The Texas Tech Red Raiders are entering a fresh and exciting era under new coach Joey McGuire. Of course, the standings still read 0-0, as all the offseason excitement is purely based off speculation of what McGuire can bring as he enters his first season as a college head coach.
But there are a number of talented and special players on this year’s team that add to the injection of optimism that surrounds Lubbock headed into the 2022-23 season.
Here at RedRaiderReview.com, we’ll be taking a look at a general review of a few of these players, starting with linebacker Dimitri Moore.
Dimitri Moore, Linebacker – Transfer from Missouri State and Vanderbilt
Moore, a 6-3, 232-pound linebacker from Cedar Hill, TX, enters his fifth year of collegiate eligibility after three years in the SEC with the Vanderbilt Commodores and one short, season-long stint with the Missouri State Bears last year.
As a native of Cedar Hill, Moore’s connection with his new head coach runs deep. He played under McGuire for four years on a Longhorns team that went 34-7 during that span.
During his senior year in 2016, Moore totaled 90 tackles, 12 sacks, and 18 tackles-for-loss as the Longhorns finished with an 11-3 record and made an appearance in the 6A playoffs. Moore ended his high school career as an All-State and All-Region first-team selection.
Though McGuire and Moore didn’t win it all in 2016, Moore’s sophomore year in 2014 saw the team win a 6A state title.
It just so happens that the two of them left Cedar Hill together after Moore’s senior season. McGuire headed to Baylor to become the tight ends coach while Moore committed to the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Though Vanderbilt has struggled as a football program in recent years, Moore was one of the bright spots on the defensive side during his three seasons in Nashville.
He redshirted in 2017, which proved to be the right move. In 2018, Moore was named to the SEC All-Freshmen Team after tallying 84 total tackles, which was the most of any first-time SEC player and any freshman in the country that season.
Moore’s freshman year coincidentally ended with him facing his old coach, as Vandy and Baylor went head-to-head in the 2018 Texas Bowl. McGuire and the Bears won 45-38 as Moore tallied five tackles.
Moore then led the Commodores with 99 total tackles the following year. In a COVID-shortened season in 2020, he was a Preseason All-SEC selection and Preseason Butkus Award nominee, an award given annually to the nation’s top linebacker.
His time at Missouri State was short-lived, as Moore only played in six games. But with one final year of college football left in him, Moore’s journey has now come full circle as he prepares for the first season of football with McGuire in nearly six years.
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