Texas Tech football product shines in Canadian football debut
In his initial outing in the Canadian Football League, former Texas Tech standout Drae McCray garnered significant attention.
While American football is still on hiatus, the Canadian Football League has already kicked off its preseason for the 2025 campaign. That gives ex-NCAA stars who didn’t land on NFL rosters a chance to impress in Canada. Among them is Texas Tech Red Raider alumnus Drae McCray.
This past weekend, the swift receiver made his first appearance in a CFL game and left quite an impression. As expected, he made his mark in the return game, an area where he excels.
Representing the Saskatchewan Roughriders, McCray brought back three kickoffs for a total of 110 yards, including impressive returns of 51 and 36 yards.
In punt returns, he accumulated 46 yards on five attempts, averaging 9.2 yards per return.
“It reinforces what his film shows,” Head Coach Corey Mace stated. “He was a dynamic returner in college and a solid receiver at both programs he played for.
“I think he demonstrated exactly the type of impact he can make in the return game during this preseason. Now it’s just about refining his receiver skills.
“I saw steady improvement from him throughout camp. He’s a young player who made the most of his opportunities.”
Though McCray never quite established himself as a top receiver at Texas Tech, his impact as a return man was undeniable. Thanks to his elite speed and rapid acceleration, he averaged 26.7 yards per kickoff return in his two years at Lubbock.
McCray managed one touchdown on a kickoff return during his Texas Tech career. In 2023, he returned a first-half kickoff for a touchdown during a victory over Houston at Jones AT&T Stadium.
That season, McCray led the Big 12 in total kickoff return yards, tallying 717 yards and averaging 27.6 yards per return. His numbers dipped to 432 yards and a 25.4-yard average in 2024, but he remained one of the nation’s top returners.
The decline in his stats as a senior was largely due to opponents avoiding him. Many teams kicked away from him or sent the ball through the end zone to limit his impact.
What’s interesting is that McCray is now returning punts in the CFL, a role he didn’t assume at Texas Tech.
During his two seasons in Lubbock, he didn’t handle any punt returns. However, in the pros, where rosters are smaller, he may need to return both punts and kickoffs to secure a roster spot.
That’s because his track record as a receiver isn’t particularly strong. At Texas Tech, he made just 41 receptions for 329 yards and two touchdowns across 23 games.
There were higher expectations for him as a receiver after transferring from FCS-level Austin Peay. At Austin Peay, he posted 129 catches for 1,888 yards and 17 touchdowns over two seasons and 22 games.
Unfortunately, that production didn’t carry over to the Big 12 at Texas Tech. Still, McCray managed to make a name for himself as a return specialist.
Now, he’s showcasing that ability in the CFL as well. With any luck, his return skills will pave the way for a successful professional football journey.
