2019 Football Roster
Roster
Adrian Frye
- Position:
- Defensive Back
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 195
- Class:
- Sophomore
- Hometown:
- Houston, Texas
- High School:
- Eisenhower
CAREER NOTABLES
Appeared in 51 games as a Red Raider over five seasons (2018-22) … made 24 starts over his career at either cornerback, in a nickel role or at safety … recorded 101 total tackles (76 solo), including 4.0 that went for a loss … had 19 total passes defended with seven coming via interceptions in the secondary … also had a forced fumble and a blocked field goal during his career … regular on special teams as well with 24 punt returns for 146 yards (6.1 average) with a long of 39 yards … two-time Academic All-Big 12 first team honoree … on the field, garnered All-Big 12 first team accolades as a redshirt freshman in 2018 as well as Freshman All-America honors that same season.
2022 SEASON (SUPER SENIOR)
Helped push the Red Raiders back to a bowl game to close his Red Raider career … praised by the new coaching staff for his ability to play pretty much any spot in the secondary … appeared in nine games overall with three starts, missing four games early in the year due to injury … his three starts came against Murray State, at Iowa State and in the TaxAct Texas Bowl versus Ole Miss … totaled 14 tackles (13 solo), including 1.0 for a loss, to go along with two pass breakups … bulk of his tackles came over the final three games of the season … once again reliable on special teams as both a potential returner and on various units … returned three punts on the year for a total of seven yards … credited with playing in 154 defensive snaps by Pro Football Focus and an additional 96 snaps on special teams … part of the kickoff coverage, punt return, punt coverage, field goal block and kick return units at various points of the season … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: saw action in 13 snaps defensively in the season opener versus Murray State (9/3) and also returned one punt for five yards … followed with two punt returns for two yards the next week in the overtime win over Houston (9/10) … injury sustained against the Cougars kept him out for the next four games … returned to make two tackles in the rout over West Virginia (10/22) … role increased significantly late in the year with the road win at Iowa State (11/19) … matched his career high with seven stops against the Cyclones while breaking up the first of two passes on the season … graded out at 84.0 overall by PFF, his highest overall performance of the season … relied on heavily again in the bowl victory over Ole Miss (12/28), finishing with five tackles and another pass breakup ... 2023 NFL DRAFT: received a camp invite from the New Orleans Saints soon after the completion of the 2023 NFL Draft ... camp invite turned into a free agent agreement soon after to attend training camp.
2021 SEASON (SENIOR)
Once again a key contributor to the Red Raider defense as a senior … appeared in 10 games overall with five starts from his spot at corner … missed three games midway through Big 12 play due to injury … still managed to record 20 tackles (12 solo), including 2.0 for a loss, to go along with a pass breakup and interception … all 20 of his tackles came within the first six games of the season … had not previously secured a tackle for loss prior to this season … credited with appearing in 284 snaps defensively as well as 54 snaps on special teams … served as the Red Raiders’ primary punt returner when healthy, returning 12 attempts for 74 yards (6.2 average) … IN NCAA RANKINGS: closed the season ranked 37th in the FBS for punt return average (6.2) … IN BIG 12 RANKINGS: ranked second in the league for punt return average … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: graded out over 70.0 in each of the first three games of the season according to Pro Football Focus … had two tackles, including one for a loss, to go along with an interception in the come-from-behind win over Houston (9/4) … interception came late in the fourth quarter, essentially halting any opportunity for the Cougars to rally from a 10-point deficit at the time … the Red Raiders found the end zone on the ensuing drive following a Tahj Brooks 44-yard touchdown scamper … the tackle for loss, which came on a pass in the back field, was the first of his career … combined for five tackles the rest of non-conference play with four against Stephen F. Austin (9/11) and one that went for a loss versus Florida International (9/18) … called on for a career-high four punt return attempts in the win over FIU, resulting in 27 yards … performance featured a 17-yard return, which matched his longest of his career at the time … opened Big 12 play with a season-high six stops at Texas (9/25) and then five the following week at West Virginia (10/2) … final two tackles of the year were against TCU (10/9) … proceeded to miss the next three games against Kansas (10/16), Kansas State (10/23) and Oklahoma (10/30) … returned against Iowa State to return two punts for 39 yards … all that yardage was made on a career-long return midway through the third quarter … made two returns in each of the final three games, combining for eight yards in total … SENIOR DECISION: elected to return to the Red Raiders for final year of eligibility as granted by the NCAA for the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season.
2020 SEAS0N (JUNIOR)
Returned to his position at cornerback as a junior … appeared in nine games overall, missing only the Nov. 7 contest at TCU … made one start early in the season in the Big 12 opener versus Texas … totaled 17 tackles on the year to go along with one pass breakup … had a tackle in all but one game … recorded 12 of his tackles on passing plays and had one other on special teams as part of punt coverage … active on punt returns as well, averaging 4.9 yards over his nine returns … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: opened the year with four tackles in the season opener versus Houston Baptist (9/12) … notched a season-high five tackles to go along with a pass breakup against Texas (9/26), which coincided with his lone start of the year … had one tackle in each of the next two games at Kansas State (10/3) and Iowa State (10/10) … broke loose on an 11-yard punt return versus the Cyclones as well … posted three tackles and had two punt returns for nine yards in the win over West Virginia (10/24) … escaped for the longest punt return of his career against Oklahoma (10/31), bringing one attempt back 17 yards … made one tackle against the Sooners as well as against Baylor (11/14) and at Oklahoma State (11/28) … AWARDS AND HONORS: Academic All-Big 12 first team honoree for a second-consecutive year.
2019 SEASON (SOPHOMORE)
Moved from cornerback to safety as part of the new defensive scheme … appeared and started in 11 of 12 games, missing only the Oklahoma State (10/5) victory due to injury … named to the team captains circle prior to the season in a vote by his teammates … one of only three sophomores on the captains circle ... finished with 29 tackles (24 solo) to go along with two pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception … recorded at least two tackles in eight of his 11 games on the season … also in the punt returner rotation throughout the season … returned four punts on the year for 21 yards with his longest being 10 yards ... SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: made the start at safety in the season opener against Montana State (8/31) … did not record a tackle but did return three punts for 21 yards, including one that went 10 yards … posted his first two tackles of the season the next week in win over UTEP (9/7) … closed non-conference play with three tackles at Arizona (9/14), including one shared tackle that went for a loss … opened Big 12 play with two tackles at Oklahoma (9/28) before suffering an injury that saw him depart the game early … returned two weeks later to post five tackles (all solo) and a forced fumble at Baylor (10/12) … combined for four tackles the next three weeks with two at Kansas (10/26) and one each versus both Iowa State (10/19) and West Virginia (11/9) … compiled a career-high seven tackles (six solo) and one pass breakup at home against TCU (11/16) … picked off his lone pass of the season in the home finale against Kansas State (11/23) … marked already his sixth interception of his still young career … interception came at key moment, too, as the Red Raiders scored a few plays later on a 58-yard touchdown strike to R.J. Turner that cut the deficit to only three points with four minutes to play … had three tackles against the Wildcats, the same total as in the season finale at Texas (11/29) … AWARDS AND HONORS: recognized on the Academic All-Big 12 first team for his work in the classroom.
Turned in quite the debut as one of the top freshmen in the country … appeared in all 12 games, while making four starts from his spot at cornerback … closed the year with 21 tackles (16 solo) but played a vital role in the passing game … led the Red Raiders with 13 pass breakups and five interceptions … marked the most interceptions by a Red Raider in a season since Darcel McBath had seven and Daniel Charbonnet also recorded five in 2008 … was the most interceptions by a freshman in a single season since former All-Southwest Conference safety Tracy Saul in 1989 … IN THE NCAA RANKINGS: ranked 7th in the country by averaging 1.5 passes defended per game … was also 10th in total passes defended with 18 … ranked 10th in the nation with five interceptions on the year … ranked 11th in the country by averaging 0.4 interceptions per game … ranked tied for second among freshmen nationally in interceptions … finished tied for the FBS lead among freshmen for passes defended ... IN THE BIG 12 RANKINGS: led the conference in both passes defended per game (1.5) and total passes defended (18) … ranked first in the league for total interceptions … also first in the conference in interceptions per game by averaging 0.4 a contest … SEASON HIGHLIGHTS: began his first year as a Red Raider with a bang after snagging two interceptions and recording a tackle in a blowout win at home against Lamar (9/8) … followed his breakout performance with a pair of pass breakups and a tackle against Houston (9/15) … grabbed another interception while breaking up another pass and tackling two opponents in a road win at Oklahoma State (9/22) … had two more tackles and two additional broken up passes at home against West Virginia (9/29) … picked off a pass and wrapped up two defenders in a road win at TCU (10/11) … had four tackles and a pass breakup in a runaway win against Kansas (10/20) … had two tackles and a pass breakup at Iowa State (10/27) … broke up another pass and had two more tackles against Oklahoma (11/3) … tied his season-high with four tackles against Texas (11/10), where he also broke up a pass … rounded out his year with a tackle and an interception against Kansas State in Manhattan (11/17) … AWARDS AND HONORS: garnered Freshman All-America honors by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) … became first Red Raider to collect the honor by the FWAA since Le’Raven Clark in 2012 … was the first Red Raider defensive back to earn Freshman All-America status since Jarvis Phillips in 2011 … marked second-straight season a Red Raider had been named a Freshman All-American by at least one publication (Jack Anderson - 2017) … selected to the All-Big 12 first team by the conference coaches and the Associated Press … marked first time a Tech freshman had garnered first team honors by the conference coaches since Michael Crabtree in 2007 … one of three defensive players named to the first team, the most since 2008 … previously named to the Associated Press midseason All-America second team in October.
2017 SEASON (FRESHMAN)
Redshirt season … did not play … scout team member.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Eisenhower High School in Houston, Texas ... helped lead Eisenhower to an 8-4 campaign and second round appearance in the Class 6A playoffs as a junior … competed against several of the top wide receivers in the state each week at Eisenhower … member of the school’s track and field program as well, advancing to the regional round a year ago in the 300-meter hurdles and 4x400 meter relay … committed to Texas Tech soon after receiving a scholarship offer … three-star prospect according to Rivals, Scout, ESPN and 247Sports … listed as the No. 44 cornerback in the country and the No. 73 player in the state of Texas by Rivals … ranked at No. 118 among cornerbacks according to ESPN … one of ESPN’s top 200 players in the state of Texas … CHOSE TEXAS TECH OVER: Colgate, Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State and Texas Southern with interest from several other power-five programs.
PERSONAL
Adrian Frye ... son of Stephen and Cassandra Frye ... one of six siblings ... has two brothers, Dustin and Jacob, and three sisters, Kamisha, Jordan and Corey ... a Sports Management major at Texas Tech.
CAREER HIGHS
Touchdowns: 1, vs. Lamar (2018)
Tackles: 7, twice, at Iowa State (2022)*
Tackles For Loss: 1.0, three times, at Iowa State (2022)*
Interceptions: 2, vs. Lamar (2018)
Longest Interception Return: 48, Lamar (2018)
Fumbles Forced: 1, at Baylor (2019)
Pass Breakups: 2, four times, at TCU (2018)*
Blocked Kicks: 1, at Kansas (2019)
Punt Returns: 4, vs. Florida International (2021)
Punt Return Yards: 39, vs. Iowa State (2021)
Long Punt Return: 39, vs. Iowa State (2021)
* indicates most recent game.
