As the Texas Tech football program continues to hold its spring practice sessions, fans are eager for any morsels they can get. Fortunately, head coach Joey McGuire and his coaching staff are being extremely accommodating with the media and giving plenty of updates.
Last weekend, Texas Tech held a scrimmage, something that was lost in the shuffle given that most Red Raiders were locked into the basketball program's Elite Eight game that day. Of course, the scrimmage was closed, but McGuire recapped the action earlier this week on his new weekly podcast "What's Next! With Joey McGuire"
In the latest episode, McGuire talked about one returning offensive weapon who dominated the scrimmage.
"So on the good side," McGuire said, "Caleb Douglas had two big touchdowns. That was great to see. Both, you know, Will Hammond hit him on a screen for a touchdown and then hit him on a deep ball."
It has been reported on social media that each of those touchdowns was over 50 yards in length, which is no surprise given the big-play ability Douglas showed in 2024 when he caught 60 passes for 877 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 14.6 yards per catch in his first season with Texas Tech.
Now, Douglas heads into the upcoming season looking to assert himself as the team's top wide receiver. With the graduation of 2024's leading pass catcher, Josh Kelly, there is a huge hole in the offense to fill, and Douglas, who was second on last year's team in yards and catches, might be the most logical choice.
The former transfer from Florida will be a senior this fall, and he'll look to build on the career year he posted as a junior. Prior to last season, Douglas had never caught more than 11 passes or found the end zone more than two times in a season.
He had also never played more than eight games in a season. He broke through in a big way last year, and now, he is being counted on to lead the Red Raider receiving corps in 2025.
Douglas must be more consistent, though, if he wants to be a true No. 1 option. He can't have the mindless drops that plagued him from time to time last fall. What's more, he can't be a non-factor as often as he was in 2024 when he had six games with four or fewer catches.
Of course, if Douglas is the lead dog in Tech's passing attack this year, it will mean more opportunities, and many of the passes that went to Kelly (who caught 89 balls for 1,023 yards and five TDs) might find their way to him. Still, he must prove worthy of the extra responsibility.
One negative from the scrimmage, though, is that on the same day that Douglas diced up the Red Raider defense, he also sustained an injury. It has been reported that he hyperextended his knee and suffered a bone bruise last Saturday. Though surgery is not expected, this injury might bring an end to his spring practice availability.
Still, Douglas appears to be emerging as one of the top weapons on the Texas Tech football roster. After a breakout 2024 campaign, he may have the chance to truly showcase his skills this season. So here's hoping that the dominance he showed in the first scrimmage of the spring is a preview of what we can expect come September.