Long, Winding Path to Tech Proves McIvor's Resiliency

SAN ANGELO, TX-- San Angelo Central QB Maverick McIvor signed with Texas Tech University on Wednesday, ending a long, winding journey through his prep career.

“Man, words can’t describe [the feeling],” McIvor said. “I thought it was over a while ago. Then stuff happened and then it just started all over again. I was in the process for a while. No I’ve made my decision and I’m so ready. Can’t wait.”

The 6’3” quarterback was originally committed to the Red Raiders before the 2018 season. That was before Kliff Kingsbury was fired as head coach following a third consecutive losing season and Maverick season-ending injury against Del Rio in week 2. McIvor and those around him say the recovery process is ahead of schedule for the soon-to-be Red Raider.

Not knowing the certainty of his scholarship, however, McIvor reopened his recruiting after Kingsbury was let go. That prompted new head coach Matt Wells to remind Central’s star he is wanted in Lubbock.

Wells told the media he wanted to build his program “from the inside out,” meaning he wanted to hit the West Texas region hard in recruiting.

Knowing that, McIvor felt certain of his decision.

“Coach Wells and his new staff, it couldn’t have worked out better,” McIvor said. “I was one of the first guys he came and saw. It shows importance. The offensive coordinator, I was one of the first guys he saw. It was just in-home visits that sold me. The conversation with them was solid and it couldn’t have worked out better.”

McIvor will join former Bobcats Eli and Henry Howard on the Tech football team, as well as a plethora of familiar faces on campus.

“Lubbock is kinda like a big San Angelo in a way,” Maverick said. “There’s a bunch of people I can relate to. I just love Lubbock as a town and I love the football program.”

However, the beginning of Maverick’s journey started on a field 80 yards long by 40 yards wide at Fort Davis High School in the Big Bend region of Texas. He was playing six-man football in front of his dad, and former Texas Longhorn, Rick McIvor.

Maverick attributes his work ethic to his time playing the six-man variety.

“In a small town, you kinda just do everything,” he said. “It kinda makes you overall a better athlete. Then, the work ethic, it just makes you work harder and be the best and just prove everybody wrong.”

Rick feels that time was a big part of Maverick’s development as a mobile quarterback.

“You’re single out there. You’re way out there, running by yourself on a 40-by-80 field,” Rick said. “He developed a lot of running skills, a lot of the basic skills you need. Then when he got [to Central], he got in with coach [Kevin] Crane and the rest of the staff. They really put it together for him. And that’s why he’s going where he’s going. He has put in his time.”

Living in the rural area of Fort Davis for as long as he did with sports held in high regard, Maverick was almost destined to end up at a Power 5 school.

“He was raised mostly in Fort Davis. So, he’s got that country charisma or whatever you wanna call it,” Davis said. “I think his work ethic is out the roof.”

Through it all -- the knee injury, the coaching change and even the move to San Angelo -- Maverick has taken it all in stride. That humility and selflessness is regarded as McIvor’s best trait.

“You saw him. There’s nothing negative about him,” Central head coach Brent Davis said. “He’s a team guy. When he went down, he hurt more for the team than he did for himself. He was here to help us anyway he could and did and was a big part of the success we had.”

However, Davis feels he and his coaching staff were “a small part” of McIvor’s growth.

“He got here his freshman year. We tried to do our part to develop him as a person and a player,” Davis said. “But his parents deserve all that credit. They’re good people and they raised him right. He’s a testament to how they raised him and he’s just a first-class individual.”

That was evident during the recruiting process. McIvor finished the recruiting process with 16 Division I offers. With that notoriety comes countless emails and phone calls from potential suitors.

“For a young man, it gets overwhelming,” Rick said. “He handled it well. I didn’t have any question that he was not gonna handle it well. The fact of it is, he’s going to a great school and he’ll enjoy it and hopefully he’ll have a great career.”

McIvor said he plans to be “a good guy on the field, but a better guy off the field” at Texas Tech.