Texas Tech football: Players that need a strong finish to 2020

Xavier White

It’s crazy to think about how different the depth at running back is for Texas Tech right now as compared to just one year ago.  Remember that last November, SaRodorick Thompson was the only healthy scholarship RB on the roster and he played every snap of the game against TCU.

But this year, Tech has so many options at the position that a guy like Xavier White is struggling to get carries despite looking at times like the best RB on the team.  Now, White needs to maximize his opportunities over the last two games because there is more talent on the way at the RB position.

Next year, Tech will add true freshman RB Cam’Ron Valdez, the no. 24 RB in the nation and the no. 62 player in Texas in the class of 2021.  That’s going to make an already crowded RB room even more competitive.

White has been banged up in recent weeks but he has been on the field.  He’s had no more than six carries in each of the last three games and in two of those games (against West Virginia and Baylor) he failed to run for more than 14 yards.

Meanwhile, it appears that true freshman Tahj Brooks has surpassed White in the running back rotation.  Brooks has averaged 12.6 carries and 40.6 yards per contest over the last three games while also finding the endzone three times.

There are only so many carries to go around and when Thompson is healthy, he’s deserving of the lion’s share.  And with the number of quality options Tech has at the spot, a number that will only increase next year, Xavier White could be passed up if he doesn’t distinguish himself over the next couple of games.