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Report: Texas Tech football's Loic Fouonji, J.J. Sparkman latest into portal
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- Report: Texas Tech football's Loic Fouonji, J.J. Sparkman latest into portal
One of the most eagerly anticipated elements of the Texas Tech football team's 2020 signing class was a wide receiver group that featured Ja'Lynn Polk, J.J. Sparkman , Loic Fouonji and Myles Price . Now that position group from that class is void, and none of the four will finish their careers as Red Raiders.
Sparkman and Fouonji have their names in the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report Wednesday by Farrell Sports. Both saw their roles diminish this season after they had shown promise in years past.
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Price preceded them into the portal, ending his four years as a Red Raider with 160 catches for 1,746 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The prize of the 2020 receiver signees turned out to be Polk, albeit for Washington, where he has blossomed into a 60-catch, 1,000-yard receiver on a College Football Playoff team this season. Polk left the Tech program after he caught 26 passes as a true freshman.
Recruiting services regarded Fouonji as easily among the top 100 prospects in Texas coming out of Midland Lee. He caught a 69-yard touchdown pass at Texas in 2021 and had 34 catches for 451 yards and three touchdowns last year, but fell from favor this season and finished the regular season with five catches for 71 yards and a TD.
Sparkman had a similar career arc: a key touchdown catch in a Liberty Bowl victory over Mississippi State to end the 2021 season, 14 catches for 150 yards (both career highs) and a touchdown in 2022 and career lows of two catches for 9 yards this year.
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After the 2022 season, Tech had 16 scholarship players or role-playing walk-ons transfer out of the program. This year, that number is at 14 scholarship players or role-playing walk-ons in or expected to be in the portal.
More: Texas Tech football: Who's in? Who's out? Tracking Red Raiders' moves in the transfer portal
More: Texas Tech football working on schedule swap with Pac-12 teams, adding series
Texas Tech's wide receiver J.J. Sparkman (6) catches the ball before the game against Kansas, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Report: Texas Tech football's Loic Fouonji, J.J. Sparkman go into portal
