RED RAIDERS

Donovan Smith: Three things to know about the Texas Tech football quarterback

Robb Hibbard
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Donovan Smith, quarterback for the Texas Tech football team, is a redshirt freshman who calls Las Vegas his hometown. Smith attended Frenship High School just outside the Lubbock city limits. 

In his one season at Frenship, Smith threw for 3,123 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 489 yards and 13 touchdowns. Smith threw only eight interceptions on the year despite 328 pass attempts, and completed 64.9 percent of his passes en route to earning District 2-6A Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors

Smith suffered a preseason injury that kept him sidelined during the 2020 season at Texas Tech. 

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Texas Tech's Donovan Smith (7) throws a pass during the team’s NCAA football game against Baylor on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021 at John Eddie Williams Field at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.

Here are three things to know about Donovan Smith.

Donovan Smith began the 2021 season for Texas Tech football a play or two at a time

In the first four games where he saw action, Smith mostly executed a package of zone-read-type plays: Hand off the ball or keep it and use his 6-foot-5, 232-pound frame to try and truck defenders. 

Within series, he subbed in, a play or two at a time, for Henry Colombi.

By the time Texas Tech played OU, Smith was seeing significant action, taking over from Henry Colombi during the last two quarters of the game.

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Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Donovan Smith (7) throws a pass against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Donovan Smith could've been one of three Texas Tech quarterbacks to throw for 1,000 yards this year

If you want a fun subplot to follow, know that the Red Raiders having three 1,000-yard passers in the same season was at one time within easy reach. They finished the regular season with Colombi having 1,291 passing yards, Smith 929 and Tyler Shough 872. 

If Smith and Shough had shared time in the Liberty Bowl, the Red Raiders could've boast a trio of 1,000-yard passers for 2021. 

But Shough will not see playing time at the Liberty Bowl. 

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Texas Tech's Donovan Smith (7) catches a snap during the team’s NCAA football game against Baylor on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021 at John Eddie Williams Field at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas.

Donovan Smith has a family connection to Texas Tech

Smith is the son of Texas Tech running backs coach DeAndre Smith. DeAndre Smith is the only assistant who'll carry over for 2022 with new Tech coach Joey McGuire.

Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal contributed to this report.