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Texas Tech football: 5 reasons many are optimistic about 2021

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Krishon Merriweather #1, Michael Nelson #39, Colin Schooler #17 and Christian LaValle #45 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders take the field before the college football game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Jones AT&T Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 05: Krishon Merriweather #1, Michael Nelson #39, Colin Schooler #17 and Christian LaValle #45 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders take the field before the college football game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Jones AT&T Stadium on December 05, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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EUGENE, OREGON – NOVEMBER 07: Tyler Shough #12 of the Oregon Ducks throws against the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium on November 07, 2020 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
EUGENE, OREGON – NOVEMBER 07: Tyler Shough #12 of the Oregon Ducks throws against the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium on November 07, 2020 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

Tyler Shough

There was a time when star quarterbacks simply popped up out of the ground at Texas Tech like cotton plants in the fields on top of the Caprock.  All Tech had to do was simply pick a player and insert him into the lineup and a new name was added to the list of legendary Texas Tech gunslingers.

But since Mahomes left in 2016, there’s been no star emerge at the position and that, as much as anything else, has hurt the Texas Tech football program.

Alan Bowman looked like he might become a star but injuries derailed his time in Lubbock and now he’s at Michigan.  Jett Duffey had the physical tools to be a star but the mental and leadership aspects of the position never materialized for him.  Former walk-on and Iowa transfer Nic Shimonek was a great story but he lacked the talent to be an elite Big 12 QB.  The same can be said for the likes of McLane Carter and Henry Colombi, two hard-working and earnest players that simply couldn’t prove to be the solution to this program’s QB woes.

This year though, Tech has a player at the position who could take the Big 12 by storm.  If Tyler Shough lives up to expectations, he could be the missing link for the Red Raider offense and elevate the passing attack to levels that we were accustomed to seeing in the Leach and Kingsbury eras.

What you have to love about Shough is that he got his feet wet as a Power 5 starter last season when he made seven starts for the Oregon Ducks.  Now, he brings that experience and his talented right arm to Lubbock where he will almost assuredly be the starter this fall.

Think about how different the outlook for this season would be if Tech hadn’t landed Shough.  Tech would potentially be looking at starting either Colombi or one of a pair of freshmen, Donovan Smith or Behren Morton.  Were that to be the case, no one would be predicting anything but another losing season for the Red Raiders.

But because Shough is on campus and ready to lead the offense, there’s reason for optimism this fall.  Finally, there could be a star QB leading the Red Raiders for the first time in five seasons and that could make a huge difference in the way 2021 plays out.

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