Texas Tech Receiver Listed as Under-the-Radar CFB Star by ESPN
Erik Ezukanma was named as an under-the-radar star for the upcoming football season by ESPN. Of course, he is. It's ridiculous he's being listed as under-the-radar at all.
Ezukanma was a stud in a freshman season that featured a brand new offense, an offensive coordinator trying to find his way, and three starting quarterbacks. In the final four games, Ezukanma had 19 receptions with 89 percent of those being first downs or touchdowns. He also had at least 60 yards receiving in seven of the final eight games for the Red Raiders.
In those eight games, Ezukanma had 34 catches for 589 yards, caught 67 percent of his targets, and racked up 192 yards after the catch. Georgia's George Pickens is listed in the ESPN article as a breakout candidate. As a sophomore, he had 30 catches for 444 yards, a 65 percent catch rate, and 155 yards after the catch as a freshman last season.
Ezukanma was Texas Tech's best receiver down the stretch, scoring touchdowns in the final three games of the season and notching 135 receiving yards in the 2019 season finale against Texas. He ended the season as the Red Raiders' leading receiver, and has the tools to take the next step in 2020 -- not only physically, but as a leader on the roster, entering his third season on campus after a redshirt campaign in Kliff Kingsbury's final season.
"Now that the culture's changed, I understand what they're building here, and with that you gain trust in the process and the playbook, and you're more focused on what you need to do," Ezukanma told ESPN.