Texas Tech’s McGuire gives overview on Red Raiders and the new landscape of college and high school sports

Name, image and likeness is part of the new landscape of college and, perhaps very soon, Texas high schools. Add in the transfer portal for college athletes, and fans are seeing some of the best players on their favorite teams leave for what the athletes believe to be greener pastures elsewhere.

Since few rules seem to govern name, image and likeness and the transfer portal, new Texas Tech head football coach Joey McGuire was asked to explain it to members of the Rudy Davalos Horseshoe Bay Sports Club on May 26.

“The transfer portal by itself is not even, and name, image and likeness is not even,” McGuire said. “I know some of you guys (who played college ball) wish you could have made some money on name, image and likeness and you should have. There are guys on other teams calling my guys. That’s not right. That’s the big thing that’s happening. It’s not right.”

McGuire added that if college players want to sell personal belongings such as jerseys as part of name, image and likeness, he doesn’t have an issue and adds that players should have the option to leave a program if their coach leaves.

The other concern the coach has is that players may not understand that the money they receive through name, image and likeness is taxable and they may not be getting the education and knowledge from their university personnel on how to file a tax return. That’s not the case at Texas Tech, he said, where athletes have someone who is part of official visits and explains to parents and athletes the ins and outs of name, image and likeness.

“There are a lot of people making a lot of money,” he said. “I hope they have a good foundation. Hopefully they’re all being educated like athletes are being educated.”

As for the news that the Texas High School Coaches Association has entered into a partnership with Eccker Sports to educate on name, image and likeness, McGuire said that if any organization in Texas could take the lead on this unknown, it was THSCA.

“I’m anxious to see how it plays out,” he said. “I thought it was coming at some point. If any organization is prepared, it’s THSCA. They’ll have a plan to help the student-athletes and parents as a whole.”

As he thought of the upcoming season, McGuire said the team as a whole is stronger thanks to some tough sessions during the spring. A starting quarterback hasn’t been named though he likes what he has witnessed from senior Tyler Shough, sophomore Donovan Smith and redshirt freshman Behren Morton.

“They’re all dual-threat quarterbacks,” he said. “We had 12 full-pad workouts and all had equal reps. Donovan Smith is 6 feet 5 inches, and we’ll run quarterback power in the red zone and we’ll say ‘stop it.’ We have a really healthy quarterback room. There are very few teams in the country who have two much less three who can go play.”

He added that he was excited about the running backs, specifically redshirt freshman Cam’ron Valdez and senior Sarodorick Thompson.

“Came’ron had a huge spring,” McGuire said. “(Junior) Tahj Brooks needs to stay healthy.”

The coach also noted the receivers are young and showed positives during the spring.

“We need a couple to step up,” he said. “I’m excited about our defensive backs and our kicking game.”

He added he believes senior place kicker Trey Wolf and senior punter Austin McNamara are among the best in the country.

As a defensive-minded coach, McGuire said there must be a commitment to stopping the run.

“We can’t allow people to run the ball when they want,” he said. “You have to force the ball to places. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, if you watched Baylor play defense, it was an effort-based defense. Those guys were already brain washed in how you play defense. We have some old and experienced defensive backs (at Texas Tech) who can help us win.”

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