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In his debut season with the Texas Tech football team, wide receiver Drae McCray established himself as one of the top kickoff return men in the country. Now Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire wants to expand his role.
McCray is McGuire’s first choice to be the team’s punt-return specialist. That’s provided he can field punts cleanly and show the same instincts returning punts as he does kicks.
“We’ll rotate them Game 1,” McGuire recently told the Avalanche-Journal, “but we would love for Drae McCray to be the guy. Jordan Brown, Coy Eakin, Josh Kelly and Micah Hudson are the (others) that we’re trying to figure out who the guy is. It’d be great if Drae became the guy. He’s so strong whenever it comes to returning.”
McCray said this week coaches had conveyed that to him.
“They told me the same thing,” he said. “It honestly just comes down to me and how consistent I am if I’m going to be that guy or not. It’s in my hands, really. I’ve just got to go out and do it.”
Related: Dreaming on Drae: Red Raiders imagining ways to use new speed receiver
Related: McCray, ASUN top receiver, signs with Texas Tech
Texas Tech wide receiver Drae McCray ranked ninth in the FBS in kickoff-return average last year among qualified players. Tech coach Joey McGuire plans to give McCray a long look to add punt-return duties this season.
The 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior from Tallahassee, Florida, spent his first two years at Austin Peay before transferring to Tech.
He returned 26 kickoffs for 717 yards and a touchdown last season, his 27.6-yard average was fourth-best by a Red Raider since Tech began tracking the statistic in 1952. Within the Big 12, McCray ranked first in kickoff-return yardage, second in returns and third in average. Among qualifiers, his average ranked ninth in the FBS and his yardage total third.
McCray blocked a punt and ran it in his…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-drae-mccray-plan-texas-090502188.html
Author : Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Publish date : 2024-08-03 09:05:02
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