In Joey McGuire’s early days as Texas Tech football head coach, there was a flurry of activity on the recruiting front. So at one point, McGuire had the nation’s No. 2 class for the 2023 cycle.
However, that momentum slowed slightly over the summer as Tech picked up five verbal commitments during a year when many of the nation’s top players made their college choices. That worried some Red Raider fans who grew up quickly with McGuire’s rapid recruiting success (for example, he got six verbal commitments in April alone).
But much of the tech slowdown is due to the 2023 class being completed on the way to hiring. By joining 23 players before Thursday, McGuire and his staff will be able to be selective at the remaining spots.
Still, you know you’re welcome when a special player wants to join your program, and that’s what happened Thursday night when 4-star defensive end Jordan Sanford announced his intention to become a Red Raider.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Arlington, Texas native is rated the No. 23 safety in the division by 247Sports.com and the No. 46 overall player in Texas. That makes him the third-highest commitment in Tech’s current class, along with tight end Isaiah Crawford of Post Texas and safety Brandon Jordan of Mansfield, Texas.
Sanford, the No. 266 player in the nation for 2023, is being considered by the likes of Northwestern, Oklahoma State, SMU, Washington, Arizona State, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, TCU, Utah, and more. He visited Washington in June and was considered heavily leaning toward the Huskies, but McGuire and his coaching staff were able to win this important recruiting battle.
It’s important for Tech to return the class on defense in this class because two of the 2022 Red Raiders’ projected starters this year, Adrian Frye and Marquis Waters, are set to become eligible this season.
It was also important for Tech to add another star recruit to the defensive backfield after seeing 4-star recruit Calvin Simpson-Hunt flip from Tech to Ohio State earlier this summer. His loss was a huge blow to Tech’s recruiting class, but Sanford’s addition will help offset the recruiting loss.
The Red Raiders currently have the No. 17 recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports.com. That has Tech at No. 4 in the Big 12 behind Texas, OU and Baylor.
Included in that Red Raider class are three defensive backs, all of whom are ranked in the top 65 nationally at their respective positions. It’s evidence that Joey McGuire’s recruiting class is shaping up to be one of the strongest in Texas Tech football history, even if the commitments aren’t coming in as quickly as they did a few months ago.
