Texas Tech Football Notebook: Coaches Head to NFL OTA’s

Tough as Nails

This has nothing to do with football, so if you’re just interested in football, skip this part. In Gloucester, England, the annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake contest is held and Abby Lampe, from NC State has won the women’s division two years in a row. I don’t know that I’ve seen a tougher woman just have zero regard for her body to get a cheese roll. Just tremendous toughness.

On the Gridiron

Head coach Joey McGuire was on the 1 Star Recruits podcast. McGuire starts around the 8:00 minute mark (I admittedly fast-forwarded on the hot-takes regarding Luka).

Athlon Sports ranks the Big 12 coaches and McGuire is ranked 10th of the 16 teams:

Texas Tech garnered some sleeper consideration to win the Big 12 title last season but didn’t quite meet those expectations with a 7-6 mark. Although the Red Raiders were just a game over .500, a deeper look at the results shows they weren’t far off from something better. McGuire’s team lost three games by one score and finished by winning four out of their final five contests. In two seasons in charge in Lubbock, McGuire is 15-11 overall and has a winning mark (10-8) in Big 12 play. Prior to taking over at Texas Tech, McGuire worked as an assistant at Baylor and had a successful run as the head coach at Cedar Hill High School in Texas (141-42).

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams writes about Texas Tech football head coach Joey McGuire traveling to Detroit to take in OTA’s and the Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell. McGuire wants to focus on the culture he’s created and playing better on the road and wants to gain insight on how to play better from Campbell. Maybe more interesting to me is that the staff is sending coaches all over the place take in OTA’s:

Also part of the Tech contingent going to Detroit are special teams coordinator and running backs coach Kenny Perry, special teams analyst Tyler Schovanec, offensive line coach Clay McGuire and senior offensive analyst Kirk Bryant.

Most members of the Texas Tech staff are making visits to NFL teams this month. Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and defensive staffers Zarnell Fitch, C.J. Ah You, Marcel Yates and Ryan Conry were in Las Vegas this past week during the Raiders’ OTA.

Perry made a recent trip to Cincinnati, where former Tech punter Austin McNamara is a rookie free agent with the Bengals, and inside linebackers coach Josh Bookbinder is going to see the Baltimore Ravens.

“We’re hitting those OTAs,” McGuire said.

ESPN’s Craigh Haubert has a look at the 2025 classes and Texas Tech checks in at No. 24:

Joey McGuire elevated the Red Raiders’ recruiting upon his arrival in Lubbock. He’s looking to build on the momentum of a top-25 class in 2024 that featured five-star receiver Micah Hudson. Texas Tech landed another talented in-state receiver in Gentry. He has excellent burst, good quickness and makes plays after the catch. Preztynn Harrison is listed at tight end but the multisport athlete is a hybrid-type target with outstanding length and good ball skills.

Texas Tech has done a good job with early evaluations and might have landed a defensive steal in linebacker Golwas. He’s a thickly built player with versatility, having played multiple positions in high school including wildcat quarterback. He has good body control and excellent range and has been recorded running over 21 mph in game play.

Move in day for the freshmen and team meeting.

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