Joey McGuire prefers to build his Texas Tech football teams from the ground up rather than relying on the transfer portal.
However, McGuire isn’t scared to dip into the portal and see what’s available. This year, transfers will be a major factor for the Red Raiders, especially on offense where Tech is trying to replace the bulk of its receiving corps and most of its offensive line from a year ago.
Which of these new faces could have the biggest impact on the Red Raiders’ chances in the 2024 season?
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With the exits of Jerand Bradley and Myles Price, the Red Raiders needed a dynamic veteran receiver to pair with freshman Micah Hudson. They landed a big one in Josh Kelly, who put up career numbers with Washington State last season, totaling 61 catches for 923 yards and eight touchdowns. The demise of the Pac-12 was Texas Tech’s gain in this scenario.
The Gruver native returned to West Texas for his final collegiate season after spending three years in Tempe and one at Oklahoma. Conyers wasn’t able to participate in spring practice after suffering a broken foot during winter workouts, but his arrival adds veteran depth at the tight end position. He’s caught 74 passes for 846 yards and six touchdowns in his collegiate career.
The arrival of Carter has provided the Red Raiders a number of intriguing options to fill out the offensive line. Carter occupied the right guard position at Memphis where he allowed one sack in 1,000 opportunities in his two years with the Tigers. He’s expected to battle Sheridan Wilson and Caleb Rogers to be the starting center or could be back at guard, depending on how the summer goes.
While Carter’s position is in question, Sciury is pretty much cemented into the left guard position. That’s the same spot Sciury started 33 consecutive games at Toledo, where he was considered one of the top interior linemen in the country. He was a first team all-conference selections last season.
Putting a projected backup quarterback on the list is dicey, but McGuire expects Brown, the Division II transfer, to have some sort of impact on the Red Raiders this season. Brown quickly established himself as second to Behren Morton in the spring thanks to his playmaking and running ability. Plus, Texas Tech hasn’t had great quarterback health, so having Brown in the fold is by design.
