The five best wide receivers Texas Tech will have to face in 2024

This year, the Big 12 will be home to arguably the best group of running backs of any conference in America. But fret not though, because the forward pass will still be en vogue in the conference that made the spread offense a revolutionary force in the game of football at all levels. In fact, the Texas Tech football team had better be ready to face some of the nation's most elite wide receivers in 2024.

Last season, Tech was the definition of average when it came to stopping the pass. Ranking 74th nationally and sixth in the Big 12, the Red Raider defense gave up 229.2 yards per game through the air.

Big plays were an issue, though. Tech allowed an average of 10.4 yards per completion in 2023. That was last in the Big 12 and 121st nationally.

It will be interesting to see if defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter can improve his pass defense this season. That's because the Red Raiders have to replace almost their entire starting secondary from last season.

With the graduations of Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Tyler Owens, Malik Dunlap, and Rayshad Williams, Tech must replace 165 total tackles and seven interceptions from last fall. That's quite a bit of productivity.

Making life difficult for Tech will also be a group of standout wide receivers that must be stopped this fall. Here are the five best wide receivers the Red Raiders will face in 2024.

If Colorado's two-way star Travis Hunter focused only on one side of the ball, he might be the best WR in the country. However, his double duties as a corner and pass catcher sometimes limit his snaps and drain his batteries.

Still, he caught 57 balls for 721 yards and five TDs last season, his first at Colorado. That was despite the fact that he missed three games.

Hunter had three 100-yard receiving games last fall. He put up 119 yards on 11 catches against TCU in the opener, 140 yards on 13 catches and two scores against Stanford, and 107 yards on eight catches and a score against Utah.

Playing with star QB Shedeur Sanders, he is a threat to win the Heisman Trophy this year, especially if he is dominant on both sides of the football. Thus, he will be a huge problem for the Red Raiders when Colorado comes to Lubbock in November.