Texas Tech football goes all-in on big bodies at receiver

The Texas Tech football program has drifted away from the days of torturing defenses with a short, slick slot receiver. Oh, the Red Raiders have continued to deploy inside receivers in three- and four-wide formations.

Not ones, however, who confounded defenses to the degree of Wes Welker, Eric Morris, Danny Amendola, Jakeem Grant, Keke Coutee, all sub-6-foot playmakers who put up prolific numbers

It’s probably not by design the Red Raiders have gotten away from that. More likely, Tech staffs just had a harder time signing the best of those types during the program’s decline in the 2010s.

The difference this year might be the most drastic. Not that Joey McGuire has anything against quick slot receivers. It’s just that the Red Raiders’ top three pass catchers are shaping to be Caleb Douglas (6-foot-4, 210 pounds), Coy Eakin (6-2, 210) and Reggie Virgil (6-3, 190) — Douglas and Eakin being returning starters, Virgil a transfer.

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The drop-off between their college production and everyone else’s dictates that all three will be starters, moving Eakin inside to facilitate that.

No traditional slot receiver? No problem. Win with size is how Tech coaches see it.

“The first group, you’re big,” McGuire said. “That’s a big group.”

It’s part of the inheritance offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich received when McGuire hired him in December. It’s not merely that the top three are 6-2 or taller, Leftwich observed.

“I think we have really good vertical speed,” he said, “so we can challenge people down the field. We can win more of those 50-50 balls. Places I’ve been in the past, I’ve kind of had more shifty, slot-receiver type bodies out there. So, (it’s) exciting to get to work with those guys and any time you get them one-on-one, if we put it close to some of those guys, they’re going to go make the play.”

Leftwich expects that will pay off in the red zone.

“When you look out there and we’ve got big tight ends and we average 6-2 across the board at receiver with the starters, we have a chance for some big-bodied targets down there to throw and catch some touchdowns,” he said.

Douglas caught 60 passes for 877 yards and six touchdowns last season for Tech while Eakin caught 49 passes for 652 yards and seven TDs. Virgil caught 41 passes for 816 yards and nine TDs for Miami (Ohio), earning second-team all-Mid-American Conference recognition.

By moving inside, Eakin is taking the position vacated by team receiving leader Josh Kelly, who completed his eligibility.

Tight ends remain a staple. The Red Raiders have two pass catchers there with the return of senior Johncarlos Miller and the addition of junior Terrance Carter Jr. Also back is junior Jason Llewellyn.

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Miller, in his 2024 debut season for Tech, had 10 catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns. Carter had 48 catches for 689 yards and four TDs at Louisiana-Lafayette.

“(Carter’s) got a chance to be a really dynamic guy as a receiver,” Leftwich said. “Then you’ve got JC (Miller), who’s kind of a do-it-all guy. He can put his hand in the ground and block people, and has shown up as a receiver. … You have those two guys and you’ve got Jason Llewellyn coming in as your third and a really solid blocker in the run game.”

It’ll be on those three to keep the position productive after Jalin Conyers and Mason Tharp completed their eligibility.

“I know losing two kind of hurts you,” Leftwich said, “but I think with JC and Jason coming up through the program and developing and then bringing in Terrance, I feel really good about that room.”

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football goes all-in on big bodies at receiver