McGuire surprises Brown, Garcia with scholarships

LUBBOCK, Texas – Three words a walk-on student-athlete will likely never forget: “You’re on scholarship.”

Texas Tech junior wide receiver Jordan Brown and senior place kicker Gino Garcia heard those same three words Tuesday evening as they were both presented with scholarships by head coach Joey McGuire prior to the Red Raiders’ first bowl practice.

Brown, a native of Dallas, has emerged as one of Texas Tech’s top wideouts this season with 22 catches for 256 yards and a touchdown. Now in his second season as a Red Raider, Brown has provided an added deep threat with five catches of at least 20 yards, which ranks tied for second on the team only behind receiving yards leader Xavier White.

Brown has a long history with McGuire as he previously attended Cedar Hill High School – where McGuire led the Longhorns to three state titles – up until his senior year. McGuire, who departed Cedar Hill for Baylor after Brown’s freshman year, previously coached his older brother, Laquvionte Gonzalez when he was on the Cedar Hill team that played in the Class 6A state title game in 2012.

Garcia, meanwhile, has developed into a highly-reliable option in the kicking game, finding the uprights on 14-of-19 field goal attempts this season and all 36 of his PAT attempts. Garcia was 9-for-10 on field goal attempts during Big 12 play alone, which included the game-winner from 30 yards out as time expired in Texas Tech’s victory at Kansas.

Garcia, a native of Richardson, Texas, enters the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl a perfect 9-for-9 on attempts inside 39 yards and then 3-for-5 on tries from 50-plus yards as he has connected on successful field goals from 51, 54 and 55 yards out this season. He needs at least one successful field goal versus Cal to move into the Texas Tech single-season chart as he’d tie the quartet of Brian Hall (1976), Scott Segrist (1988), Alex Trlica (2006) and Jonathan Garibay (2021) for 11th all-time in program history.

Kickoff between Texas Tech and Cal in the Independence Bowl is slated for 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN and the Texas Tech Sports Network.

–TECH–

Release Provided by Matt Dowdy Texas Tech Athletics