO signees in Tech history

By Matthew Conner

LAWRENCE, KS - OCTOBER 7: A Texas Tech Red Raiders helmet rest on the field during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
LAWRENCE, KS - OCTOBER 7: A Texas Tech Red Raiders helmet rest on the field during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Memorial Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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General view of AT & T Jones Stadium. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
General view of AT & T Jones Stadium. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

WR Javon Bell

The second-highest-rated JUCO prospect Tech ever signed according to 247Sports’ rankings was Javon Bell back in 2012.  Unfortunatley, he might also go down that the biggest JUCO flameout in Tech history.

The 6-foot, 170-pound prospect from Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. was a 4-star player coming out of the JUCO ranks and he is the No. 14 all-time recruit to ever sign with Tech.   In fact, to land him the Red Raiders had to beat out South Carolina and legendary head coach Steve Spurrier.

When Bell did arrive, he was not able to live up to the expectations though.  In his debut season, he caught just 17 passes for 269 yards and a TD while appearing in just four games.  Unfortunatley, his 2012 season was cut short by a mid-season broken foot and that seemed to be the beginning of the end for him as a Red Raider.

In 2013, new coach Kliff Kingsbury arrived and though many may not remember this fact, he actually proved to be a pretty hard-line authority figure when it came to academics and off-field expectations.  That didn’t bode well for Bell.

In spring practice 2013, he was held out for academic reasons.  That meant that he fell behind both Bradley Marquez and Reginald Davis on the depth chart and that summer, he left the program for good.

Though both were significant contributors in their careers, neither Marquez nor Davis ever proved to be a true lead receiver for the Red Raiders.  And in 2013, Tech did not have a 1,000-yard receiver at the outside receiver spot (though Eric Williams was close with 947 yards).

For what it’s worth, Marquez finished that year with 633 yards and six TDs, numbers that were decent but not elite.  And Elite was what Bell was expected to be when he signed with Texas Tech but because of an injury and poor academics, he never became what his talent suggested he could have been.

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