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Texas Tech football portal entrants to play in Liberty Bowl; Tahj Brooks' decision pending
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- Texas Tech football portal entrants to play in Liberty Bowl; Tahj Brooks' decision pending
Former Texas Tech football receiver Loic Fouonji had his name in the NCAA transfer portal and had visited elsewhere when he caught a touchdown pass for the Red Raiders last year in their Independence Bowl victory over California.
There's a chance something similar could happen again this year when Texas Tech (8-4) plays Arkansas (6-6) next week in the Liberty Bowl. Tech coach Joey McGuire said Thursday "the majority of our guys that are in the portal are going to play in the bowl game."
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By name, he singled out quarterback Jake Strong, wide receivers Jordan Brown and Brady Boyd, offensive lineman Kaden Carr and defensive tackle Trevon McAlpine. Since the portal window opened Dec. 9, Tech's had 13 players have their names entered with 10 yet to make a public commitment elsewhere.
It's a source of pride for McGuire that Fouonji graduated from Tech before he transferred to Vanderbilt to play this season.
"He visited (Vanderbilt), played in the game (for Tech) and stayed," McGuire said, "We paid to make sure he could graduate from Texas Tech and get his degree that spring and then he went to Vandy. We're trying to do it different (than other programs) because it's bigger than just football, and these guys have done a lot for this university so we're not going to turn our back on them."
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Texas Tech's quarterback Jake Strong (17) throws the ball before the game against Houston, Saturday, Sept, 30, 2023, at Jones AT&T Stadium.
Tech quarterback Behren Morton underwent shoulder surgery after last week. McGuire said the QB depth chart for the Liberty Bowl will have freshman Will Hammond making his first start, backed by Strong and tight end Jalin Conyers , who was a high-school quarterback. Conyers also has been a wildcat-formation QB for the Red Raiders.
"That package has grown a lot," McGuire said, "so I'm excited about that."
Tech and Arkansas square off at 6 p.m. Dec. 27 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Still to be answered is whether Tech running back Tahj Brooks will play. McGuire said the Doak Walker Award semifinalist has been at every bowl practice — about eight or nine so far.
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"He said, 'Coach, the closer and closer we get to the game, I'll make that decision,' " McGuire related. "If he does play, of course that's going to be incredible. If he doesn't, then we're going to see (freshman running backs) J'Koby Williams and Cam Dickey."
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Top receiver departed: Texas Tech football receiving leader Josh Kelly to miss Liberty Bowl, spokesman says
A Tech athletics spokesman said Tuesday that Josh Kelly, the Red Raiders' first 1,000-yard receiver since 2018, has left the team to begin training for the NFL draft process. Kelly caught 89 passes for 1,023 yards and five touchdowns in his one season at Tech.
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Kelly caught nine passes for 150 yards in the regular-season finale against West Virginia, and not by accident. McGuire was keeping track of his statistics.
"That little notebook I usually have that y'all have probably seen me writing in," McGuire said, "I was actually doing some math in that book to get him to a thousand yards. I wanted him to get to a thousand yards and not play in the bowl game, just from the standpoint I knew it would be better for him, and he was pretty banged up by the end of the season."
Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Jordan Brown (4) runs the ball against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field.
Kelly's backup at 'Y' inside receiver is redshirt freshman Kelby Valsin. Brown and Conyers are other options.
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McGuire gave players 3 1/2 days off for Christmas. The Red Raiders will practice again Saturday and Sunday, travel to Memphis on Monday and work out again Tuesday, Wednesday and next Thursday on site.
The Red Raiders' practice site is at Memphis University Schools, while Arkansas will work out at Rhodes College.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football transfer portal entrants to play in Liberty Bowl
