Texas Tech football: SaRodorick Thompson arrested for street racing

Monday, the Texas Tech football team’s leading rusher, SaRodorick Thomspon, was arrested on charges connecting to a street racing incident from this summer.

The last thing Matt Wells and the Texas Tech football team needed on the week that Big 12 play begins was the arrest of a key player.  Unfortunately, that’s what transpired on Monday when sophomore RB SaRodorick Thompson was arrested on charges of street racing. 

Facing a Class B misdemeanor count for an incident that took place in June, Thomson’s status for Saturday’s Big 12 opener against Texas is now in question.  That’s obviously less than ideal for a Red Raider team that is already set to enter that contest as more than a two-touchdown underdog.

Back on June 27th, backup Texas Tech receiver Caden Leggett was arrested on charges of racing on the highway.  At the time, news reports said that another Texas Tech football player was believed to have been involved but that player’s identity was not made known.

"According to a July 2nd report from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, “A Lubbock police patrol officer saw three vehicles speeding northbound about 2:40 a.m. in the 10000 block of Indiana Avenue and began chasing the vehicles.“’I had to travel at a high rate of speed in order to attempt to catch up to the vehicles,’ the officer wrote in his report.“The officer caught up to the three vehicles — a dark colored Dodge Challenger, a white Ford Mustang and another white vehicle — at a red light in the intersection of 82nd Street and Indiana Avenue. However, the vehicles sped away again when the light turned green, the report states.The officer activated his lights and sirens to get the three vehicles to stop.“The officer pulled along side the Challenger and motioned and yelled at the driver to pull over. The officer believed the driver of the Challenger saw him and pulled behind the Mustang to stop the driver.“The driver of the Mustang pulled over in the 3300 block of 76th Street. However, the driver of the Challenger and third vehicle continued driving, the report states.”More from Wreck'Em RedTexas Tech football: Red Raider fans need to know about these MountaineersTexas Tech football: Red Raiders land first commit for class of 2025Texas Tech football: Why have the Red Raiders struggled on the road under McGuire?Texas Tech football: Why the Red Raiders can compete for a Big 12 titleTexas Tech football: Plenty of questions remain as conference play arrives"

Now the identity of one of the other drivers has been released and it is a player that we know offensive coordinator David Yost planned on utilizing heavily this season.

In the season-opener against Houston Baptist, Thomspon led Texas Tech with 22 carries and 118 yards while reaching the endzone twice.  He also caught three passes for 13 yards in the 35-33 win.

It was down the stretch when Tech really leaned on Thomspon to be their closer.  Clinging to a two-point lead in the final minutes and needing to run out the clock, Tech gave the ball to Thompson five times for 33 yards on the game’s final drive.

For what it’s worth, Leggett remains on the team so it wouldn’t seem like Thompson’s place on the roster is in any danger.  However, Wells may decide to levy a suspension against him this weekend.

Should that happen, Tech will need true freshman Tahj Brooks and Alabama grad transfer Chadarius Townsend to pick up the slack.  That duo combined for 47 yards on 14 carries in week one with Brooks scoring on the ground.  Also, it might mean that the assumed return of RB Xavier White, a converted inside receiver who missed the HBU game, could also be a significant development should the former Monterey Plainsman be able to take the field this weekend.

This is a developing situation and the Texas Tech football program has yet to release any official information.  If that happens or if there are any updates, we will pass those along.  But regardless of how this shakes out, it is not what this program needs headed into one of the toughest tests of the season.