Texas Tech football: Extra observations from dominant win over Baylor
Texas Tech is still searching for an answer at the “X” position
A name that Texas Tech fans need to learn is Coy Eakin. The Stephenville native had the team’s first TD of the night against Baylor in his third game of the year and he appears to be pushing his way into the conversation for the starting job at the “X” wide receiver position.
Eakin managed two catches for 20 yards after grabbing just one pass for nine yards in his first two outings of the season. Of course, he didn’t register any catches in 2022, a season that saw him redshirt after appearing in only four games.
The fact that Eakin got most of the snaps at the “X” position instead of Loic Fojonji is telling. With Jordan Brown missing his second game in a row due to injury, there are valuable snaps to be had opposite of “Z” receiver Jerand Bradley and after Fouonji had a TD grab last week vs. Houston, it would have made sense to see more of him in Waco.
That didn’t happen, though, and it seems that Tech is still searching for answers at that position. In fact, it could be said that there are questions at both of the outside receiver spots.
It isn’t as if Bradley is lighting the world on fire either. The preseason All-Big 12 selection has only 22 catches for 252 yards and 3 TDs through half of the season and last night, he caught only one pass for six yards, the second-straight game that he’s caught only one pass.
Right now, the only consistent threat QB Behren Morton has in the passing game is inside receiver Myles Price. The senior had 10 catches for 90 yards against Baylor and is the team’s leading receiver with 271 yards and 27 catches.
At some point, the Red Raider outside receivers are going to have to be bigger factors, though. Whether or not they can do that remains to be seen.
They don’t appear capable of consistently creating separation and they aren’t winning on enough routes. They also appear to lack explosiveness as a group which is why 5-star wide receiver Micah Hudson, a 2024 verbal commit, can’t get here fast enough.