ESPN's Tom Luginbill sees Texas Tech football wielding clout in new Big 12
One of the Texas Tech football program's first orders of business is to quickly fill the power vacuum left in the Big 12 with the pending departures of Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference.
Tom Luginbill believes the Red Raiders, with another strong signing class, are in position to do it. The ESPN college football analyst extolled the pluses of the Red Raiders during a signing-day show on Wednesday.
"I'm so fascinated right now by what the new-look Big 12 is going to look (like) in terms of the hierarchy of recruiting," Luginbill said. "Who's going to take the mantle? Who's going to fill that spot (when) Texas, Oklahoma move on? Well, right now it's Texas Tech."
Luginbill's a former college quarterback and coached in four professional football leagues before becoming an analyst. He's spent a lifetime around football, being the son of a coach, former San Diego State head coach Al Luginbill.
Tom Luginbill likes what he's seen from Joey McGuire, who just finished his second season as head coach and has a recruiting class ranked among the top 30 nationally for the second year in a row. The class is ranked No. 1 in the 247Sports composite index in the post-Sooners/post-Longhorns Big 12.
The jewel of the class is wide receiver Micah Hudson, ranked No. 1 in Texas and No. 7 in the nation among this year's signees in the 247Sports composite.
"Texas Tech and Joey McGuire have done a really, really good job of casting a wide net throughout the state," Luginbill said. "We know they're in a little bit of an outpost location. They've got great NIL capabilities, tremendous stadium and facility upgrades, and then you bring in a difference maker for Zach Kittley's offense in Micah Hudson and you can recruit to the high-flying circus act that is their offense.
"Behren Morton's a good young quarterback. They got a taste of that with him this year, particularly when he was healthy. So you're going to start seeing more defensive players, more offensive playmakers coming into the fold there."
Tech finished a 7-6 season this year with a 34-14 Independence Bowl victory against California. McGuire led the Red Raiders to an 8-5 record and Texas Bowl victory over Mississippi last year.
More: Unpacking Texas Tech football 2024 recruiting class -- and how good it can be
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: ESPN's Tom Luginbill sees Texas Tech football wielding clout in new Big 12
