Redshirt Report: Donta Thompson

Texas Tech still has one more game left in its 2015 football season, but soon

the Red Raiders' focus will shift to the future. The program redshirted 15

newcomers this fall, and all of them should factor into Texas Tech's 2016

campaign.

Today, we continue our series profiling those redshirting newcomers with a look

at wide receiver Donta Thompson.

AS A RECRUIT:

Texas Tech was a relatively late entry into Thompson's recruitment, extending an

offer to the two-star prospect during his extremely productive senior season. He

had racked up a number of out-of-state Power Five offers at that point --

Kansas, Colorado, Illinois, Purdue -- and ended up taking official visits to

check out the Illini and Red Raiders. Ultimately, Thompson committed to Texas

Tech two weeks before National Signing Day.

QUOTABLE: "Well we've moved him back inside to Y, try to give

us a big body option on the inside there, sort of a smaller version of (Jace)

Amaro. But, he's developing, he's working hard. We've been spending time with he

and (Quan Shorts) after practice. They're both going to have really good

offseasons. I see good things from both guys, and they both need to continue to

work."

-- Texas Tech outside receivers coach Darrin Chiaverini

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2016:

I've asked Eric Morris throughout the season about Thompson's progress and they

like what they've got with him. He's been moved to Y-receiver and they envision

a role for him as a pass catcher and someone that can put his hand on the ground

and help block too. He's easily the biggest receiver Texas Tech currently has on

campus and that won't change once this next class gets inked. Right now,

Thompson is about 6-foot-5, 220 pounds right now but I think the expectation is

that he'll weigh around 235 pounds by the time next season starts. He'll be a

matchup problem for defenses in the red zone for sure but he's still learning

the nuances of what it takes to be a wide receiver at this level. -- Chris Level