No. 5: Myles Price
At first glance, it might seem like Tech is set up well to absorb an injury at the inside receiver position. After all, Xavier White has returned to the slot after two years of playing running back, Minnesota transfer Brady Boyd has the ability to play inside or outside receiver, and young players such as Drew Hocutt and Neimiah Martinez have been impressive in offseason practices.
But make no mistake, the Red Raiders are counting on a huge season from Myles Price, and should he go down, it would deal a tremendous blow to the offense.
Price is this team’s leading returning receiver from 2021 when he was third on the team with 38 catches for 523 yards and a pair of TDs. That’s important given how green the Red Raiders’ outside receivers are entering this season.
Also, Price is one of the only players on the team that has proven he can be a game-changer. Possessing elite speed, he has averaged 12.5 yards per catch and 11.2 yards per touch for his career.
What’s more, the inside receiver position is one that is featured in new offensive coordinator Zach Kittley’s offense. Last season, for instance, slot receiver Jerreth Sterns put up 1,902 yards and 17 TDs while hauling in a whopping 150 passes for Kittley at Western Kentucky.
Without Price, the Red Raider offense would lose some serious juice. He is a big play waiting to happen as he proved last season against Iowa State when he caught nine balls for 175 yards and a TD to average 19.4 yards per reception. In fact, he’s had five games in his career in which he’s averaged over 15 yards per catch.
So here’s hoping Price can stay healthy all season long because he could be in store for a monster 2022. What’s more, the dropoff behind him would be rather significant.