Joey McGuire Talks Brendan Sorsby, 2027 Scheduling Shakeup, and Texas Tech’s ‘Disruptor’ Mentality
Texas Tech Head Coach Joey McGuire joined “Big 12 Today” on Monday, to discuss his early impressions of quarterback Brendan Sorsby, address the cancellation of Texas Tech’s 2027 matchup with NC State, and expand on his belief that the Red Raiders are becoming a “disruptor” in college football.
Early Impressions of Brendan Sorsby
McGuire didn’t hold back when describing what he has learned about Sorsby, a quarterback he previously faced before bringing him to Lubbock.
“We had played against him and we had won the game, but man, he lit us up. He threw for like 400 yards,” McGuire said. “As we were evaluating, we knew he could run the football, but man, he’s 235 pounds and can really run. There was one point in a two-minute drill at spring practice, where he pulled the ball down and picked up about 20 yards. I thought, man, that’s got to be a little what Josh Allen looks like running. Sorsby is a big man and he really can run.” The early evaluation highlights Sorsby’s unique blend of size, accuracy, and mobility, giving Texas Tech a dynamic option at quarterback.
Navigating the 2027 NC State Cancellation
McGuire also addressed the unexpected cancellation of the 2027 game against NC State, which was scheduled to be played in Lubbock.
“I don’t know the whole story behind it, Kirby could tell you,” McGuire said, referencing Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt. “I don’t know if it had something to do with their conference schedule. One, I always want those home-and-homes to be back-to-back. I know Dave (Dave Doeren) and know he had no part in that, but now you’re searching for games. That was a Power 4 game, so now you’re trying to find another Power 4 team to come to Lubbock, and that’s hard to do.”
McGuire added that the cancellation also impacted other matchups, including the Red Raiders planned game against North Texas. “That affected our North Texas game too, because I was good with going there with the number of home games we had. But now you’re scrambling. Are you going to have to go play some Power 4 team on the road? We don’t know that yet, but it definitely affected a couple of games.”
Texas Tech’s ‘Disruptor’ Mentality in College Football
McGuire was also asked to expand on comments he made on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, where he described Texas Tech as a “disruptor” in college football.
“I’ve lived my life in this world of college football,” McGuire said. “As a high school coach, I always rooted for where my players went, so I followed a lot of different places. What we are doing is being done at other places, but it is not being talked about, and it has been done for a few years. You go back to Ohio State whenever they won a national title, they had a pretty good payroll, and it was okay. That was fine with them doing that. But now, when we are doing it, it is different.”
McGuire believes much of the criticism comes from old perceptions in the sport. “If I’m recruiting against another university and I lose a player to that university, as long as it is somebody I see as equal, it sucks but I understand it. People can understand a kid wanting to go to Ohio State, but they can’t wrap their mind around that kid wanting to be at Texas Tech,” McGuire said.
He continued, “There have been a lot of things going on as long as nobody rocks the boat. Now we are rocking the boat, we are trying to tip it over, and they are not okay with it. It is kind of hypocritical and It is one of those deals where ‘Tech is not supposed to do that,’ but it has been okay for the top five or ten programs in the history of the sport to do it. Now we are doing it the right way, and there are a lot of people that don’t like it.”
Why Players Are Choosing Texas Tech
Despite outside perception, McGuire emphasized that Texas Tech’s appeal goes beyond financial opportunities, which is the narrative run by some in the college football world.
“What I love is, the other day, Trey White got interviewed and he could have gone anywhere in the country, but he chose Texas Tech,” McGuire said. “One thing he said was, until you are here, you don’t understand what is going on in the building. “We did not offer him more money than what two to five other schools were offering, but when you walk into this building and you see the people and the facilities, and we can share the same amount of money as anyone else, then there is a reason why these guys are coming to Texas Tech.”
With a clear vision and growing momentum from last season’s college football playoff run, McGuire continues to position Texas Tech as a program willing to challenge the traditional hierarchy of college football.
Full Conversation: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-12-today/id1820466636?i=1000762399563
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