X Receiver
X-Wide Receiver-Split End-The X, or split end, is
usually the tallest and most physical receiver on the
team and isn’t afraid to go up and get the ball or take
a shot going across the middle to get the first down.
X-Depth Chart-
Todd Walker (Starter) LA Reed (2nd String)
Lyle Leong (RS) *Tramain
Swindall* (Wild Card)
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X-WR
Todd Walker |
Todd Walker- Todd Walker is the type of player
that makes you appreciate football. He isn’t the largest
player on the field but is almost certainly the fastest.
He does an outstanding job of finding holes in zone
coverage and has the potential to be a stretch the field
type of deep threat playmaker. He earns the starting nod
because of his speed and upside, with a little practice
with quarterback
Graham Harrell, Walker can be step in and help fill
the void at X left behind by
Jarrett Hicks.
LA Reed- LA is a tall and physically gifted
receiver. He has the strength to break tackles and the
agility to make the first player miss. With the ball in
his hands, he can easily make normally terrific defends
look like high school players. Reed is easily able to
play any position on the team and his versatility is
something that truly comes in handy, especially if the
Red Raiders get into any injury troubles. While he
doesn’t get the starting nod, you can look for Reed to
make plays when given the opportunity.
Lyle Leong- Leong is a very intriguing
prospect, coming in at the third spot on the split end
depth chart. Leong signed with the Red Raiders in 2006
but was a grey-shirt, meaning that he counts against the
2007 signing class. He has the height and size to be a
good wide receiver but his leaping ability is what makes
him so exciting to watch. His ability to go up in the
air and snatch a ball is something that rivals even that
of former Raider great Jarrett Hicks. While his ability
to contribute immediately is unknown, he can certainly
start building his list of accomplishments next season.
*Traimain Swindall*-Swindall is your wild card
choice at X receiver. He looks to be ready to contribute
at the Division 1 level and is a good fit for the X
position. He has the speed, strength, and size to make
plays down the field and make all the plays required of
the X receiver.
H Receiver
H-Inside receiver- The H-back is normally the
shortest of the starting receivers but the most agile
and quickest cutting. The H-back normally uses his speed
and maneuverability to turn the nickel and/or dime
corner inside out.
H-depth chart-
Danny Amendola (Starter)
Eric Morris (2nd String) *Detron
Lewis* (Wild Card)
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H-WR
Danny Amendola |
Danny Amendola- Danny Amendola has been the
starting H inside receiver for the past two seasons and
he is the only returning starter from the 2006 receiving
corp. He has shown to be a solid receiver with the speed
and agility to turn a 5 yard out into a 50 yard
touchdown. Amendola has shown a knack for converting 3rd
downs and being a very difficult player for opposing
defenses to match up against.
Eric Morris- Eric has shown that he is an
exceptionally quick and has the ability to stop on a
dime. Morris is deceptively strong and a good leaper for
a receiver of such short stature. He seems to always
find a way to get open and is definitely the type of
player that should be expected to make an impact next
season.
*Detron Lewis*- Detron is the wildcard pick at
H. He is fast and a good route runner but lacks the true
height to play on the outside at either X or Z. He has
good speed and a terrific burst off of the line. He
could easily fill a role similar to that of
Nehemiah Glover or
Wes Welker, slightly undersized but with very good
acceleration and deceptively fast.
Y Receiver
Y-Inside Receiver/Tight end- The Y receiver is one of
two inside receiver positions that take care of a lot of
the shorter yardage routes including curls, slants and
outs. When the quarterback is in trouble, the Y is
usually the first direction that he looks.
Y-depth chart-
Grant Walker (Starter)
Adrian Reese (Big Y)
Adam James (3rd String) *Jacob
Amie* (Wild Card)
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Y-WR Grant
Walker |
Grant Walker- Grant is a player who falls into
a category very similar to that of former
Texas Tech
receiver Trey Haverty. While he is not the tallest or
fastest receiver on the field, Walker will most likely
have the best hands on the field. He is outstanding at
finding openings in coverage, much like his brother. He
also has a knack for realizing when the quarterback is
in trouble and working his way into an open space to
give the quarterback an outlet receiver.
Adrian Reese- Reese is hardly your regular
receiver by any means. At an imposing 6 feet 6 inches
tall, he fills the roll of the Big Y receiver, blocking
TE. Adrian will typically enter the game in short
yardage situations as a blocker but showed as last
season progressed that his hands were improving. With
continued work, Adrian could become more than just a
blocking specialist and find his way into the regular
rotation at the Y inside receiver position.
Adam James- Adam is another player that signed
with Texas Tech in 2006 but was a grey-shirt and also
counts against the 2007 signing class. Adam is a player
that was signed as a tight-end but has the skills to
play a position very similar to the one that was
occupied by Bristol Olumua during his time on the Tech
campus. James not only played as a tight-end but also
played as a slot and wide receiver. He has good size and
is very difficult to tackle, especially by a defensive
back one-on-one.
*Jacob Amie*- Jacob Amie takes the wild card
slot at the Y inside receiver position. Amie fits into a
mold similar to that of former Red Raider inside
receiver
Robert Johnson but taller, stronger, and faster.
Amie comes in at an impressive 6 feet 4 inches tall and
215 pounds. That bulk and height makes it extremely
unlikely that Amie will be tackled easily and one of his
greatest strengths is his ability to simply run over and
maul any defender in his path.
Z Receiver
Z Wide Receiver-Flanker- The Z receiving position is
primarily the deep receiving position. Z is the position
that will typically stretch the field and can cause fits
for any defensive scheme, especially with all of the
screens and end-arounds that the flanker can be expected
to run.
Z-depth chart-
Edward Britton (Starter)
Michael Crabtree (2nd String) *Jacoby
Franks* (Wild Card)
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Z-WR Edward
Britton |
Edward Britton- Britton was one of the young
players that showed flashes of greatness last season.
While he didn’t rack up overly impressive stats or score
an incredible number of touchdowns, Edward showed that
he has all the tools to be a dangerous receiver in Texas
Techs’ offense. Britton is a converted running back who
brings all of the agility from his previous position and
marries that with incredibly quick foot and a good burst
at the line. A physical downfield blocker, Britton can
also run the end around as made famous by Wes Welker and
used sparingly by
Joel Filani. Britton can also be expected to run the
“slip screen” that Nehemiah Glover frustrated so many
defenses with, particularly because his slightly shorter
height will allow him to hide behind offensive linemen
until he is flying do the football field.
Michael Crabtree- Crabtree would probably have
been one of the younger players who made an impact this
past season had he not red-shirted. He is a player in
the mold of Joel Filani with good speed, great strength,
and an uncanny ability to catch the deep ball while
leaving opposing defensive backs in the dust. Crabtree
can break tackles much like Filani did and he has the
same tenacity when it comes to fighting with defends for
the football. Crabtree will most likely compete for the
starting position but except for a few special case,
Coach
Mike Leach has not started a red-shirt freshman at
wide receiver.
*Jacoby Franks*- If you don’t know this name,
you will before his time in Lubbock is over. Franks is
an explosive receiver with terrific acceleration and a
burst off the line of scrimmage that is very good at
leaving corners attempting to play press coverage behind
at the line of scrimmage. His greatest asset is terrific
body control and his willingness to sacrifice his body
to make the play that the team needs.
Come back next
week as Mitchell Fish continues his “Sprinting to
Spring” analysis, this time covering the offensive line
that will fight in the trenches for the Texas Tech Red
Raiders in the 2007 season.