There are few things more important to athletes than the number they wear. That's especially true for Texas Tech football players who earn the honor of donning the No. 3 jersery for the Red Raiders. This year, a new Red Raider, Coy Eakin, will be wearing that important number.
Starting in 2022, Texas Tech bean issuing the No. 3 to players who best embody "The Brand", as being the "toughest, hardest-working, most-competitive team in the country". That number was picked because it was the favorite number of Luke Siegel, who passed away in August 2021 at the age of 15 from COVID complications. The son of former Texas Tech tennis coach Tim Siegel, Luke was involved in a severe golf cart accident in 2015 and had to undergo multiple brain surgeries as well as physical, speech, and occupational therapy.
Last season, linebacker Bryce Ramirez wore that number for the Texas Tech defense, and he returns to the team this fall to keep the legacy of the No. 3 alive on that side of the ball. Meanwhile, in 2024, wide receiver Josh Kelly also received the No. 3, but he has since exhausted his eligibility, meaning a new player on offense has the opportunity for the honor.
Eakin, a junior from Stephenville, Texas has caught 75 passes for 973 yards and 8 touchdowns in the past two seasons after appearing in four games for the Red Raiders in 2022 without registering a catch. In 2024, he hauled in 49 passes for 652 yards and 7 scores. He finished the season ranked third on the team in catches and yards and first in TD catches.
Now, he will enter the offseason learning a new role, though. And again, he'll be filling Kelly's shoes.
Head coach Joey McGuire announced at the start of his team's spring practice sessions that Eakin has moved from outside receiver to the slot receiver position that Kelly manned last year when he led Tech with 89 catches and 1,023 yards.
It will be an interesting move for the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder who has been known mostly as a deep threat during his time in Lubbock. It will be interesting to see if he has the athleticism and shiftiness needed to play the slot position. However, his size and physicality, along with his excellent hands and his precise route running, could make him effective in his new role.
What we do know for sure is that Eakin is one of the leaders of this football team, and his new number reflects that. He is a perfect representative to carry on the legacy of Luke Siegel, who meant so much to so many people in West Texas.