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Texas Tech football receiving leader Josh Kelly to miss Liberty Bowl, spokesman says
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- Texas Tech football receiving leader Josh Kelly to miss Liberty Bowl, spokesman says
The Texas Tech football team will be without its leading receiver next week for the Liberty Bowl .
Wide receiver Josh Kelly has left the team to begin preparations for the NFL draft process, a Tech athletics spokesman said Tuesday.
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Kelly caught 89 passes for 1,023 yards and five touchdowns this season, earning second-team all-Big 12 recognition from the conference's head coaches. He's eighth in the FBS in catches and one of 20 FBS receivers who have reached 1,000 yards this season.
The sixth-year senior from Fresno, California, transferred to Tech in January after four seasons at Fresno State and one at Washington State . He's one of 10 active FBS players with more than 3,200 career receiving yards.
Kelly's backup at the Y inside receiver position is redshirt freshman Kelby Valsin, who played in 11 games but caught only one pass for 5 yards.
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Tech (8-4) plays Arkansas (6-6) at 6 p.m. Dec. 27 at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Red Raiders also will be without starting quarterback Behren Morton , who underwent surgery last week on his throwing shoulder. Morton's passed for 3,335 yards, 10th in the FBS, and 27 touchdowns, tied for 10th in the FBS.
True freshman Will Hammond has been named the Red Raiders' starting QB for the bowl game.
Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Josh Kelly (3) runs the ball against West Virginia Mountaineers defensive back Trey Lathan (4) in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field.
Arkansas, meanwhile, has taken bigger hits in the leadup to next week. Since the regular season ended, the Razorbacks have had four starters declare for the draft and six more have their names entered into the NCAA transfer portal. Another five Arkansas players with their names in the portal were listed on the team's two-deep for the regular-season finale.
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The Razorbacks who've declared for the draft are wide receiver Andrew Armstrong , running back Ja'Quindon Jackson and defensive linemen Landon Jackson and Eric Gregory. Armstrong leads the Southeastern Conference in catches (78) and receiving yards (1,140), Ja'Quindon Jackson leads the team in rushing yards (790) and touchdowns (15) and Landon Jackson leads the team in sacks (6 1/2) and tackles for loss (9 1/2).
The Razorbacks' starters with their names in the portal are center Addison Nichols, guards Josh Braun and Patrick Kutas, tight end Luke Hasz and safety T.J. Metcalf. According to 247Sports, Braun has committed to Kentucky , Kutas and Hasz to Ole Miss and Metcalf to Michigan .
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football receiving leader Josh Kelly opts out, school says
