Recently, we took a shot at projecting the Texas Tech football program's depth chart in the wake of spring practices. Little did we know that head coach Joey McGuire would provide an actual look at where his program stands just days later.
Certainly, there are some intriguing elements of the actual depth chart that are worth analyzing. Here are some of the major takeaways.
Texas Tech lists transfer wide receiver Josh Kelly at inside receiver
One interesting observation is that Washington State transfer wide receiver Josh Kelly is listed as the starter at one of the inside receiver positions. Last year for the Cougars, he was primarily lined up at outside receiver where he continually made big plays.
Though he is listed at only 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Kelly has made a living on the outside in his college career. He's caught 148 career passes for 2,228 yards and 12 TDs including 61 catches for 923 yards and 8 TDs a season ago for the Cougars.
Right now, Kelly is listed at the same spot as both senior Drae McCray and 5-star true freshman signee Micah Hudson, who did not go through spring practices as he recovered from offseason knee surgery. Those are three of Tech's most explosive weapons so to have them all at the same position is fascinating. Certainly, there has to be a plan to get at least two of them on the field at the same time to maximize the team's athleticism, something that was an area of weakness in 2023.
So who is listed as the starter at the outside position where we thought Josh Kelly would line up? That would be Coy Eakin.
The 6-foot-2 sophomore from Stephenville, Texas continues to be a steady practice player who impresses coaches every year with his work in between games. however, he hasn't quite broken out in game action thus far.
Last year, he snagged 36 passes for 416 yards and two TDs in ten games. Those numbers are respectable but not spectacular. He did finish the season on a high with seven grabs for 102 yards and one score in the Independence Bowl win over Cal, one of two 100-yard days he had in 2023.
Eakin has demonstrated that he has a rapport with starting QB Behren Morton who seems to trust the sure-handed wideout. That could be helping Eakin sit atop the depth chart at the X wide receiver spot, a place where we expected to see Josh Kelly get most of his reps.