Last season whenever Pat Mahomes and the Red Raiders needed a big play in a tight situation they would look to none other than 5 foot 6 Jakeem Grant.
Of course Grant is gone to the NFL and Tech is left to replace 90 receptions, 1,248 receiving yards and 10 TDs. One guy who could come in and fill the void left by Grant is Ian Sadler.
The junior was one of the most sure handed players on offense last season and averaged 2.4 third down targets per game, slightly above Grant’s 2.38. Another impressive stat from Sadler was a 0.0 drop percentage, making him the best option to take over Grant’s position.
Two more guys who will join Sadler on the inside of the Texas Tech offense are junior Cam Batson and JUCO transfer De’Quan Bowman. Batson is coming off a good spring and the two receivers are expected to battle it out for a starting spot.
The bigger question for the Red Raiders might be the outside receivers, having a consistent play maker down the field could make all the difference this season.
Patrick Mahomes will be happy to have 6’3 junior Dylan Cantrell back on the field, Cantrell missed the entire 2015 season with a back injury.
The junior will be competing against senior Reginald Davis who turned in a solid 2015 campaign with 38 receptions and 8 touchdowns, but was inconsistent at times.
A guy everyone is excited about is another JUCO transfer Derek Willies. Willies led the country in yards per catch last season with 23.6. Mahomes could rely on that 6’4 frame to make big plays down the field, which is something Texas Tech hasn’t had in a couple of years.
Finally, Devin Lauderdale could be a big contributor on the field if he can take care of business off the field. The senior was the team’s second leading receiver last season and the potential has always been there.
