For today’s version of my early fall depth chart we’re going to break down the Wide Receiver & Tight End position groups for Texas Tech. While these are two fairly young position groups for the Red Raiders the talent and size at the position is something that can’t be overlooked.
Wide Receiver
X-
10 Kaylon Geiger - SUPER SR – The two-time All-Sunbelt transfer from Troy should step in and be an instant impact day one. It’s a little unusual to see a 5-10 receiver playing on the outside, but I think that speaks more to the skill of Geiger. Averaged 11.5 yards per reception and broke the 100 yard mark 9 times over 2 seasons. Geiger is another Tech player who comes into fall camp highly reviewed by his coaches and peers. Should add a nice veteran presence lined up opposite Erik Ezukanma and is expected to be active on kickoff and punt returns. Geiger was also named to the 2021 Biletnikoff Award watch list.
85 Trey Cleveland - SOPH - Played in four games as a freshman and was a part of the WR rotation in all 10 games of 2020. The first in a long line of X receivers who are a massive presence on the football field. At 6-4 195, Cleveland will be a big target on the outside for the Red Raiders this season. I’ll put Cleveland ahead of his counterparts at X for now just based off previous game experience, going on his third year playing receiver for Texas Tech. Also, at 195lbs, he’s a little lighter than the other receivers and seems to be a little quicker in and out of his routes.
84 JJ Sparkman - FR-RS – Was held out of game action in 2020 due to injury but is another player who is looking to build off a solid spring and summer and burst onto the scene in in 2021. Had a very impressive spring game for the Red Raiders where he hauled in two long catches of 38 and 34 yards. Another physically impressive WR at 6-4 but has a little bit more of a solid frame than his other counterparts at X weighing in at 225 lbs. Should give the Red Raiders an additional deep ball threat in 2021.
89 Jerand Bradley - FR – Now this feels like a guy I could be wrong about, and we could see Bradley finish as high as two or three on this depth chart depending on how things play out this month and during the season. Bradley was an early graduate from Desoto and enrolled at Tech prior to the Spring. Was another Tech receiver who stood out at the spring game, hauling in 4 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. Bradley is the tallest of the X receivers at 6-5 and is another big frame guy at 225lbs.
Z-
13 Erik Ezukanma - JR – The 2021 Biletnikoff Award watch list recipient is one of the few no brainers on this depth chart. Ezukanma was a first team All Big-12 WR a season ago and has developed into one of the top receivers in this league. He led the Red Raider offense in receiving yards the last two seasons and is looking to make it a third in 2021. Another starter who was limited over the summer after breaking his arm in April, but has looked great so far in fall practice and will be a full go on Sept. 4th when Texas Tech takes on U of H.
19 Loic Fouonji - SOPH – Appeared in 9 games as a true freshman in 2020 and burst onto the scence during the Oklahoma State game where he caught an impressive 31 yard touchdown against the Cowboys. Just another receiver on the roster featuring impressive size at 6-4 220. Fouonji was as a highly recruited receiver out of Midland Lee who chose Texas Tech over the likes of Texas A&M and Texas. Loic has looked good through five practices now. He possess great hands, moves very well for a receiver of his size, and is looking to build off his success from a year ago.
83 Cameron Cantrell - SOPH – A Texas Tech legacy that Red Raider fans will recognize, Cameron, the younger brother of former Texas Tech receiver Dylan Cantrell may not possess the same size of his older brother, but he has the same sure handedness that many fans remember from Dylan. Looking to crack the receiver rotation this fall, Cameron has been impressive in camp so far catching just about everything he gets his hands on. Cantrell is another guy I think could take his game to the next level when his opportunity eventually arises here at Tech, but cracking a receiving rotation featuring Erik Ezukanma and Loic Founonji will be no easy task this season.
H –
11 McLane Mannix - Super Sr – The H position for Texas Tech is another one of the better position battles taking place this August. Mannix battled injuries in 2020 that limited his playing time to only 3 games. Mannix mentioned to me at media day that he played last season at 195 but spent the offseason getting his weight back down 185, which is what he played at as a Freshman and Sophomore at Nevada, when he was one of the more impressive underclassmen WRs in the country. Mannix is a smart receiver who understands how to take advantage of the looks the secondary is giving him on any given play. I feel like his experience as a Super Sr. is something this coaching staff values and might give him the edge in claiming the starting job at the H. However it plays out though, I feel like this will be one of the more interchangeable positions on the roster.
18 Myles Price SOPH – Remember that line from Forrest Gump, “Now you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but I can run like the wind blows…” I think of this line every day I watch Price in practice. Myles burst onto the scene in 2020 and proved to be one of the Red Raiders more dynamic playmakers his first year on the job. Price has been one of my favorite players to watch in fall camp because he seems to give 100% effort on every snap, and he really stands out for the quickness in which he plays with. Has a little bit of Tyreek Hill in him with his ability to cut and change directions at a high rate of speed. He was fourth on the team in all purpose yards, second in receiving yards, and rushed for an impressive 124 yards last season on limited carries. Regardless if Price is the starter at H or listed on paper as the backup, this staff is going to find unique ways to get him the football. I feel more than confident that Price will be a big weapon in the offense this season and one of the Red Raiders more explosive playmakers on offense over the next few seasons. If Price doesn’t start, try not to think of it as a knock on him but as more of a praise to the depth at the H position. I really feel like the number one and two spots at the H position could go either way between Mannix and Price.
86 Dalton Rigdon SR – Another guy with a lot of experience at the H position, Rigdon has made 12 starts in the slot for the Red Raiders over his career and has often felt like Mr. Reliable at times. Injuries limited Rigdon to only 7 games in 2020 but he’s healthy going into the 2021 season and is looking to get back to his 2019 ways where he finished that season with 34 receptions for 486 yards and 5 touchdowns. Although I don’t have him ahead of Mannix and Price, he’s too good of a player to not crack the H-receiver rotation this fall.
Just wanted to add a tidbit to the wide receivers and shout out true freshman #47 Jalen McCoslin. With the depth at the position he’s a prime candidate to redshirt this year, but he’s a true freshman partaking in his first ever fall camp and is another young guy who doesn’t look out of place. I don’t know too much about the freshman from Liberty Christian in Argyle yet other than the fact he works out with the X’s and Z’s everyday in practice. At 6-1 180 he’s a little small compared to the other guys in his position group but the kid moves well and has great hands and looks like he fits in amongst a very talented X and Z position for Texas Tech.
TIGHT ENDS
15 Travis Koontz - Super SR – At 6-4 255, Travis Koontz is easily one of the bigger receiving targets on this roster and that’s saying a lot. While he possess the ability to catch the ball and get up field his biggest strength might comes as a run blocker. Now on his third season at Texas Tech I would expect coach Cumbie in this new offensive system to try to be more proactive in getting Koontz involved in the passing game after catching only 14 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown a season ago.
80 Mason Tharp - FR – With John Holcomb deciding to hang it up prior to fall practice the two freshman TEs have a big opportunity to step up early on in their careers. Tharp, a spring enrollee, has had the added benefit of practicing with the team over the spring and summer. With Mason growing an additional inch over the summer and now standing at 6-8 250lbs, his frame is similar to the type of player Mark Adams would want to play in the post. He’s going to provide a long target for QBs and will only get better as he continues to fill out even more. Tharp is another guy who has caught my eye in fall camp just for the high volume of catches I’ve seen him make up until now. With opportunity comes advancement and I expect both Tharp and Castles to see their fair share of opportunity this fall.
88 Jed Castles – FR – Another promising freshman TE. Castles has battled an ankle injury so far in fall camp but is expected to return sometime over the next week. At 6-7 225lbs Castles has a ton of size he can still add to his frame. I look for both freshman TEs to be a big part of the Tech offense under OC Sonny Cumbie as they continue to make progress both physically and within this offensive system. I had a coach mention to me yesterday that we may see the TE position utilized even more under Sonny Cumbie than what we saw when Kliff Kingsbury ran his offense here at Tech.
43 Henry Teeter – JR – Just wanted to stick Henry Teeter in here for the fact that over the course of five practices now I haven’t seen this kid drop a ball one time. It also feels like at least once a practice he makes a spectacular catch that fires up the coaches. There’s been several moments I was upset at myself for not recording and missing the catch he made on video. Teeter attended San Angelo Central High School where he played WR and caught 158 passes for 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns. Henry saw action in 9 games for Holy Cross back in 2018 before transferring to Texas Tech. We’ll see what kind of opportunity Henry Teeter gets this fall, but either way I wanted to recognize this kid for his performance in practice so far.
Wide Receiver
X-
10 Kaylon Geiger - SUPER SR – The two-time All-Sunbelt transfer from Troy should step in and be an instant impact day one. It’s a little unusual to see a 5-10 receiver playing on the outside, but I think that speaks more to the skill of Geiger. Averaged 11.5 yards per reception and broke the 100 yard mark 9 times over 2 seasons. Geiger is another Tech player who comes into fall camp highly reviewed by his coaches and peers. Should add a nice veteran presence lined up opposite Erik Ezukanma and is expected to be active on kickoff and punt returns. Geiger was also named to the 2021 Biletnikoff Award watch list.
85 Trey Cleveland - SOPH - Played in four games as a freshman and was a part of the WR rotation in all 10 games of 2020. The first in a long line of X receivers who are a massive presence on the football field. At 6-4 195, Cleveland will be a big target on the outside for the Red Raiders this season. I’ll put Cleveland ahead of his counterparts at X for now just based off previous game experience, going on his third year playing receiver for Texas Tech. Also, at 195lbs, he’s a little lighter than the other receivers and seems to be a little quicker in and out of his routes.
84 JJ Sparkman - FR-RS – Was held out of game action in 2020 due to injury but is another player who is looking to build off a solid spring and summer and burst onto the scene in in 2021. Had a very impressive spring game for the Red Raiders where he hauled in two long catches of 38 and 34 yards. Another physically impressive WR at 6-4 but has a little bit more of a solid frame than his other counterparts at X weighing in at 225 lbs. Should give the Red Raiders an additional deep ball threat in 2021.
89 Jerand Bradley - FR – Now this feels like a guy I could be wrong about, and we could see Bradley finish as high as two or three on this depth chart depending on how things play out this month and during the season. Bradley was an early graduate from Desoto and enrolled at Tech prior to the Spring. Was another Tech receiver who stood out at the spring game, hauling in 4 catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. Bradley is the tallest of the X receivers at 6-5 and is another big frame guy at 225lbs.
Z-
13 Erik Ezukanma - JR – The 2021 Biletnikoff Award watch list recipient is one of the few no brainers on this depth chart. Ezukanma was a first team All Big-12 WR a season ago and has developed into one of the top receivers in this league. He led the Red Raider offense in receiving yards the last two seasons and is looking to make it a third in 2021. Another starter who was limited over the summer after breaking his arm in April, but has looked great so far in fall practice and will be a full go on Sept. 4th when Texas Tech takes on U of H.
19 Loic Fouonji - SOPH – Appeared in 9 games as a true freshman in 2020 and burst onto the scence during the Oklahoma State game where he caught an impressive 31 yard touchdown against the Cowboys. Just another receiver on the roster featuring impressive size at 6-4 220. Fouonji was as a highly recruited receiver out of Midland Lee who chose Texas Tech over the likes of Texas A&M and Texas. Loic has looked good through five practices now. He possess great hands, moves very well for a receiver of his size, and is looking to build off his success from a year ago.
83 Cameron Cantrell - SOPH – A Texas Tech legacy that Red Raider fans will recognize, Cameron, the younger brother of former Texas Tech receiver Dylan Cantrell may not possess the same size of his older brother, but he has the same sure handedness that many fans remember from Dylan. Looking to crack the receiver rotation this fall, Cameron has been impressive in camp so far catching just about everything he gets his hands on. Cantrell is another guy I think could take his game to the next level when his opportunity eventually arises here at Tech, but cracking a receiving rotation featuring Erik Ezukanma and Loic Founonji will be no easy task this season.
H –
11 McLane Mannix - Super Sr – The H position for Texas Tech is another one of the better position battles taking place this August. Mannix battled injuries in 2020 that limited his playing time to only 3 games. Mannix mentioned to me at media day that he played last season at 195 but spent the offseason getting his weight back down 185, which is what he played at as a Freshman and Sophomore at Nevada, when he was one of the more impressive underclassmen WRs in the country. Mannix is a smart receiver who understands how to take advantage of the looks the secondary is giving him on any given play. I feel like his experience as a Super Sr. is something this coaching staff values and might give him the edge in claiming the starting job at the H. However it plays out though, I feel like this will be one of the more interchangeable positions on the roster.
18 Myles Price SOPH – Remember that line from Forrest Gump, “Now you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but I can run like the wind blows…” I think of this line every day I watch Price in practice. Myles burst onto the scene in 2020 and proved to be one of the Red Raiders more dynamic playmakers his first year on the job. Price has been one of my favorite players to watch in fall camp because he seems to give 100% effort on every snap, and he really stands out for the quickness in which he plays with. Has a little bit of Tyreek Hill in him with his ability to cut and change directions at a high rate of speed. He was fourth on the team in all purpose yards, second in receiving yards, and rushed for an impressive 124 yards last season on limited carries. Regardless if Price is the starter at H or listed on paper as the backup, this staff is going to find unique ways to get him the football. I feel more than confident that Price will be a big weapon in the offense this season and one of the Red Raiders more explosive playmakers on offense over the next few seasons. If Price doesn’t start, try not to think of it as a knock on him but as more of a praise to the depth at the H position. I really feel like the number one and two spots at the H position could go either way between Mannix and Price.
86 Dalton Rigdon SR – Another guy with a lot of experience at the H position, Rigdon has made 12 starts in the slot for the Red Raiders over his career and has often felt like Mr. Reliable at times. Injuries limited Rigdon to only 7 games in 2020 but he’s healthy going into the 2021 season and is looking to get back to his 2019 ways where he finished that season with 34 receptions for 486 yards and 5 touchdowns. Although I don’t have him ahead of Mannix and Price, he’s too good of a player to not crack the H-receiver rotation this fall.
Just wanted to add a tidbit to the wide receivers and shout out true freshman #47 Jalen McCoslin. With the depth at the position he’s a prime candidate to redshirt this year, but he’s a true freshman partaking in his first ever fall camp and is another young guy who doesn’t look out of place. I don’t know too much about the freshman from Liberty Christian in Argyle yet other than the fact he works out with the X’s and Z’s everyday in practice. At 6-1 180 he’s a little small compared to the other guys in his position group but the kid moves well and has great hands and looks like he fits in amongst a very talented X and Z position for Texas Tech.
TIGHT ENDS
15 Travis Koontz - Super SR – At 6-4 255, Travis Koontz is easily one of the bigger receiving targets on this roster and that’s saying a lot. While he possess the ability to catch the ball and get up field his biggest strength might comes as a run blocker. Now on his third season at Texas Tech I would expect coach Cumbie in this new offensive system to try to be more proactive in getting Koontz involved in the passing game after catching only 14 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown a season ago.
80 Mason Tharp - FR – With John Holcomb deciding to hang it up prior to fall practice the two freshman TEs have a big opportunity to step up early on in their careers. Tharp, a spring enrollee, has had the added benefit of practicing with the team over the spring and summer. With Mason growing an additional inch over the summer and now standing at 6-8 250lbs, his frame is similar to the type of player Mark Adams would want to play in the post. He’s going to provide a long target for QBs and will only get better as he continues to fill out even more. Tharp is another guy who has caught my eye in fall camp just for the high volume of catches I’ve seen him make up until now. With opportunity comes advancement and I expect both Tharp and Castles to see their fair share of opportunity this fall.
88 Jed Castles – FR – Another promising freshman TE. Castles has battled an ankle injury so far in fall camp but is expected to return sometime over the next week. At 6-7 225lbs Castles has a ton of size he can still add to his frame. I look for both freshman TEs to be a big part of the Tech offense under OC Sonny Cumbie as they continue to make progress both physically and within this offensive system. I had a coach mention to me yesterday that we may see the TE position utilized even more under Sonny Cumbie than what we saw when Kliff Kingsbury ran his offense here at Tech.
43 Henry Teeter – JR – Just wanted to stick Henry Teeter in here for the fact that over the course of five practices now I haven’t seen this kid drop a ball one time. It also feels like at least once a practice he makes a spectacular catch that fires up the coaches. There’s been several moments I was upset at myself for not recording and missing the catch he made on video. Teeter attended San Angelo Central High School where he played WR and caught 158 passes for 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns. Henry saw action in 9 games for Holy Cross back in 2018 before transferring to Texas Tech. We’ll see what kind of opportunity Henry Teeter gets this fall, but either way I wanted to recognize this kid for his performance in practice so far.
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