Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire: We'll definitely look at adding a player cut by an NFL team

Published August 26, 2026 05:28 AM The Big Ten and SEC have passed rules saying players who have been under contract with NFL teams are not eligible to play in either conference. But the Big 12 has no such rule, and Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire says he’ll look into adding a player who was in an NFL training camp but didn’t make the final roster.“We’ve been monitoring, for the last week or so, how we can add, if possible, somebody to make this team better,” McGuire said. “We haven’t called any NFL coaches. We haven’t scouted any NFL players, that I think some teams have done, but we’re definitely gonna look.”Two players who were cut by NFL teams this month, tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, had agreed to play for LSU this season, reuniting them with coach Lane Kiffin, who coached them both at Ole Miss last year. The new SEC rule would seem to preclude them from going to LSU, but wouldn’t preclude Texas Tech from adding them — unless the Big 12 adopts the same rule. McGuire said he’s unsure whether the Big 12 will do that.“You know what’s coming next: Those players are gonna sue the conference. So what do you do? I was checking with our guys today, what’s the Big 12 gonna do? It’s going to be interesting,” McGuire said.NCAA teams are allowed to have up to 105 players on their rosters. McGuire said he currently has one roster spot available and won’t kick anyone off the team to make room for a new player, so Texas Tech would only add one former NFL player to the team. “If we add anybody, it’d be one,” McGuire said. “We’re not gonna have to ask anybody to leave or anything like that. We have a spot, and if we can find the right guy to make this team better, we’ll use it.”Texas Tech has already become a symbol for the chaos that pervades college football, after the school backed quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s attempt to get his NCAA eligibility back after a gambling suspension. Sorsby ultimately gave up his NCAA eligibility, was denied in his attempt to enter the NFL supplemental draft, and will not play football at any level this season while awaiting the 2027 NFL draft.McGuire is unapologetic about Texas Tech’s ambitions to acquire talented players any way it can.“I know this: I get to keep my job if I win, and so I’m gonna constantly look at how we can be better as a team, and be better roster-wise,” McGuire said.Given McGuire’s comments, it should come as no surprise if some player who was in an NFL training camp this summer is playing for Texas Tech this fall.