Joey McGuire plans to continue the honeymoon period between his football program and the Texas Tech faithful indefinitely.
The Red Raiders knocked off future SEC programs Texas and Oklahoma at home in McGuire’s first year as a collegiate head coach. The former Cedar Hill state champion also led Texas Tech to its first winning record in the Big 12 since Mike Leach roamed the sideline in 2009.
And the success wasn’t limited to the football field. Jones AT&T Stadium is undergoing a $200 million makeover, as are the football offices and training facility. Texas Tech is also on the cutting edge of NIL collectives, offering each player on the football team $25,000 a year. All that momentum creates new expectations as McGuire & Co. hope to prove that the entire Big 12 is all West Texas.
“The energy in this building is unreal,” McGuire said. “People on the outside are going to say, ‘Well, let’s see what happens if they don’t win,’ but that’s not the plan. We know there will be tough times and tough games, but that’s when the brand comes in.”
McGuire wants his football team to be the toughest, hardest-working, most-competitive team in the country. The eight-win 2022 campaign was a great start. It set a marker for a program that was average at best in the 10 years preceding his arrival. Texas Tech hadn’t won eight games since 2013. The team was 42-55 overall and 23-49 in the Big 12 in the eight years prior to 2022. The team hadn’t won more than three conference games in the same season since 2015.
The period of mediocrity appears to be in the rear-view mirror. The Red Raiders return two quarterbacks with NFL aspirations, as well as their leading running back and wide receiver. All the key cogs on the offensive line also return to Lubbock. Eight of the 11 starters on defense from the bowl win over Ole Miss are also back. The Red Raiders rank 64th in overall returning production at 64 percent, but the offense returns 75 percent.
“We feel ready to contend for the Big 12,” McGuire said. “Half the battle is getting our guys to believe that, and there is a heck of a lot more belief right now than this time last year because everything was so new. We really care about each other. This is a great locker room.”
Texas Tech enters the 2023 season as a dark horse candidate to win the Big 12. Kansas State lost Deuce Vaughn and other weapons from the 2022 Big 12 championship team. TCU graduated its best player at literally every position on the field. Texas and Oklahoma are always the most talented team, but the Sooners showed cracks in the armor last season with a new coach and the Longhorns haven’t been trustworthy since Colt McCoy left The Forty Acres.
And with Texas and Oklahoma on the way out the door after the 2023 season, Texas Tech is as well positioned as anyone remaining or joining the conference to plant a flag as a perennial contender. As the playoff expands to 12 next season, winning the Big 12 becomes a golden ticket into the College Football Playoff.
“This thing is just getting started,” McGuire said about the momentum in Lubbock. “I’m excited about the future here.”
DCTF'S TAKE
Texas Tech is emerging as the dark horse to win a Big 12 championship in 2023 after a strong first season under Joey McGuire. The Red Raiders beat Texas and Oklahoma at home. They finished above .500 in the Big 12 for the first time since 2009. And the money is pouring in to help fund new facilities and to build a winning roster. Texas Tech can position itself as a new Big 12 power with another step forward in Year 2.
OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
With skill position talent abound and Kittley back at the controls, prepare for fireworks
A high-powered attack engineered by offensive coordinator Zach Kittley last season reminded Texas Tech faithful of the glory days in Lubbock. The Red Raiders scored 34.12 points per gamein 2022, good for 27th in the nation. The unit was 22nd in the FBS in total offense at 461.4 yards per contest. The group returns 75 percent of the production from last year, which is 31st-most in college football.
“Kittley came in and figured out the best way to maximize our offensive talent last year,” head coach Joey McGuire said of his hot-shot offensive coordinator. “His football IQ is off the charts. He’s going to be a heck of a head coach one day.”
Texas Tech returns two quarterbacks with starting experience. Senior Tyler Shough, a one-time Oregon transfer, was 4-0 in games he started in last year. He completed 59.9 percent of his passes, throwing seven touchdowns to four interceptions. Former four-star recruit Behren Morton impressed in nine appearances, tossing seven touchdowns. The Red Raiders started three quarterbacks for multiple games in McGuire’s first year due to various injuries. Donovan Smith transferred to Houston following the season.
“We have two quarterbacks who will play on Sundays,” McGuire said. “Competition makes us all better, and I think both know that they need each other. Injuries are a part of this sport.”
Texas Tech hopes to improve on a running game that averaged just 3.9 yards a carry in 2022, though some of that number is tied directly to the offensive line allowing 41 sacks in 13 games. Tahj Brooks, a Manor product entering his senior season, returns after leading the team in rushing the past two seasons. He has 1,514 yards and 18 touchdowns in his three-year college career. Sophomore Cam’Ron Valdez offers a change of pace with added speed and elusiveness. McGuire calls him a one-cut runner who can add a big-play dimension to the rushing attack.
The weapons are plentiful on the outside. DeSoto native Jerand Bradley emerged as a true No. 1 threat last season. Myles Price and Xavier White are back to gobble up targets in the slot. Midland Lee product Loic Fouonji is poised for a breakout season as a senior. Drae McCray is a name to watch after transferring in from Austin Peay.
Most of the offensive line is back. Tackles Monroe Mills and Caleb Rogers are flipping sides. Cole Spencer is healthy after missing 2022 with an injury. Dennis Wilburn and Landon Peterson also return in the interior. Depth should also be improved as young guys mature into the system.