Head coach Joey McGuire gave an opening statement concerning the loss of life in Central Texas.
You can check out the entire transcript of the presser (PDF) if you’d like to read all of it. It’s 5 pages. The first question was about WR Caleb Douglas and the work he’s done in the offseason. The next question is about the portal and what the team has done and the expectations of the program:
I know there’s a lot of expectations on the team. We look at it as opportunities. Jackson Richards, a good friend of mine, went to Texas Tech, son played at Texas Tech, and he sent me that text. He says expectation and or opportunity. It’s all perspective and we look at it that we have a great opportunity.
The next question was about offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, which McGuire didn’t give a ton of detail other than he’s excited about the offense.
The next question was about the re-recruitment of WR Micah Hudson and that answer was definitely interesting, which was really McGuire reaching out to Hudson and opening up the conversation with things he would have done differently:
And the first thing I did before he even started talking, I said, Micah, let me open up and tell you what I feel like I did wrong and what I would do different if I could do it
over again.
I think that we’ve had a really good relationship. It got strained at the end and I think that really kind of opened that and took some of the barriers down. Maybe he was worried that I’d be upset with him and he’s been good. Through the spring and the summer, our mindset as a team is make the main thing the main thing and the main thing is be on time. And then the second part is when you walk into the building or walk on the football field, empty the tank.
The next question was about the importance of LB Jacob Rodriguez and how important he was to the program. Next was a question about DT Lee Hunter, which was great:
“Yeah, if you hadn’t got to talk to Lee, man, he’s bigger than life, man. He’s got such a great personality. The one thing that we didn’t want to do whenever we brought all these new guys in, some of these guys have been leaders on their previous teams and so we wanted to make sure that we gave them a voice, but he’s been incredible.
We have high expectations just from the standpoint of the level that he can play at and his ability. But I will tell you this, one thing that’s fun coming into work every day is we knew that we brought in some really good football players, but we brought in some great men. That’s been by far the biggest thing that stands out is we have brought in some really good men that have really helped our culture grow and create this team chemistry and so really proud of that.”
McGuire then joined the ESPNU set where he was asked about how to get the guys to gel and he’s repeated this a bit, which is to “Make the main thing the main thing.” He’s also said that this is an old team Greg McElroy and Brock Osweiler were the analysts asking some of the questions, including how to recruit guys that fit in the program and I thought Osweiler’s question about Leftwich and Wood as coordinator was a good open-ended question to let McGuire talk. McElroy also asked about what Behren Morton has to do to be great this year, which includes protecting the football and being more explosive offensively.
Another interview with Matt Barrie on ESPN with Berry being a sportscaster at a DFW station when McGuire was at Cedar Hill.
Behren Morton also joins the ESPNU crew.
I liked this Big 12 Coaches Roundtable of the 8 coaches in attendance today.
Off the Big 12 Media Days, USA Today’s Matt Hayes talked with Cody Campbell, who they bill as the “booster with plan to save college sports”:
When asked if he were that person, Campbell said, “I’ve been in conversations with President Trump for quite some time now, and the one thing I can tell you is he cares very much about preserving and maintaining college sports. Not just football, but women’s sports and Olympic sports, and the opportunities they provide. It’s one of the best things we have culturally in this country.
“I don’t want to see it die. And we can all see it’s dying.”
Quick Hits
CBS Sports: 2025 Big 12 football preseason poll: 247Sports expert panel picks Arizona State to repeat as league champions
CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns: Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark ‘doubling down’ on 5+11 College Football Playoff proposal as expansion looms
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s Mike Craven: Unpredictable Big 12 Slate Stands in Texas Tech’s Path to Championship, CFP
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Geise: Brett Yormark talks College Football Playoff, touts Big 12 quarterbacks in media day address
SI’s Bryan Fischer: Big 12 Hopes Parity Will Result in Multiple Bids to College Football Playoff
Red Raider Sports’ Jarrett Ramirez: McGuire not shy in scheduling remarks
Red Raider Sports’ Jarrett Ramirez: Culture over cost defining Texas Tech in 2025
CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns: Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire challenges Brian Kelly, LSU to schedule home-and-home series amid playoff debate
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams: No poll? No problem. Texas Tech football expects big season, and last year’s champ agrees