Update (Friday, December 27th, 5:30 p.m. CST): 30 minutes prior to kick off of the Liberty Bowl, Texas Tech officially announced that Tahj Brooks would not be playing in the Liberty Bowl against Arkansas.
Also out is Tech wide receiver Josh Kelly.
Original Story: One day before Texas Tech gets set to take on Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire provided an update on whether or not star running back Tahj Brooks will playing in the game. Brooks is closing out his fifth year of playing in Lubbock and this would be his last game before the 2025 NFL Draft.
McGuire said that Brooks is 50/50 to play against the Razorbacks on Friday, according to University of Arkansas sports reporter Jackson Fuller. Brooks has been with the team in Memphis and has practiced every day.
Brooks was officially listed as RB1 on the Texas Tech depth chart for the Liberty Bowl earlier in the week.
Related: 2024 Liberty Bowl: Top Predictions, Odds, and How to Watch Texas Tech vs. Arkansas
Brooks was a Second-Team All-Big 12 Football selection in 2024. Brooks finished the 2024 college football season with 286 carries for 1,505 yards, and a career-high 17 touchdowns. Brooks finished 3rd in the Big 12 in rushing yards behind Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo and UCF’s RJ Harvey.
But because Brooks only played in 11 games due to missing the Washington State game, he led the Big 12 in rushing yards per game at 136.8. He was also third in the Big 12 in rushing touchdowns, also trailing Harvey and Skattebo.
The 2024 Liberty Bowl kicks off on Friday, December 27th at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.
