Texas Tech didn't end its season in the fashion it preferred, but like other Big 12 programs, the Red Raiders could have a lot to look forward to later this year.

Here are five way-too-early predictions for Texas Tech's 2016 football season:

1. Patrick Mahomes will be part of the Heisman Trophy race more than halfway through the season. If Texas Tech gets off to a strong start -- more on that later -- its playmaker of a quarterback could be the subject of some Heisman Trophy love mid-season. Mahomes, as he proved during a breakout sophomore campaign (364 of 573 for 4,653 yards; 36 passing touchdowns and 15 interceptions), is capable of generating eye-popping statistics. If Texas Tech had been better on defense in 2015 -- more on that later, too -- it might have come away with an eight-, nine- or 10-win season (see: home losses to TCU and Oklahoma State, for starters). As FOX Sports put it in October: "... Mahomes could be a sneaky Heisman candidate for 2016 and 2017."

But Texas Tech has to take the next step.

2. Justin Stockton scores 15 or more touchdowns. Could 15 even be too low of a number? The explosive sophomore totaled 11 touchdowns this season, splitting that number between his contributions as a runner (five) and receiver (six). With All-Big 12 running back DeAndre Washington now out of the picture, is Stockton poised to be Texas Tech's featured ball-carrier? Maybe. But he may not need to be the primary runner to reach the 15-touchdown mark. This season, Stockton carried the ball 61 times for 367 yards and caught 22 passes for 341 yards on his way to those 11 scores, carving out a niche as a home-run hitter.

3. The defense makes real strides ... because really, it can't get much worse. The run defense, in particular, was awful -- opponents rushed for an average of 280.5 yards against the Red Raiders. They ranked 126th nationally in rush defense and total defense (547.7 yards allowed per game). All one needs to know is this: Texas Tech finished 7-6 with the No. 2 offense in the country. There's only one way for the Texas Tech defense to go in 2016 -- and that's up.

4. Texas Tech is 6-0 when Oklahoma visits Lubbock on Oct. 22. The Red Raiders' first six games are as follows: vs. Stephen F. Austin; at Arizona State; vs. Louisiana Tech; vs. Kansas; at Kansas State; vs. West Virginia. The Arizona State and West Virginia matchups highlight that part of the schedule -- Louisiana Tech, which finished this season 9-4, shouldn't be overlooked either -- and it's important to note that four of those six games are in Lubbock. A 6-0 start is far from guaranteed, but not far-fetched. The combined 2015 record of those six teams is 33-42.

5. Derrick Willies quickly becomes Mahomes' go-to target. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Willies has the kind of frame that could make him highly dangerous on the outside and in the red zone. He is the top-ranked JUCO wide receiver in the 2016 class according to ESPN and was a NJCAA first-team All-American after catching 49 passes for 1,115 and 14 touchdowns at Trinity Valley Community College this season. If he can assimilate the offense during the spring, Willies should be in position to reap the benefits of Texas Tech's up-tempo style in the fall. Besides, somebody has to try to replace Jakeem Grant's production (90 catches for 1,268 yards and 10 touchdowns).