There are different types of balance that football teams strive for. Usually, that term refers to having an even mix of run and pass plays.
However, it can also mean evenly distributing the football to different players or position groups. Unfortunately for the Texas Tech football team, their passing attack has lacked that type of balance this year, and that could be problematic as the season unfolds.
The problem is that the Red Raiders are getting virtually no productivity from the "Z" wide receiver position. In fact, in Friday night's 28-26 win over Houston, the Red Raiders got only one catch from that position.
That lone catch went to Donte Lee Jr. for five yards. That means that former 5-star signee and fan favorite Micah Hudson was shut out for the game.
Unfortunately, the much-hoped-for Hudson breakout season has not happened in 2026. Despite starting all three games thus far, the junior has caught just three passes for 44 yards and no scores. That puts him on pace for just 12 catches this season.
What's more, the three players listed at the "Z" position on offense (Hudson, Lee, and Leyton Stone) have caught a total of just six passes for 61 yards this year.
Compare that to the stats put up by starting "X" receiver Kenny Johnson. This year, the other outside receiver for Tech has caught a team-high 13 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. That's on pace for 51 receptions, 920 yards, and four touchdowns.
In fact, Tech has gotten more production out of its two backup "X" receivers, Malcolm Simmons and Bryson Jones, than it has from all of its "Z" receivers. Simmons and Jones have combined for four catches, 79 yards, and one score.
This is a departure from last season when Tech's offense featured productivity from both outside receiver positions. The 2025 starter at "X", Reggie Virgil, caught 57 passes for 705 yards and six TDs, while the "Z" receiver, Caleb Douglas, caught 54 passes for seven TDs.
That kept opposing defenses honest because of Tech's balance. This year, defensive coordinators might start to roll a safety towards Johnson because they believe there is no threat from Hudson or other players at the "Z" position. Tech can't afford for that to happen.
Micah Hudson is not taking advantage of his opportunity
To say that fans are disappointed in what we've seen from Hudson in 2026 is an understatement. This was supposed to be his breakout season after two tumultuous years on campus.
He signed with Tech as a five-star recruit in the class of 2024. However, an injury forced him to miss all of spring practice and most of the summer. Therefore, his ability to learn the offense was limited, and he was buried on the depth chart.
Then, after he caught only eight passes for 123 yards as a true freshman, he left the program and transferred to Texas A&M. His time in College Station was brief though as he wouldn't even spend a semester there.
Eventually, he returned to Tech prior to the 2025 season. However, his two offseason transfers that year meant that he missed out on being in any spring or summer program, which, of course, stunted his development.
The hope, though, was that the quiet and normal 2026 offseason he experienced in Lubbock would mean that he was primed to finally realize his potential. However, Hudson has not been able to carve out a role for himself in the offense.
What's more, when he was noticeable against Houston, it was for negative reasons. On the final drive of the first half, with Tech looking to score to take a lead into the break, Will Hammond lofted a ball toward Hudson, who was streaking down the right sideline. Unfortunately, though, Hudson lost his footing and fell to the turf, and the ball was picked off, ending the Red Raiders' scoring threat.
Then, late in the third quarter, Tech rolled the dice on a 4th-and-3 at the Houston 29. Hammond again went Hudson's way, but the junior receiver couldn't make a catch that, while contested, should have been made.
That's not the type of impact Red Raider fans wanted to see from the highest-ranked offensive recruit to ever sign with the program. This year, Hammond's disappearing act has been noticeable, and it is making this offense overly reliant on Johnson in the passing game. If Hudson can't step up, perhaps it is time to give someone else more of an opportunity, because Tech must start to get some production from that side of the formation.
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