Texas Tech defensive back Adrian Frye gets minicamp invitation from New Orleans Saints
Texas Tech football player Adrian Frye was a regular in the Red Raiders' defensive backfield for five years. Now Frye will try to make it in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints extended Frye a rookie minicamp invitation, Tech announced Monday.
Frye signed with Texas Tech in 2017 as a Texas top-100 recruit out of Aldine Eisenhower in suburban Houston. He burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2018, earning second-team midseason All-America honors from The Associated Press after six games. At the end of the year, he got first-team All-Big 12 recognition from conference coaches and from The AP and freshman all-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America.
Frye had Big 12-leading totals of five interceptions and 13 pass breakups that season playing cornerback. He never again approached those numbers, however, and though he remained in the rotation, he wasn't a regular starter in any of the past three seasons.
Here is what he brings to an NFL team.
More on Adrian Frye: THERE'S NOTHING HE CAN'T HANDLE
Texas Tech defensive back Adrian Frye: The positives
He plays everywhere. Over the course of his career, Frye started games at cornerback, safety, nickel, Spur and Star, the latter being hybrid positions that can function as a nickel corner, safety or outside linebacker. He plays on special teams and returned punts for the Red Raiders.
"I think one of his greatest skill sets is versatility," said defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who came to Texas Tech from Oregon before the 2022 season. "He's got coverage skills to play corner. He could play in the nickel. He's really, really bright, and he's physical enough to play safety."
Coaches trust him. During Frye's big 2018 season, then-Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury praised him as a "very skilled athlete" and "highly, highly competitive." Sizing up the Red Raiders' experienced secondary before the 2022 season, Tech coach Joey McGuire said Frye "is the one that's the most consistent."
Frye's sure hands led two Texas Tech coaching staffs to trust him as a punt-return man, though he averaged only 5.2 yards per runback on 28 career returns.
More: Reaping benefits: Some 80 Tech athletes, including 35 football players, see NIL offers
The concerns
Frye's ability and willingness to play multiple positions might have hindered his chances of developing in one. After his attention-getting 2018 season at cornerback, Matt Wells' staff moved him to safety to succeed four-year starter Jah'Shawn Johnson. Frye made seven of his career-high nine starts that year at safety, and he started games at three positions in 2021.
Tech had success in recent years taking cornerbacks from the NCAA transfer portal: Zech McPhearson, now of the Philadelphia Eagles, from Penn State, Rayshad Williams from UCLA, Malik Dunlap from North Carolina State. They all panned out, and Frye's role became less defined.
On Texas Tech's recent on-campus pro day, Frye reportedly timed 4.67 seconds in the 40, which could give teams pause about his future as a corner.
Going back home: Houston, here they come: Texas Tech opener no ordinary game for Adrian Frye
Final thoughts
Frye was highly productive at the start of his college career, but leveled off. He needs to get back into a system where he can make more plays and keep maximizing his worth on special teams.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football cornerback Adrian Frye gets invitation from Saints
