Joey McGuire’s RB Coach Quietly Moves On From Quinten Joyner as He Announces 2 Replacements

Texas Tech‘s RB coach, who also happens to be a McGuire, isn’t shying away from the challenge of replacing Quinten Joyner. An ACL injury will keep the redshirt-sophomore running back out for the remainder of the season. Mr. McGuire, not HC Joey McGuire, conceded the difficulty of the situation for both the team and Joyner.

The sting of losing Joyner can’t be overstated. A USC transfer with high-end pedigree and a spring practice that had him pegged for breakout stardom, Joyner was supposed to be the thunder to Tech’s already established backfield punch. Instead, RB coach Garret McGuire stood in front of reporters this week and laid it bare: “Obviously, unfortunate we had that injury. Had really really high expectations and honestly for just the competitor that Quinton is and the player and just how much he’s developed both on but really off the field as a person. So it’s just unfortunate that way. The good thing is we’re not going to miss a beat. We have two guys that. And so, we’re not going to bat an eye. No one’s feeling sorry for us.”

The two veteran guys McGuire pointed to are sophomores Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams, the duo that already gave Tech fans a sneak peek at what the future might look like. In last December’s bowl win over Arkansas, while veteran star Tahj Brooks sat ahead of the NFL Draft, Dickey and Williams carved through the Razorbacks for 238 combined yards on 35 touches. Against a top-35 defense, those weren’t empty calories—they were proof that the kids could handle the bright lights. If Tech hadn’t gone out and added Joyner from USC, Dickey and Williams were always penciled as the ‘backfield of the future’. Circumstances just turned tomorrow’s plan into today’s necessity.

But depth charts don’t just fill themselves, and Joey McGuire’s RB coach has already dipped deeper into the roster for reinforcements. “We definitely don’t feel sorry for ourselves. I hate it for Q. And then also, it’s a great opportunity for Adam Hill and Mike Henderson to show us what they can do. We brought Mike over, a guy who had 1,300 yards in 6A big-time high school football here, and I’m really excited to have him in the room.” Add 6’2 Adam Hill to that list. Mike Henderson, a two-way star at Wylie East High in Dallas-Fort Worth, had been logging time at DB for the Red Raiders. The staff had long mulled over cross-training him, but positional needs always delayed the experiment. Joyner’s injury flipped that decision overnight, and Tuesday marked Henderson’s first practice carrying the ball since his 1,000-yard senior season.

McGuire sounded almost giddy describing Henderson’s return to offense. “He has embraced it. Been really impressed with his knowledge and the traction he has gained. He’s a competitor, a football guy and those guys always win.” Those words matter because Tech’s system demands quick processing, blitz recognition, and a willingness to handle 25 snaps a game in protection as much as running. If Henderson has already “gained traction,” it signals more than just an emergency body.

The coach’s faith in that tandem is more than just words. Williams has the burst that fits perfectly in Zach Kittley’s wide-zone looks, a one-cut slasher who can turn creases into home runs. Dickey, meanwhile, runs like he’s got lead in his shoulders—low pad level, quick balance recovery, and enough versatility to leak out as a checkdown target. As for Saturday’s season opener, Joey McGuire’s junior coach kept the depth chart intentionally murky.

Joey McGuire’s RB room turns into a two-man showdown

Former Baylor QB and Tech’s RBs coach Garret McGuire is making it clear he wants nothing handed out—every carry, every snap, every role has to be earned the hard way. That’s been his plan from day one, and it isn’t changing now. “My plan is to have OR for 12 plus weeks,” McGuire explained when asked how the depth chart would look. “I want those guys to earn it each week. I want to ride the hot hand when we can. There’s not two guys in the program I’d rather have your back than Cam and J’Koby.”

That’s the kind of coach-speak that translates to one thing: open competition. McGuire loves his depth, but he’s already identified his two tone-setters in Dickey and Williams. Both were thrown into the fire last season as freshmen, and both have shown they’re built for it.

Williams, in particular, has the reputation every locker room guy wants. McGuire didn’t hesitate when he said J’Koby might be the ‘toughest guy on the team’, putting him in the same breath as QB1 Behren Morton. “There is something about him when he’s on the field. There’s an energy, there’s an enthusiasm. Don’t tell him he’s too small or he will hit you right in the mouth.”

And then there’s Dickey, who McGuire believes is taking things to another level this fall. “There might not be a guy that’s had a better camp on offense than #8,” he said. “He has come to work to put himself in [a] position to have a lot of success this year.” This backfield feels like it’s gearing up for a heavyweight title fight every week.