The defending Big 12 champions were always going to grab plenty of spotlight at the Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas. The Red Raider football team won its first Big 12 title in program history, but flamed out spectacularly in the college football playoff. Texas Tech also navigated the most unique off-season situation in recent college football history. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s gambling addiction ultimately led to his dismissal from the team (though it took a few twists and turns to get there). Now, with less than 60 days until Texas Tech begins its first-ever conference title defense, head coach Joey McGuire took the stage to field questions from the media. Let’s take a look at the Big 12 media day sound bites that rang the loudest for the Red Raiders.
Opening Statement
McGuire took the stage in Frisco with plenty of winning under his belt. All 5 years at Texas Tech have been winning seasons. With his signature energy, McGuire told the media that he was “excited to be here.” In fact, he said he was “really excited” multiple times in his opening remarks. The part that stood out, in particular with the offseason events as a backdrop, was that he “feels like we are in a good spot culturally.” Like all coaches who took the main stage today, the opening remarks were brief to set the table for questions.
Only one direct Sorsby question
McGuire fielded only one question that directly spoke to Sorby’s situation as a whole. The overall concept of the questions was what the cost was to support Sorsby. McGuire took inventory of his thoughts before he spoke. “It’s tough,” he said before shifting some of the focus elsewhere. “[The} thing for me through all of this…my president and AD…who believed in me…they went through a lot.” But the head coach did eventually get to a more direct answer to the question.
The thing we try to focus on is the Red Raiders and our alumni base. Those are the ones I’m concerned about.
McGuire answered another related question about how the off-season has been a distraction to his team. “To bring a team together…shared adversity brings you closer.” He would further add that “you wouldn’t know anything going on if you walked into the weight room.”
Thoughts on the rest of the Texas Tech football team
Sorsby landed at Texas Tech in large part because of Will Hammond’s injury against Oklahoma State last season. When asked about Hammond, McGuire said, “[We are] fortunate to have a guy like Will Hammond.” He would also add, “If he doesn’t go down, we take a veteran QB.” But because the ACL recovery process can be somewhat unpredictable, McGuire stated that the team, “couldn’t take a chance [Hammond] wouldn’t be ready or have a setback during rehab.” Hammond appears to be recovering well, as he told ESPN prior to taking the stage that Hammond could be available for the season opener. This would be something he would repeat on the main stage.
However, if Hammond isn’t ready, this team will still be in a great position to start the season because of the depth of talent they have, including the preseason Defensive Player of the Year. But McGuire was asked about which players the rest of the country should pay attention to who haven’t gotten some of the spotlight. He listed three different players: Trey White, Adam Trick, and Breden Jordan. White, an outside linebacker, was a first-team All-Mountain West selection for San Diego State last year. Trick, another outside linebacker/EDGE, was selected to the All-MAC first team after notching 13 sacks for Miami (OH) in 2025. Jordan started all 14 games for the Red Raiders in 2025 at safety
Expectations and Texas
McGuire got a pretty standard question about the expectations of his team in 2026. He did not hesitate before firing off, “Win the Big12.” He noted that only two teams have ever won back-to-back Big 12 titles (Oklahoma and Baylor). McGuire also spoke to the importance of doing more than just winning in the conference. He stated that it is “important to get multiple teams in the playoffs.” He also recognized that just getting to the end-of-season playoff isn’t good enough. McGuire said flatly that his team/any Big 12 team, must “win in the playoff. Until we do that, the narrative will remain the same.
One of the last questions he answered was about the possibility of playing Texas again and how serious Texas Tech was about getting that game scheduled. McGuire grinned before declaring, “Spot the ball. They got a great football team, one of the best in the country.” The Red Raider head coach would go on to explain that he wants to see more games between the programs in Texas. “I’m a Texan. I grew up in the Southwest Conference. Texas and Texas Tech are supposed to play.” He would further say, “If you’re a Texan and a fan of the football in the state, then why would we go outside the state to play non-conference games? It might be one of the reasons so many players are leaving the state because we aren’t playing anymore.” McGuire stated that not only would he love to play Texas, but also Texas A&M and SMU.
Contact/Follow us @RedRaidersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas Tech news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: McGuire at Big 12 Media Days: ‘Win in the playoff’
Reporting by Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire | USA TODAY Network
