USC assistant Kliff Kingsbury elected to the 2023 Texas Tech Hall of Fame: A look back at his incredible college career through stats

Texas Tech University announced on Wednesday that Kliff Kingsbury will be inducted into Texas Tech’s Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor. The former quarterback and head coach of the Red Raiders will be inducted along with the school’s legendary football coach, Mike Leach. Leach will be inducted posthumously.

The most recent and vivid memory of Kingsbury’s connection to Texas Tech is his not-so-memorable outing as the school's coach, going 35-40 in five seasons.

This chapter of his time at Texas Tech may not be deserving of a place in the Hall of Fame. But his time as a player has earned him that place. In this article, we will revisit Kingsbury’s legendary college football career.

How good was Kliff Kingsbury’s college career?

Kliff Kingsbury quarterbacked the Red Raiders from 1998 to 2002. He played under coach Spike Dykes from 1998 to 1999 and Mike Leach from 2000 to 2002. He played in 43 games, completing 1,229 of 1,881 passes for 12,423 yards with 95 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.

Kingsbury’s 12,429 passing yards are the most thrown by any player in Texas Tech history. It is also the sixth-most career yards thrown by any player in NCAA history. His 95 touchdown passes are also the highest by a Texas Tech player ever and 14th in NCAA rankings.

His career pass completion rate stands at 65.0% and is still the highest recorded by a Texas Tech player. It also ranks 12th in NCAA history.

Kingsbury threw for a Texas Tech single-game record of 473 yards against Oklahoma State in 2002. That's 26th highest in NCAA history. He also holds the record for the highest single-season passing yards in school history with 5,017 in 2002.

With such an exceptional college career, one can see why Kliff Kingsbury is getting inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame. This is only another one of the recognitions he has received during his career. He earned the Sammy Baugh Trophy in 2002 for finishing the season as the nation’s top passer.

Kliff Kingsbury’s short NFL career wasn’t as glamorous as his college career. However, he managed to win a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots. He ventured into coaching after his playing career and is currently an assistant coach for the USC Trojans.