Back in 2014, we saw Devin Lauderdale explode onto the scene to the tune of 589 receiving yards, seven touchdowns, and a highlight reel that would make any deep-threat blush.
Many people, including myself, were convinced that Lauderdale would have a career similar to someone like Will Fuller, or 2017 Draft candidate John Ross. There was no doubt in my mind he’d be a 1,000 yard receiver and the type of threat that could open up the middle of the field for the inside guys. It took until game six for Lauderdale to finally break-out, but we saw 500 of his yards across the final seven games in 2014.
That was about as good as Lauderdale could ever be for the Red Raiders. Off the field troubles and drops plagued the rest of his career. In fact, we did not even see Devin Lauderdale included within senior day activities this past year. What once looked like an extremely promising career, appeared to whittle off before he could reach the pinnacle.
Let’s cross our fingers this isn’t the case for current Red Raider receiver Keke Coutee.
It took Coutee four games to get going in 2016, but once he did, his final stat line was almost 900 yards and seven touchdowns. This meteoric rise might sound eerily similar to what we saw with Lauderdale.
I simply don’t see history repeating itself. Coutee is a special kind of player many teams only stumble upon once every four years. Despite his 3-star recruiting status, he had offers from Texas and Oklahoma - so the talent is undeniable.
What differentiates Coutee is his ability in the open field, coupled with his elite straight line speed. Often we’d see Coutee take a three-yard slant to the house, zigging and zagging the field. Equally, he burned the secondaries of Baylor and Oklahoma on deep posts and seam routes.
Coutee will line up at starter for Y-receiver this fall. His skill set is so undeniable that All-Conference WR Johnathan Giles was moved to H-receiver. Don’t be shocked to see him rack up 1,500 yards, 10+ TDs, and garner serious considerations to leave Tech early for the NFL Draft.
Coutee is on a mission, and I’m fired up to see him set the conference on fire in 2017.
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