Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes should be in Heisman discussion

The Big 12 Conference has become notorious for producing high-octane and explosive offenses, but for Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, 2016 could be a breakout Heisman year.

For the Texas Tech Red Raiders — a team that adopted the mantra “Fortune Favors the Bold” — the past four seasons under head coach Kliff Kingsbury have been met with mixed reviews. On one hand, you have an offense that absolutely assassinates scoreboards, and wreaks havoc on opposing defensive units. But on the other hand, a lethargic defense of mismatched puzzle pieces of recruiters past.

This dissonance has unfortunately left Patrick Mahomes out of serious Heisman contention because despite some marquee wins on the books, Tech still can’t place itself in a championship tier necessary to be part of any major discussion.

Fortunately, Texas Tech has the weapons to change that in 2016.

The first thing fans and pundits should focus on is the major change Mahomes made in the offseason. While he excelled at being a dual-sport athlete for the Red Raiders, he decided in 2016 to put all his focus on football–a smart choice, and loud message to the National Football League.

Mahomes discussed the changes from baseball to football, via the Dallas News, saying, “The main thing I’ve seen is just my arm slot stay the same. When you go from baseball to football, you kind of tend to get mixed up on which way you’re throwing the ball.” Mahomes continued by confirming that he’s been getting stronger in the weight room under first-year Strength and Conditioning coach Rusty Whitt’s regime.

With the type of athletic consistency Mahomes is exposed to on a daily basis, the expectations are high this season for him to be at, or near perfect with his accuracy. In 2015, Mahomes was the nation’s No. 4 passer, amassing 4,653 total yards in the air, completing 364 of 574 attempts for 36 passing touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.

Mahomes also ranked No. 67 in the nation in rushing touchdowns, where he finished the season with 10. And while Mahomes lost some of his weapons in leading rusher DeAndre Washington, and Jakeem Grant to the NFL, there are several young playmakers on the roster headed into Fall Camp.

Washington’s size made him elusive and difficult to contain once he broke through. Tech doesn’t have another “little people, big world” receiver in its arsenal this season, but its roster is loaded with size guys who will be able to stretch the field, allowing Mahomes to showcase his cannon of an arm.

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Texas Tech’s made it a cornerstone mission throughout Kingsbury’s recruiting classes to add depth in the trenches, so expect Mahomes to show poise under pressure in the pocket and stay upright. If he can stay healthy, the sky truly is the limit.

The team is stacked on the offensive side of the football, but as Big 12 experts have been lauding, if Tech can close the gap on its near dead last national ranking in defense, and prevent shootouts, Mahomes’ numbers will go from “what’s expected,” to “exceptional” in all areas of discussion.

With the Red Raiders defeating the Texas Longhorns and the Kansas State Wildcats last season, the pressure will be there–not to just repeat those victories–but take down at least two of the higher ranking teams between Baylor, TCU, Oklahoma, or Oklahoma State, too. This is no easy task, and the defense will certainly be tested, but for Mahomes to solidify himself into Heisman discussion this season, statistics have to resemble an offensive assault, not a team having to play catch up on every possession.

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Fall camp begins on Monday, August 8, 2016, so be sure to follow me on Twitter for continuous updates on Tech’s progress as we head into the season.

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