Just after 10am CST it was time for Texas Tech at Big 12 Media Days on Thursday. The Red Raiders were lead by head coach Joey McGuire. He brought along five players (quarterback Tyler Shough, receiver Jerand Bradley, runningback Tahj Brooks, and defensive linemen Tony Bradford Jr., and Jaylon Hutchings) as the press got their chance to ask questions to a dark horse contender for the Big 12 championship. What stood out from Arlington from the Red Raider contingent during their 25 minutes in front of the microphones?
Texas Tech At Big 12 Media Days
Opening Remarks By McGuire
One of the things that McGuire has done exceptionally well since arriving in Lubbock is always “winning” his public appearances. His fashion statement at media days was no different. It was a sharp red jacket custom tailored, but it was the liner of the jacket that stood out most. The jacket had pirate flags stitched into the jacket as a tribute piece to the late Mike Leach. Texas Tech will continue the honors for the former head coach later in the fall when he is posthumously inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Honor. Prior to taking the main stage, McGuire sat that the ESPN desk to answer some questions.
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McGuire believes they are good enough to compete for a conference championship in 2023. Texas Tech earned votes in the Big 12 preseason media poll to win the conference for the first time in school history. Continuity has a lot to do with that. The Red Raiders have 18 starters from their bowl victory over Ole Miss coming back for the 2023 season. It starts with Shough at quarterback. McGuire stated that Shough will be playing with the same offensive coordinator for consecutive seasons for the first time in his career. McGuire praised Shough’s “fullback mentality” but also noted that is something that can get him in trouble. Shough is 8-0 in games that he starts and finishes in his Texas Tech career. So McGuire made it clear that Shough “has got to get out of bounds” more and take care of his body.
Next Tyree Wilson?
McGuire recognized the special talent Tyree Wilson was last season, as did NFL scouts. However, McGuire did state that he “believes next Tyree Wilson is on the roster.” He took the opportunity to expand on that by specifically calling out Shough on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, he mentioned Myles Cole, who has a longer wing span than Wilson despite being one inch shorter. He also mentioned Steve Linton, the transfer from Syracuse, by name. But could it be someone else? When Shough was interviewed he mentioned what an explosive playmaker Bradley is. Shough stated that Bradley can run “22-23 mph” and knows he just needs to get the ball into his hands.
Texas Tech At Big 12 Media Stage
In McGuire’s opening statements on the main stage in Arlington, he mentioned his team living up to “The Brand” on and off the field. He cited the team eclipsing 1300 hours of community service. McGuire also took time to highlight the team record in GPA of over 3.0 last academic year. As the comments shifted towards on the field, McGuire did not back down from the lofty expectations piling up on his team in only his second year.
In an early interview with defensive linemen Jaylen Hutchings, he stated that he believed he was a part of one of the best defensive line groups in the country. McGuire echoed Hutchings’ comment. He believes that despite no long having Wilson, the defensive linemen unit is even better this season. He also was not shy in lifting his quarterback room in the same company. I feel like we have as good, if not the best quarterback room not only in the Big 12, but in the country,” McGuire said.
In addition to Shough, the Red Raiders have Behren Morton (who won games last season as a starter) who is the highest-rated quarterback Texas Tech has ever signed. And the Red Raiders know they will need every ounce of talent playing in the Big 12 this season. McGuire had this to say about the depth in the conference, “There’s no easy week. I think every single team can beat every single team in this conference.” But thanks to all-time recruit efforts, Texas Tech is poised to deal with high-quality teams weekly
Recruiting Local Speed
It is no secret that the Red Raider recruit efforts have been elevated to levels never before seen. McGuire has some head-turning comments on his most recent recruiting class. He claimed, “We signed the fastest class in the nation last year, that’s not a feel-good statement, you can look it up in black and white.” McGuire and his staff have baseline measurables that each recruit has to meet to even be considered. Based on McGuire’s comments, every single one of his commits exceeds the standards. In addition, everyone expected McGuire to tap into his high school roots when it came to recruiting. So it wasn’t a surprise when he stated that “We still are heavy high school recruiters…[and utilize the transfer portal] to fill gaps.” McGuire shined more light on Texas Tech’s recruiting strategy when he stated, “We recruit west Texas as its own state.”
Never A Dull Moment With McGuire
McGuire’s palpable energy made Texas Tech at Big 12 Media Days as big of a draw as any team in Arlington. The head coach was asked specifically about some post-game comments he had a 37-34 overtime victory over Texas last season. McGuire didn’t shy away from the sharp words he had for the Red Raider in-state rivals. “Some things are just for the locker room, some things are for the public. That might have been for the locker room, but there’s nothing that comes out of my mouth that I don’t believe 100%. He also was asked about not being picked to win the Big 12. McGuire took the time to joke with the media as he said, “I don’t wanna say y’all are wrong, but it is.” With the Red Raider’s talkin’ season now officially in the books, can they match their coach’s energy and vision with wins in 2023?
Photo courtesy: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
