Junior Tre King transferred to Tech after playing two seasons at Hutchison Community College in Hutchison, KS. King played running back in high school and was a part of two state championship teams at Heights High School in Wichita, KS. He was recruited as an athlete/wide receiver by various Big 12 schools out of high school but wanted to play running back. That led him to Hutchison Community College and ultimately Texas Tech. Let’s take a look at number 13 on our list:

13. Tre King, RB (Preseason Rank: NR)

2017 Performance

Tre started off slowly with only four carries in his first game as a Red Raider. He ended the game against Eastern Washington with 17 yards on those four carries. However, he made one of them count by getting the first TD of his Texas Tech career.

King was forced to wait his turn in order to shine. He had his first big game in the third game of the year, a 27-24 win against Houston. In that game he had nine carries for 99 yards, which included a 73 yard run in which he really showed his elusiveness as a runner.

He was used as a rotation player for the first five games and gained his first start in game six against WVU. In his first start, he carried the ball eight times for 67 yards and scored his second touchdown of the season.

In the next game, against Iowa St, he received the bulk of the carries after starting running back Justin Stockton left with an injury. King gained 82 yards on 20 carries against Iowa St and his performance plus the injury to Stockton earned him another start, which led to his biggest game of the year.

In week eight, King carried the ball 24 times for 113 yards against the now No. 2 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. He had a long run of 13 yards and an average gain of 4.7 yards per carry. The 24 carries was a Tech team season high for rushing attempts in a game.

King finished the year second on the team in yards and carries with 588 yards on 121 carries and four touchdowns. He also was second in receiving out of the backfield with 89 yards on 16 receptions. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry and 5.6 yards per reception.

2018 Outlook

King figures to compete for the starting running back position next year. He is a strong powerful runner who also has the elusiveness to make defenders whiff on tackles. He is also capable and effective as a receiver out of the back field.

The one thing King doesn’t possess is top notch speed. He will run you over and make you miss, but he will also allow you to catch him. The speed factor is something I think will keep him from being the featured back for the Red Raiders in 2018. Da’Leon Ward also figures to be back in the mix at running back next year.

Tre King will be an important member of the team in 2018, even with the return of Ward. He is a reliable, effective member of the group of running backs that Tech will have next year. He has proven his ability. It will be up to him to make the most of every opportunity.