Texas Tech scored big on the recruiting trail on Thursday with a commitment from Mansfield (Texas) Timberview four-star defensive back Jordan Sanford.
For Sanford, it was his belief in newly-hired head coach Joey McGuire that led to him deciding to go west to Lubbock for the next 3-4 years.
“Probably just the relationships that I built there and I just think it’s really family-oriented,” Sanford said.” Hearing about Coach McGuire and the opportunities after football, for sure.”
Like most players and coaches in Texas high school football, Sanford was aware of the person Joey McGuire was going into his time being recruited by Texas Tech, but seeing it for himself made everything feel right in the end.
“Everything I’ve heard about him has been good,” he said. “When he first came in, I was worried because it was a new coach that has never coached a college team as a head coach before. But just hearing all of the good things about him, I just think everything off the field will carry onto the field for him.”
On his official visit to Lubbock, Sanford noticed the drive of the team and was able to see the vision under the new regime.
“They’re really goal-oriented, they know what they want,” he said. “They wake up every day with a vision on how to get that and I think I fit right into that.”
In addition to Texas Tech, Sanford’s official visit swing in the month of June saw him take trips to Northwestern, Oklahoma State, SMU and Washington. Despite some outside noise, Sanford believed that Tech was the right place for him.
“It was a tough decision,” Sanford said. “That’s probably why I played my recruitment out the way it’s been. Just trying to make the best decision for me and what I think will help me after football as well.”
The resume of the Red Raiders’ secondary coach and passing game coordinator Marcel Yates stood out as well to Sanford, as he sees an opportunity to see the field early and develop quickly under his guide.
“Developmental-wise, he used to be a DC so I would say he’s over-qualified to be a secondary coach,” Sanford said. “I trust him to mold me into what I want to be. I’ve been checking out the depth chart a lot. I think I can definitely play early there.”
At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Sanford is the No. 18 ranked safety in the country and the No. 48 recruit from the state of Texas for the class of 2023, according to Rivals. He joins Texas Tech’s top 20 class as its fourth four-star prospect.
