In the preseason we counted down the players who we believed were going to be the best for the team going into the season. Now we take a look at the top 15 players who went out and played to their tremendous ability.

All the members of Viva put together their ballot of who they believed to have played the best this season based on performance, and just like the poll system, this accumulated into points. Breaking into the number 15 spot is none other than:

15. Vaughnte Dorsey, DB (Preseason rank: 18)

2017 Performance

Traveling over 850 miles as a JUCO transfer, Dorsey had one purpose in mind when coming to Texas Tech: earn a starting spot. He was able to do so through his hard work during the pre-season and then continuing that effort each week after. Racking up a total of 52 tackles, 33 of which were solo, Dorsey proved himself to be a work horse in the defensive backfield. But to make this top fifteen list, it takes a little more than just your work ethic - it takes some magic and razzmatazz.

In the Baylor game Dorsey was able to snag himself an interception to end the half which proved momentously depressive to a struggling Baylor offense. The Bears had an opportunity to go into the half 21-14 (on a high note). Instead, a ball-hungry #15 took that possibility away to help the Red Raiders cruise to a 38-24 victory in Arlington. His in-game heroics didn’t stop there.

In the Texas game, which was a slug-fest for the ages, every possession counted. There were a number of defensive plays that stood out in this game, but one that ultimately imploded the Longhorn’s run game was this third quarter forced fumble from Dorsey. Placing his helmet beautifully on the ball not only gave this 806D another turnover on the season but it also kept their confidence high. Dorsey’s forced fumble contributed to one of this defense’s best games of the year.

2018 Outlook

The defense has 10 returning starters coming back in 2018, one of those being Dorsey. If Gibbs brings the same energy and passion back, coupled with Coach Rusty Whitt’s strength and conditioning program, then there is no way players like Dorsey won’t be even better. Expect a similar amount of tackles for the 2018 season (comes with the DB territory, especially if you have a good defensive line and linebackers) but also expect to see an improvement in the young man’s pass coverage as well as ball-hawking capabilities.