Who are Texas Tech’s top ten players according to ESPN and who just missed the list? We also consider who are the best Big 12 triplets and should Oklahoma’s triplets be ahead of Texas Tech’s?

Photo via Charles Henry @ Flickr.

Top Ten. ESPN’s Jake Trotter has his top ten Texas TEch players and I think I pretty much agree with how this all looks. The only thing that I could think to add was who would be just outside this list? I do not think that Breiden Fehoko makes the list, not right now, but maybe also include Micah Awe and Justis Nelson on defense and I also tend to think that Jared Kaster is a bit under-appreciated at center? I think that by the end of the year, we’ll be talking about how Ian Sadler is going to absolutely bust out and be a huge part of the offense, but that’s potential. And maybe the biggest thing that should concern Texas Tech fans about the list is that Jakeem Grant is as high as he is, and as so many of you have echoed before, that Grant makes a great compliment, but he shouldn’t be the #1 option.

I’d also guess that maybe some of you think that Davis Webb is too high, but given the importance that Tech places on the quarterback position and how much that player touches the ball, I think I get this ranking. Webb had more snaps than Mahomes last year, so it’s not as if we can just forget about those snaps and stats. If Patrick Mahomes plays the entire year, then Webb doesn’t make this list next year, but I do understand why you include him here.

Triplets. Also from ESPN’s Trotter he ranks the Big 12’s offensive triplets and Texas Tech comes in 4th overall, behind TCU (Trevone Boykin, Aaron Green and Josh Doctson); Baylor (Seth Russell, Shock Linwood and Corey Coleman); Oklahoma (Baker Mayfield; Samaje Perine and Sterling Shepard):

This unit has the potential to be outstanding. Washington was one of three 1,000-yard rushers in the Big 12 last season, and the first at Tech in 16 years. Over the past two years, Grant has put up 1,734 yards receiving; no returning Big 12 receiver has more during that span. Mahomes is the X factor. He’s still battling Davis Webb for the starting job, but he showed great promise down the stretch, tossing 14 touchdowns to two interceptions in the Red Raiders’ final three games.

In trying to figure this out, I’m not sure if Trotter used a head-to-head situation on each position or a look at things cumulatively, but I think you could make a case for Texas Tech at #3 ahead of Oklahoma. Perine is ahead of Washington, but Shepard is a lead receiver, but still only had 51 catches for 970 yards, so it is comparable to Grant’s 67 catches for 938 yards, but give me Mahomes over Mayfield every day of the week and twice on Sunday’s.  I think there’s a pretty big gap there.

The full uniform lineup on display here at Texas Tech pic.twitter.com/muHagrDrME

— Max Olson (@max_olson) April 6, 2015

Miscellaneous. ESPN’s Max Olson with his weekly recruiting update . . . as an aside, Olson is in Lubbock for the next two days, so there will probably be quite a bit of content coming from ESPN for the next couple of days . . . DMN’s Tommy Magelssen takes a look at the running back position . . .