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Down to One
This most likely isn't going to be ideal or easy by any respect. The depth chart going forward is slim and not all that talented if you think that stars next to your name mean something. Some folks think that stars don't mean anything. We're about to find out.
There are now three quarterbacks on campus, after Michael Brewer announced his intent to transfer from Texas Tech after the spring semester. I really do wish Brewer the best. For some reason, he didn't fear for anything when he left.
| Eligibility Remaining | ||||||||
| Player | Year | Ht/Wt. | Position | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| Davis Webb | SO | 6-4/195 | Quarterback | |||||
| Tanner Tausch | JR | 6-2/190 | Quarterback | |||||
| Mike Richardson | FR | 6-1/195 | Quarterback | |||||
| Patrick Mahomes | FR | 6-3/198 | Quarterback | |||||
Texas Tech now has a three start quarterback and two JUCO quarterbacks that are walking on.
I think the chart to the right is accurate. The grey/gray is for a possible redshirt year. I'm guessing on Tausch and Richardson as I'm guessing that Richardson used up a year of eligibility last year attending a local JUCO college and I'm guessing that Tausch has three years to play two seasons.
What's With All the Transfers?
I wish I had an explanation here other than I think that players transfer and it's not always fun or easy.
Do I think this is an epidemic? Or is this and epidemic with just the quarterbacks? Does this mean that HC Kliff Kingsbury isn't the quarterback whisperer? We're really about to find out the answer to all of these questions. Reql quickly. If you're really looking for my answers, I still think this is about playing time at the end of the day. A coach can sometimes only pick one player to get the majority of the snaps and when that player is young, it creates issues. The legend of Michael Brewer caused two quarterbacks to transfer, Jacob Karam and Scotty Young. That's it. I felt bad when they left, especially Karam, but that's really what it was.
I know that when Young and Karam left, there were plenty of people that wanted to blame Tuberville for their transfers because he choose his player, Brewer, and the other guys were players that Leach recruited. Still, I never really believed that this was a situation where these players left because they hated the coaches so much that they had to leave. Even Tuberville.
So I pretty much think the same thing here. I don't think there's hate or dislike. I do think that this is almost always a situation where these players all want one thing before they have to grow up and start carrying briefcases for the rest of their lives. They want to play. I completely understand that.
Should you be worried?
To an extent, sure. But the other idea is that there are 65 or so other players that aren't transferring (this is 85 less a handful of seniors and just a guestimate) and do want to be part of this team. It just so happens that this is a pretty important position.
Next Man Up
So, where we're at right now is pretty simplistic. Webb is the clear leader in the clubhouse going into the season. At least until I can create some sort or controversy where Mahomes is going to supplant Webb.
Logistically, Webb will be the first team and Tausch and Richardson will provide some serious snaps in practice to help get some reps to additional receivers.
I keep seeing hints that Texas Tech might take a look at another quarterback option in the 2014 class, but once Texas Tech gets past Webb and Mahomes, and you're playing a walk-on, again, then maybe it's just time to throw in Reginald Davis and let him see what he can do. That would be totally fun.
I'm not totally sold on Webb. I think he had a terrific game against Arizona St. and I think he was just fantastic. But he has a lot of room to grow as a player, I think. Consistency is a big part of the needed improvement.
I will also never forget that a lot of things . . . a lot of things . . . can happen over the course of a spring and a summer.
Links: There is some additional news that I wanted to get to today, but didn't have time to do a separate post.
Notes: Thanks to Don Williams (via LAJ), we find out that WR Derreck Edwards is going to split time between track and football as he'll be long-jumping. LB Chris Payne is back on the team after being academically ineligible all of last year. This is truly significant and a huge boost to the defense.
We also find out that players were awarded scholarships for the spring, deep-snapper David Brenner, LB Bobby Esiaba and S John White. Esiaba and White are special teams aces. I'm also guessing that if Kingsbury was willing to give scholarship to guys that helped this team on special teams means that he probably had an extra scholarship to a particular former quarterback.
Already on the Team: Mike Richardson is already on the team and already practicing (via DailyTribune). That article mentions that Richardson took the entire year off last year and worked out by himself. Richardson is just a year removed from playing at Marble Falls, so this isn't a situation where he sat out for years before coming back and playing.
