QUARTERBACK
Best Case: Pat Mahomes proves that his three-game tear at the end of last season was no fluke and gives Texas Tech a measure of stability at quarterback for the first time since 2012. He accounts for 30 touchdowns and comes close to topping 4,000 yards in total offense. Mahomes has his ups and downs, like any first-year starter, but does a much better job with ball security and ends the season with just nine interceptions.
Worst Case: Kliff Kingsbury's third season at the helm of the Red Raider football program is much like the first two in that the offense is handcuffed by inconsistency and instability at quarterback. Mahomes starts the first four games but isn't able to recapture his late-2014 heroics and is replaced by Davis Webb. Neither quarterback establishes a clear hold on the position over the next eight games, turnovers continue to be a crippling issue and Texas Tech heads into the offseason with a bleak outlook at quarterback.
RUNNING BACK
Best Case: DeAndre Washington does DeAndre Washington things, averaging over six yards per carry and topping the 1,000-yard mark again. Justin Stockton's maturation as a player provides a major boost to the position, giving the Red Raiders their best one-two running back punch since Shannon Woods and Baron Batch in 2008. Quinton White's transition into a pseudo-fullback works and gives the team another change-of-pace option.
Worst Case: The offensive line's lack of reliable depth becomes an issue midway through the season and the team's production on the ground dips as a result. Washington and Stockton do what they can, but the running game turns in its least productive season since barely topping 1,500 yards in 2011.
WIDE RECEIVER
Best Case: Reginald Davis pulls a Joel Filani and has an All-Big 12 caliber junior campaign after relatively non-descript freshman and sophomore seasons. His emergence takes the pressure of being the primary option off of Jakeem Grant and frees up Devin Lauderdale to make big plays on the other side of the formation. Dylan Cantrell becomes a Lyle Leong-like redzone threat and finishes the season with the team-lead in touchdown catches. Ian Sadler takes a step forward as a sophomore and the Red Raiders get promising contributions from its true freshmen.
Worst Case: Davis' big spring doesn't translate to the fall, and the Red Raiders fight through another season without a legitimate No. 1 receiver. The little-discussed loss of Bradley Marquez is felt most on third downs and in the redzone. Grant improves on his drop numbers from 2014 and finishes with the team-lead in catches and yards, but the receiving group as a whole is maddeningly inconsistent. None of the true freshmen are ready for prime time, and a redshirts are burned with little to show for it.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Best Case: Throughout the course of the 2015 season, this group proves to be the best in the Big 12. Le'Raven Clark turns in an All-American season and finishes his career as one of the best offensive linemen in the program's Air Raid era. Justin Murphy more than holds his own at right tackle and enters the offseason as the presumptive starter at left tackle for 2016 and beyond. Depth issues, discussed ad nauseam over the offseason, never materialize thanks in part to midterm additions Paul Stawarz and Emeka Okafor.
Worst Case: The Red Raiders' lack of proven depth up front proves to be an Achilles heel, as injuries to two starters turn a team strength into a weakness. Neither Stawarz or Okafor, having just been on campus for just three months, are able to fill in adequately, and eventually the coaching staff bites the bullet and burns Conner Dyer's redshirt midway through the season.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Best Case: Former JUCO transfers Rika Levi and Keland McElrath, like Dwayne Slay and Will Smith before them, improve significantly in their second season on the South Plains. Neither transform into an All-Big 12 player, but their performance in the middle of the defense goes a long way in the Red Raiders' 2015 defensive makeover. Branden Jackson, no longer asked to play 70-plus snaps per game, posts a career-high in sacks and tackles for loss. Pete Robertson's sack numbers dip a bit, but he proves to be more effective overall as a senior. Josh Outlaw and Breiden Fehoko hold their own as rotation players and show promise in limited action.
Worst Case: The talk of Levi and McElrath taking steps forward during the offseason and spring prove to be fool's gold, and neither are significantly better options than what the Red Raiders had up front in 2014. The lack of reliable rotation options forces Jackson and Robertson to play just as many snaps per game as last season, causing them to be worn down and less effective in late-game situations. The offense-to-defense learning curve for Josh Outlaw continues to be an issue, and Breiden Fehoko isn't quite ready to factor in as a heavy contributor. Broderick Washington is thrown into the rotation midway through the season and looks to be at least two years away from being a major contributor. This unit is just as ineffective against the run as last year.
LINEBACKER
Best Case: The linebacking corps has a solid season, thanks in large part to the improvement shown up front. Micah Awe is the unit's most consistent playmaker and rarely leaves the field. Mike Mitchell starts off slow but finishes the year as one of the Red Raiders' most improved players. Sam Atoe, Malik Jenkins and Dakota Allen don't blow up the stat sheet, but are serviceable defenders.
Worst Case: Awe is the only consistent player in a unit that regresses in 2015. For all of his talent, Mitchell still looks to be a year away from being a Big 12-caliber linebacker, while Atoe, Jenkins and Allen are relatively non-factors. This unit's step backward plays a big role in another disastrous defensive season for the Red Raiders.
SECONDARY
Best Case: The experience gained by Texas Tech's sophomore and junior defensive backs last season pays off in a big way in 2015. Nigel Bethel emerges as one of the best young corners in the Big 12, while Justis Nelson, Tevin Madison and D.J. Polite-Bray fill out the team's best two-deep at cornerback in recent memory. J.J. Gaines and Keenon Ward start all 13 games at safety and play a big role in the Red Raiders picking off 15 passes for the first time since 2010.
Worst Case: Last year's baptism by fire doesn't pay the dividends that everyone expects as the Red Raiders are still susceptible to the long ball. Bethel is the only consistent option at corner, as Nelson, Madison and Polite-Bray prove to be up and down throughout the year. Gaines and Ward battle injuries and, like in 2014, the Red Raiders end the season with a safety two-deep made up of walk-ons and true freshman Christian Taylor.
IN MY HEAD
... I am really looking forward to watching this documentary tonight.
... It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that the NFL Draft starts in just a few days. For whatever reason, it just hasn't been on my radar as much as it has in year's past. I'll absolutely watch every second of the three-day event, but I'm not counting down the hours like normal.
... This is video of the recent Mt. Everest avalanche is N-U-T-S. (There's a little bit of naughty language.)
... Deadspin absolutely ethered Jason Whitlock in this behind-the-scenes look at his venture with ESPN. (LINK)
... The Houston Astros are atop the AL West standings with a commanding (cough) 2.5-game lead. This is notable only because the team hasn't led their division by 2.5 games or more since George W. Bush's first term (May 12, 2004). The Astros' early success is perhaps more impressive when you factor in how unlucky they have been so far this season. (LINK)
... Inspired by Will's video game rankings from last week (LINK), here are mine: 5. The Last of Us, 4. Red Dead Redemption, 3. Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past, 2. Half-Life, 1. Chrono Trigger
Best Case: Pat Mahomes proves that his three-game tear at the end of last season was no fluke and gives Texas Tech a measure of stability at quarterback for the first time since 2012. He accounts for 30 touchdowns and comes close to topping 4,000 yards in total offense. Mahomes has his ups and downs, like any first-year starter, but does a much better job with ball security and ends the season with just nine interceptions.
Worst Case: Kliff Kingsbury's third season at the helm of the Red Raider football program is much like the first two in that the offense is handcuffed by inconsistency and instability at quarterback. Mahomes starts the first four games but isn't able to recapture his late-2014 heroics and is replaced by Davis Webb. Neither quarterback establishes a clear hold on the position over the next eight games, turnovers continue to be a crippling issue and Texas Tech heads into the offseason with a bleak outlook at quarterback.
RUNNING BACK
Best Case: DeAndre Washington does DeAndre Washington things, averaging over six yards per carry and topping the 1,000-yard mark again. Justin Stockton's maturation as a player provides a major boost to the position, giving the Red Raiders their best one-two running back punch since Shannon Woods and Baron Batch in 2008. Quinton White's transition into a pseudo-fullback works and gives the team another change-of-pace option.
Worst Case: The offensive line's lack of reliable depth becomes an issue midway through the season and the team's production on the ground dips as a result. Washington and Stockton do what they can, but the running game turns in its least productive season since barely topping 1,500 yards in 2011.
WIDE RECEIVER
Best Case: Reginald Davis pulls a Joel Filani and has an All-Big 12 caliber junior campaign after relatively non-descript freshman and sophomore seasons. His emergence takes the pressure of being the primary option off of Jakeem Grant and frees up Devin Lauderdale to make big plays on the other side of the formation. Dylan Cantrell becomes a Lyle Leong-like redzone threat and finishes the season with the team-lead in touchdown catches. Ian Sadler takes a step forward as a sophomore and the Red Raiders get promising contributions from its true freshmen.
Worst Case: Davis' big spring doesn't translate to the fall, and the Red Raiders fight through another season without a legitimate No. 1 receiver. The little-discussed loss of Bradley Marquez is felt most on third downs and in the redzone. Grant improves on his drop numbers from 2014 and finishes with the team-lead in catches and yards, but the receiving group as a whole is maddeningly inconsistent. None of the true freshmen are ready for prime time, and a redshirts are burned with little to show for it.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Best Case: Throughout the course of the 2015 season, this group proves to be the best in the Big 12. Le'Raven Clark turns in an All-American season and finishes his career as one of the best offensive linemen in the program's Air Raid era. Justin Murphy more than holds his own at right tackle and enters the offseason as the presumptive starter at left tackle for 2016 and beyond. Depth issues, discussed ad nauseam over the offseason, never materialize thanks in part to midterm additions Paul Stawarz and Emeka Okafor.
Worst Case: The Red Raiders' lack of proven depth up front proves to be an Achilles heel, as injuries to two starters turn a team strength into a weakness. Neither Stawarz or Okafor, having just been on campus for just three months, are able to fill in adequately, and eventually the coaching staff bites the bullet and burns Conner Dyer's redshirt midway through the season.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Best Case: Former JUCO transfers Rika Levi and Keland McElrath, like Dwayne Slay and Will Smith before them, improve significantly in their second season on the South Plains. Neither transform into an All-Big 12 player, but their performance in the middle of the defense goes a long way in the Red Raiders' 2015 defensive makeover. Branden Jackson, no longer asked to play 70-plus snaps per game, posts a career-high in sacks and tackles for loss. Pete Robertson's sack numbers dip a bit, but he proves to be more effective overall as a senior. Josh Outlaw and Breiden Fehoko hold their own as rotation players and show promise in limited action.
Worst Case: The talk of Levi and McElrath taking steps forward during the offseason and spring prove to be fool's gold, and neither are significantly better options than what the Red Raiders had up front in 2014. The lack of reliable rotation options forces Jackson and Robertson to play just as many snaps per game as last season, causing them to be worn down and less effective in late-game situations. The offense-to-defense learning curve for Josh Outlaw continues to be an issue, and Breiden Fehoko isn't quite ready to factor in as a heavy contributor. Broderick Washington is thrown into the rotation midway through the season and looks to be at least two years away from being a major contributor. This unit is just as ineffective against the run as last year.
LINEBACKER
Best Case: The linebacking corps has a solid season, thanks in large part to the improvement shown up front. Micah Awe is the unit's most consistent playmaker and rarely leaves the field. Mike Mitchell starts off slow but finishes the year as one of the Red Raiders' most improved players. Sam Atoe, Malik Jenkins and Dakota Allen don't blow up the stat sheet, but are serviceable defenders.
Worst Case: Awe is the only consistent player in a unit that regresses in 2015. For all of his talent, Mitchell still looks to be a year away from being a Big 12-caliber linebacker, while Atoe, Jenkins and Allen are relatively non-factors. This unit's step backward plays a big role in another disastrous defensive season for the Red Raiders.
SECONDARY
Best Case: The experience gained by Texas Tech's sophomore and junior defensive backs last season pays off in a big way in 2015. Nigel Bethel emerges as one of the best young corners in the Big 12, while Justis Nelson, Tevin Madison and D.J. Polite-Bray fill out the team's best two-deep at cornerback in recent memory. J.J. Gaines and Keenon Ward start all 13 games at safety and play a big role in the Red Raiders picking off 15 passes for the first time since 2010.
Worst Case: Last year's baptism by fire doesn't pay the dividends that everyone expects as the Red Raiders are still susceptible to the long ball. Bethel is the only consistent option at corner, as Nelson, Madison and Polite-Bray prove to be up and down throughout the year. Gaines and Ward battle injuries and, like in 2014, the Red Raiders end the season with a safety two-deep made up of walk-ons and true freshman Christian Taylor.
IN MY HEAD
... I am really looking forward to watching this documentary tonight.
... It's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that the NFL Draft starts in just a few days. For whatever reason, it just hasn't been on my radar as much as it has in year's past. I'll absolutely watch every second of the three-day event, but I'm not counting down the hours like normal.
... This is video of the recent Mt. Everest avalanche is N-U-T-S. (There's a little bit of naughty language.)
... Deadspin absolutely ethered Jason Whitlock in this behind-the-scenes look at his venture with ESPN. (LINK)
... The Houston Astros are atop the AL West standings with a commanding (cough) 2.5-game lead. This is notable only because the team hasn't led their division by 2.5 games or more since George W. Bush's first term (May 12, 2004). The Astros' early success is perhaps more impressive when you factor in how unlucky they have been so far this season. (LINK)
... Inspired by Will's video game rankings from last week (LINK), here are mine: 5. The Last of Us, 4. Red Dead Redemption, 3. Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past, 2. Half-Life, 1. Chrono Trigger
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