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Texas Tech football has plenty of options at receiver with mix of new and old
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- Texas Tech football has plenty of options at receiver with mix of new and old
Justin "Juice" Johnson said Thursday he doesn't like to compare one Texas Tech football team receiving group against another. While there are things to learn from each and every season, the passing game coordinator and receivers coach said the focus is always on who he has at his disposal for each season, each practice and each game.
On the surface, Johnson said there's plenty of fire power on hand for the 2024 season. Looking to replace three of the team's top four receivers from a year ago, the Red Raiders brought in several weapons on the outside. So many, in fact, it's hard to Johnson to separate anybody in particular through seven practices.
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"I think we got a few guys that it doesn't really matter," Johnson said. "We can flip a coin who's going to start here, flip a coin who's going to start here. ... whoever's playing the best that day, that week. We got a lot, a lot of guys that have now kind of played some football. We got sprinkled in a few older guys."
Johnson's group has a mix of young and old to choose from. Head coach Joey McGuire said Tuesday that Washington State transfer Josh Kelly , Florida transfer Caleb Douglas and returner Coy Eakin have stood out from the pack. This is before factoring in five-star recruit Micah Hudson , who missed spring practice recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery in January to repair an injury he suffered while still in high school.
Texas Tech's wide receiver Jordan Brown (4) runs with the ball against Tartleton State in a non-conference football game, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Missing those practices means Hudson entered preseason camp playing catchup, something that was a bit of a struggle at times in the first few days. Since then, the Temple native has started to get more comfortable and put himself into the battle for playing time.
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Competition for reps is fierce, but Johnson said his group understands it's not an individual mindset. Rather, the receivers have to make the most of their time on the field when the opportunity arises.
"It just brings the best out of all of us," Brady Boyd said. "Juice always says we're all brothers back there. It's no hate towards anyone. I'm not praying on anyone's downfall. I know if someone else is doing better than I am, just going to elevate my level and make me better. Same thing with everyone else."
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Boyd said it was decided he'd redshirt last year after seeing the limited game reps he was going to get with Tech's slew of veteran options. Heading into this year, Boyd is back looking to carve out his own spot with the deep unit. The same goes for Jordan Brown, who said he'd be comfortable playing any receiver spot this season.
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While Johnson doesn't like comparing one year's group to other, Brown can see this team has no shortage of options.
"Last year, we was explosive," Brown said. "This year, we're explosive, but it's like we've got more weapons now. ... We're a lot more explosive and I just can't wait until the season so everyone can see this whole receiving room."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Newcomers, returners provide Texas Tech football with depth at receiver
