Pre-Spring Position Previews: Receivers & Tight Ends

I personally needed some clarity on each positions, so I wanted to look at pre-spring position reviews (or post-portal but went with pre-spring). Let’s go!

Graduation

WR Caleb Douglas
WR Reggie Virgil
TE Johncarlos Miller III

Transfers Out

Receivers:

WR Tyson Turner (6-2/215) RSO – Houston
WR Kelby Valsin (6-1/195) JR – ?
WR Roy Alexander (5-11/200) SR – ?
WR T.J. West (6-1/195) JR – UTSA
WR Price Morgan (5-11/190) SR – Incarnate Word

Returning

Receivers:

WR Coy Eakin (6-2/210) SR
WR Micah Hudson (6-0/200) JR
WR Bryson Jones (6-3/190) RFR
WR Leyton Stone (6-3/200) RFR
WR Tristian Gentry (6-0/180) RFR

Tight Ends:

TE Terrance Carter, Jr. (6-2/245) SR
TE Jason Llewellyn (6-5/255) SR
TE Jack Esparza (6-4/245) SR
TE Sean Robinson (6-5/215) RFR

Transfers In

Receivers:

WR Donte Lee, Jr. (6-3/185) SR – Liberty
WR Malcolm Simmons (6-0/186) JR – Auburn
WR Kenny Johnson (6-1/205) SR – Pittsburgh
WR Jalen Jones (5-9/175) JR – Alabama State

Tight Ends:

TE Jett Carpenter (6-3/258) SR – Nevada

Incoming Freshmen

Receivers:

WR Chase Campbell (6-1/195) – 94.42
WR Imari Jehiel (6-0/170) – 86.80

Tight Ends:

TE Matt Ludwig (6-5/240) – 91.75

What I think:

Douglas and Virgil were really terrific and Miller was actually Miller was a very good part of the team. They will be significant losses, but that’s what happens when you have good players. They eventually graduate.
There was also a pretty big departure from the back-up receivers and that’s a problem and sort of the exact opposite of the offensive line. You get a handful of receivers to transfer in because there’s no depth.
How good was the change from outside to inside for Eakin? That’s a question for you all and I know that the staff wanted him on the field, but I’m not sure if Eakin progressed, regressed, or stayed about the same. My guess is that Eakin moves back outside. But there’s only 3 spots, maybe 4, but that would mean taking Carter off the field. Does that mean that Simmons and Johnson are going to figure into the mix on some level and Jones gets a bigger role inside? I don’t know what to think about Lee.
Carter is a one-man wrecking crew and Carpenter will be the compliment to him. Llewellyn is a fantastic snapper and he’s probably more valuable there than at tight end, but I think he’ll get a chance to block this year.
I honestly don’t know who to predict to start, in part because I’m not sure how good the transfers in are going to be. It would seem that Eakin and Hudson start and then I’m not sure. Texas Tech had 3 receivers, Douglas, Virgil and Eakin, with more than 48 receptions and then it was Hudson with 8 (Carter had 55, Cameron Dickey had 25, and J’Koby Williams had 35). So either you were getting a lot of passes thrown your way or you were not. My point is that if you start, then sure, you’ll get some recognition, but Texas Tech wasn’t playing 6 or 7 guys. They played 3 and the rest was scraps. To add in Simmons, Lee, Johnson and Jones, I don’t know how they are going to split up the playing time up or if they will even do that at all.
We need to talk about the freshmen. For my money, Campbell was one of the best high school receivers in the nation. I thought he was electric and his injury his senior year was a bummer, but he’ll be back better than ever. Jehiel is likely an inside receiver, that’s my guess. Last year with Stone, Jones, and Gentry, that was a pretty strong class so to go heavy again for transfers for next year would be pretty tough and you’d expect to lose some of these guys. I think Ludwig is an unbelievable catch and one where the coaching change at Michigan was Texas Tech’s benefit.