Texas Tech fans got a reminder this week that the Red Raiders’ receiver room still has some serious NFL juice in it.
Two former Tech wideouts, Reggie Virgil and Caleb Douglas, put together highlight-reel preseason moments on back-to-back nights, and both plays were the kind that make the rounds fast.
Virgil was first up Thursday night for the Arizona Cardinals against the Las Vegas Raiders. With a defender all over him, he reached back and secured a one-handed over-the-shoulder grab that looked more like a trick shot than a preseason rep. Virgil finished with two catches for 43 yards in Arizona’s 27-14 win.
It was his second preseason outing with the Cardinals. A week earlier, in the Hall of Fame Game against the Carolina Panthers, Virgil was even busier, leading Arizona with five receptions for 66 yards in a 33-30 loss.
Then came Friday night, when Douglas delivered an even wilder catch for the Miami Dolphins against the Washington Commanders. Falling to the ground while being heavily contested, he somehow squeezed in a juggling one-handed snag and drew a pass interference penalty on the same play. The gain covered 28 yards and immediately turned heads.
Douglas had just that one catch in Miami’s 20-7 loss, but it was his first preseason game after spending two years in Lubbock following his transfer from Florida.
Last season, the two were Tech’s top receiving threats. Douglas led the Red Raiders with 846 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, while Virgil paced the team with 57 catches, three more than Douglas.
Now both are trying to carve out roles in the NFL, and if these first preseason flashes are any indication, they’re making it impossible to ignore them.
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