See plans for Micah Hudson, Coy Eakin in Texas Tech football WR corps
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Caleb Douglas, Reggie Virgil and Coy Eakin hogged most all the playing time last year among Texas Tech football wide receivers. With the Red Raiders all-in on a push for the Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth — both goals they checked off — there was little time allocated for developing the depth behind them.
In 2026, the makeup of the room probably will dictate a different approach.
“We’re really deep in the receiver room,” Tech coach Joey McGuire said recently. “We’ve got a lot of guys that can play. That’s going to be an emphasis is rotating more of our guys at receiver because of the depth.”
The Red Raiders began spring practice on Tuesday, March 10, with Eakin being the only returning starter among the wide receivers. Virgil, who caught 57 passes for 705 yards and 6 touchdowns, and Douglas, who caught 54 passes for 846 yards and 7 TDs, completed their eligibility.
Eakin (48-637-6) was offensive MVP of the Big 12 championship game with touchdown catches of 33 and 28 yards. He started 19 games in 2023 and 2024 as an outside receiver and started all last season as the slot receiver. Now comes the next step: Maybe doing both in the same season.
“The one thing we’ve talked about that we also want to do is be able to play Coy every position, outside and inside,” McGuire said. “The good thing is, he can do it. He’s really intelligent.”
Tech mined the NCAA transfer portal during the off-season for four new receivers: Kenny Johnson from Pittsburgh, Malcolm Simmons from Auburn, Donte Lee Jr. from Liberty and Jalen Jones from Alabama State.
Last year, Johnson (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) caught 48 passes for 695 yards and 5 TDs for Pitt, and Simmons (6-0, 180) had 25 catches for 457 yards and 3 TDs for Auburn. Lee (6-3, 185) caught 32 passes for 589 yards and 5 TDs last year with Liberty, and Jones (5-8, 180) had 51 catches for 1,167 yards and 9 TDs for Alabama State, an FCS program.
This also might be the year that former national top-25 recruit Micah Hudson emerges. Hudson caught only 8 passes in each of his first two years for the Red Raiders, transferring to Texas A&M in between before asking to come back.
“Micah did a lot of things to be back at Texas Tech,” McGuire said, “because he knew this is where he should have been and stayed. It’s going to pay off.
“He’s running with the ones. One thing, I think we as a team are really deep, so you’re going to see, I think, a bigger rotation at receiver than what we’ve had in the past, without a doubt, because we are deeper in that room.”
Hudson, Johnson, Simmons and Lee are working as outside receivers. So are Bryson Jones, Leyton Stone and Michael Dever, all members of the Red Raiders’ 2025 high-school signing class.
Joining Eakin at slot receiver are Jones, sophomore Tristian Gentry and first-semester freshman Imari Jehiel.
Stone and first-semester freshman Chase Campbell are expected to be limited this spring. Stone has been dealing with a hamstring injury, and Campbell is coming off shoulder surgery that ended his 2025 season at Frenship.
Texas Tech football spring practice day 1 notables
McGuire said spring football first-day tone-setters included running backs Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams and offensive tackles Howard Sampson and Jacob Ponton. He praised new edge defender Adam Trick from Miami (Ohio) as having “a really high motor, so he practiced at a really high level.” Sophomore Malik Esquerra, trying to win a starting spot at boundary safety where Cole Wisniewski played, had an interception.
“And then, I’ve been saying that if Thor had triplets, it would be (starting linebackers) John Curry, Austin Romaine and Ben Roberts,” McGuire said. “Those guys look incredible right now. John’s 231 (pounds), Austin’s 241 and Ben’s 251. They really look good.
“They’re playing well together. It’s like Austin has been with us more than a couple of months.”
Romaine joined the Red Raiders in January from Kansas State, where he was second-team all-Big 12 last year.
Asked about young players making a favorable impression, McGuire named true freshman offensive tackle Felix Ojo and sophomore offensive lineman D’Anthis Upshaw. Upshaw played tackle last season and spot played as an extra blocking tight end in short-yardage formations.
The 6-5, 305-pound sophomore from Irving has been moved inside to guard, where the Red Raiders are trying to replace two returning starters.
“We think he’s more of a guard,” McGuire said. “He’s a really physical kid. He’s really good in the run game. Length-wise, he’s more suited for guard than tackle.”
The Red Raiders practice again Thursday, March 12, before taking off for the university’s spring break. They resume practice on March 24.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: See plans for Micah Hudson, Coy Eakin in Texas Tech football WR corps
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