The oil and gas that defines West Texas are fueling Texas Tech’s quest for a Big 12 championship and a berth into the College Football Playoff. Mega boosters Cody Campbell and John Sellers challenged the Red Raider brass to go all-in after last season and ahead of the court ruling to enact revenue sharing for college athletics.

Texas Tech beat both teams in last year’s Big 12 championship. And while close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades, those results did create the confidence to bet the farm. Head coach Joey McGuire and general manager James Blanchard, who turned down a job at Notre Dame in the offseason, were given a blank check and a mission: Be in the market for every star in the portal.

“We’re so lucky to have the boosters that we have, and that starts with Cody Campbell, who is a forward thinker and knew that there was a window before this revenue sharing takes effect that allowed us to go all-in this offseason,” McGuire said. “Why wouldn’t we try to take advantage of the two worlds we’re currently living in with NIL and revenue sharing?”

Texas Tech signed the top transfer class in the country with 21 new additions as of the end of April. Thirteen of those 21 were considered four-star transfers by 247Sports, which was most in the country. The Red Raiders added five new defensive linemen and five new defensive backs amongst the haul.

The headliners include defensive tackle Lee Hunter, defensive end David Bailey, and safety Cole Wisniewski on the defensive side of the ball. Offensive linemen Howard Sampson, Will Jados, and Hunter Zambrano were the most important signings on offense.

The new investments weren’t restricted to the roster. McGuire hired offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich away from Texas State after Zach Kittley became the head coach at FAU. He then hired Shiel Wood away from Houston to replace Tim DeRuyter. Texas Tech also revealed facility upgrades to the tune of $242 million dollars.

The resources at McGuire’s disposal create new expectations for a program without a ton of championship history. The last time Texas Tech won a conference championship was in 1976. Bill Parcells was the defensive coordinator. The only 10-plus win season since that run was in 2008. McGuire led Texas Tech to eight wins in two of his first three seasons. The last time the Red Raiders won more than that was in 2009, the last year Mike Leach was on campus. That was also the last year Tech finished the year with a winning record in conference play before McGuire arrived.

The ceiling is now the floor as the program can finally recruit against the big boys of college football. McGuire doesn’t call it pressure, however. He sees it as an opportunity.

“We have a chance to go out and do something that hasn’t been done in a long time here at Texas Tech,” McGuire said. “That doesn’t make me nervous, that makes me excited.”

McGuire still considers himself a high school coach at heart. Culture remains important to him, maybe more important than ever, in the transfer portal era. Football is the ultimate team sport and it isn’t always won by the teams with the most talented individuals. Arizona State was picked to finish last in the Big 12 last year before winning it and reaching the College Football Playoff. Tech knows a talented roster isn’t the only ingredient required to win big.

Because of that, McGuire took on a bigger role recruiting high school talent on the road this offseason so his new coordinators could stay in Lubbock and build chemistry with units breaking in new faces in fresh schemes. Blanchard also remained local to help facilitate those connections.

“Relationships are still the most important thing and I thought it’d best if (the new coordinators) were in the building with our guys,” McGuire said. “I think that’ll help us start fast.”

DCTF Take

Texas Tech saw what SMU did in Year 1 in the ACC and what Arizona State did as new members of the Big 12 and pushed all its chips into the middle of the table ahead of the 2025 season. The Red Raiders signed one of the top portal classes in America loaded with offensive and defensive linemen. Behren Morton is back to lead an offense that must replace Tahj Brooks, the program’s all-time leading rusher. Mack Leftwich takes over at offensive coordinator and Shiel Wood was hired away from Houston to lead a Red Raider defense that underperformed in 2024.

Offensive Breakdown

The Air Raid offense is as synonymous with West Texas as oil and gas. Former Texas State offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich takes over as play caller for the Red Raiders after Zach Kittley accepted the head coaching job at FAU. He comes from the Eric Morris tree, a protégé of former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach.

“I haven’t strayed too far from those concepts, so I think the average fan watching on a Saturday will recognize a lot of similarities to what I do and what’s been done here in the past,” Leftwich said. “We want to lean into the history and tradition of offensive football here at Tech and let our guys know that those are the expectations.”

Leftwich deploys an offense that’s based on tempo and physicality. He keeps things simple so that his group can play fast. The run game is an underappreciated aspect of the recent success at Texas State where his Bobcats averaged more rushing yards a game last season than any other FBS program in Texas. Explosive plays are another focal point of Leftwich’s offense and head coach Joey McGuire emphasized that in the hiring process.

“We talk a lot about scoring from far,” Leftwich said. “I’m a lot better play caller when we score from the 50 than when we need eight plays in the red zone. Those 12-, 13-play drives are hard to achieve consistently against good defenses.”

The starting point for the offense in 2025 will be quarterback Behren Morton (3,335 passing yards, 27 TDs, 8 INTs), who missed his second straight spring with a shoulder injury. He rehabbed from a Grade 5 AC joint sprain in the offseason and resumed throwing in mid-May. Redshirt freshman Will Hammond is the backup and the future at the position.

Caleb Douglas (60 catches, 877 yards, 6 TDs) and Coy Eakin (49 catches, 652 yards, 7 TDs) return at wide receiver. The Red Raiders added Miami (Ohio) transfer Reggie Virgil to help ease the loss of NFL-bound Josh Kelly. Virgil caught nine touchdown passes and recorded six plays of 40 or more yards last season for the Redhawks.

The returning Johncarlos Miller II and Louisiana transfer Terrance Carter Jr., give Leftwich the ability to play in two-tight end sets for the first time in his career.

Replacing the production of Tahj Brooks is more than a one-man job and the Red Raiders ride a stable of potential playmakers into 2025. That starts with USC transfer Quinten Joyner, who played at the same high school (Manor) as Brooks. He averaged 7.6 yards on 63 carries last year with the Trojans. J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey will also figure heavily into the offense.

McGuire knew improvements were needed in the trenches and he used his war chest to add four potential impact transfers along the offensive line. North Carolina transfer Howard Sampson, who began his career at North Texas, will start at left tackle. Will Jados (Maryland) and Hunter Zambrano (Illinois State) can both play tackle or guard. Colorado’s Cash Cleveland was added after spring ball.

Tech feels pretty good about the interior of the offensive line with Sheridan Wilson returning at center and Davion Carter at guard. A healthy Vinny Sciury adds another starting quality player to the interior rotation.

 

Breakout Candidates

TE Terrance Carter Jr. – The Killeen native returns to the Lone Star State after spending three seasons at Louisiana where he played 26 games and made 15 starts for the Ragin’ Cajuns. Carter arrives in Lubbock with 76 career receptions for 944 yards and seven scores.

RB J’Koby Williams – Replacing running back Tahj Brooks will take multiple Red Raiders and Williams ran the ball 21 times for 93 yards and a touchdown as a freshman last year. He’ll be in the mix with USC transfer Quinten Joyner and fellow sophomore Cameron Dickey.

 

Projected Starters

QB          2               Behren Morton                Sr.           6-2, 220               Eastland

RB           0               Quinten Joyner                Soph.   5-11, 205            Manor

WR         8               Coy Eakin           Jr.             6-2, 210               Stephenville

WR         5               Caleb Douglas                Sr.           6-4, 210               Fort Bend Hightower

WR         1               Reggie Virgil     Sr.           6-3, 190               Apopka, Fla.

TE            9               Johncarlos Miller           Sr.           6-5, 245               Greensboro, N.C.

LT            79            Howard Sampson        Jr.             6-8, 340               Humble

LG           76            Will Jados          Sr.           6-7, 310               Westerville, Ohio

C              72            Sheridan Wilson            Jr.             6-5, 300               Argyle

RG          56            Davion Carter                  Sr.           6-0, 295               Pearl, Miss.

RT            57            Hunter Zambrano        Sr.           6-5, 305               Weston, Fla.

K               27            Upton Bellenfant          Sr.           6-1, 185               Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Keep an Eye On

The transfer portal helped Texas Tech reinforce depth at the wide receiver position with a trio of additions. One is a familiar face in former five-star signee Micah Hudson, who transferred to Texas A&M and back to Texas Tech since the end of the 2024 season. He was the highest-rated signing in program history but only managed eight catches as a true freshman as he overcame nagging injuries. The Red Raiders also added Incarnate Word’s Roy Alexander and Maryland’s Reggie Virgil. Alexander was a spring addition who should help Texas Tech in the slot.

 

By the Numbers

37.6 – Texas Tech was fourth in the country in scoring offense last year, trailing only Miami, Indiana, and Ole Miss. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley is the head coach at FAU now.

136.82 – That’s how many rushing yards per game Tahj Brooks accounted for in his final season as a Red Raider. He left as the program’s all-time leading rusher.

296.7 – Texas Tech lived up to its reputation by ranking in the top 10 in passing yards per game.

 

Defensive Breakdown 

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire made a change at defensive coordinator after his Red Raiders finished 122nd in scoring defense after allowing 34.8 points per game. McGuire hired Shiel Wood away from Houston to replace Tim DeRuyter. But clearly coaching wasn’t the only issue on the defensive side of the ball as Tech added five new defensive linemen and five new defensive backs through the transfer portal.

“Our first goals are to stop the run and not give up explosive plays,” Wood said. “Our job is to get offenses off-schedule so we have the advantage and can start dictating some things. If they are going to score, we want to make them go 10, 11 plays to do it.”

Tech allowed 4.46 yards per carry and 28 rushing touchdowns last year. Lee Hunter (UCF), Skyler Gill-Howard (NIU), and Anthony Holmes Jr. (Houston) were added through the transfer portal to shore up the interior of the defensive line. Hunter, listed at 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, will start at nose tackle. He was a second-team All-Big 12 selection last year after recording 9.5 tackles for loss and 27 total pressures. Gil-Howard and Holmes can play beside Hunter. Holmes was one of the top players in Wood’s Houston defense last year.

The edge of the Red Raider defense was also fortified through the transfer portal with Romello Height (Georgia Tech) and David Bailey (Stanford). Height led Georgia Tech with 6.5 tackles for loss and was second on the team with 2.5 sacks. Bailey transferred in the spring window. He led Stanford in tackles for loss (8), quarterback hurries (8), sacks (7), and forced fumbles (5) last year.

“We knew we had to get better up front defensively for us to compete for a Big 12 championship,” McGuire said. “Those guys have looked great this spring. They hit the ground running and we’re excited for the fall.”

Texas Tech populated the safety and cornerback room with new talent just like along the defensive line. Brice Pollack (Mississippi State) is a potential lockdown cornerback. He drew rave reviews from McGuire and Wood during the spring. UTEP transfer Amier Boyd-Matthews, Tarrion Grant (Purdue), and Dontae Balfour (Charlotte) are other new faces who could work his way into starting snaps. They’ll have to beat out the returning Mo Horn to do so.

North Dakota State transfer Cole Wisniewski is an immediate upgrade at strong safety. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder began his college career as a linebacker before transitioning to safety after the 2022 season. Wisniewski was a first-team All-American at the FCS level in 2023 and led all Division I players with eight interceptions. He missed last year after foot surgery. Chapman Lewis returns as the free safety. A.J. McCarty and Brenden Jordan are names to know at nickel.

While new faces dominate headlines along the defensive line and in the defensive backfield, Red Raider nation knows the stars at linebacker. Jacob Rodriguez (127 tackles) was seventh in the FBS ranks last year in tackles and will start at Will. Ben Roberts is back at Mike linebacker and enters his third year as a starter. Backup John Curry drew praise in the spring and he’ll receive plenty of snaps. Bryce Ramirez will also figure into the rotation.

 

Breakout Candidates

DT Anthony Holmes Jr. – The 6-3, 300-pounder followed defensive coordinator Shiel Wood from Houston to Texas Tech in the offseason. Holmes started all 12 games for the Cougars last year and comes from a Spring Westfield program that produced NFL defensive tackles Ed Oliver and Keondre Coburn. He played 639 snaps last year.

DB Dontae Balfour – The Red Raiders dipped into the transfer portal for a few playmakers to help retool a secondary that struggled in 2024. Balfour was a third-team All-AAC selection as a cornerback at Charlotte last year. He can also play safety. Balfour began his career at North Carolina.

 

Projected Starters

DE           94            Braylon Rigsby                Soph.   6-2, 275               Woodville

NT           2               Lee Hunter        Sr.           6-4, 325               Mobile, Ala.

DT           0               Skyler Gill-Howard      Sr.           6-1, 290               Milwaukee, Wis.

Edge     31            David Bailey                      Sr.           6-3, 250               Irvine, Calif.

MLB       13            Ben Roberts     Jr.             6-3, 235               Eaton

WLB      10            Jacob Rodriguez            Sr.           6-1, 230               Wichita Falls Rider

NB          1               A.J. McCarty    Sr.           6-0, 195               Brownwood

CB          19            Brice Pollock  Jr.             6-0, 195               Snellville, Ga.

CB          4               Maurion Horn Jr.             5-11, 190            Broken Arrow, Okla.

FS            25            Chapman Lewis             Jr.             6-1, 180               Burleson Centennial

SS           5               Cole Wisniewski            Sr.           6-4, 220               Sparta, Wis.

P               41            Jack Burgess   Sr.           6-3, 215               Bacchus Marsh, Australia

 

Keep an Eye On

Sometimes lost in the hype of amongst the new prize possessions along the Texas Tech defensive line is sophomore Braylon Rigsby. The Woodville native saw action in 12 of 13 games last year with one start, which came in non-conference play against North Texas. Rigsby exited spring as the expected starter at the field-side defensive end position, which is mostly a C-gap player in Shiel Wood’s defense. Rigsby recorded 18 tackles last year, including three for loss. Thirteen of those 18 stops came in the final month of the season or in the bowl game against Arkansas.

 

By the Numbers

34.8 – That’s the average points per game allowed by the Texas Tech defense last year, 122nd-worst in America. That’s why the Red Raiders have a new defensive coordinator.

1.62 – The Red Raiders failed to negatively impact opposing quarterbacks while ranking 100th in the FBS in sacks per game. Tech also struggled with that in 2023.

127 – Jacob Rodriguez returns at middle linebacker after posting the seventh-most tackles in the FBS last year as a junior.

 

Ceiling

11-1

Texas Tech will be favored in at least 10 of its 12 games in 2025, including the first six. Road games at Arizona State and Kansas State are the tallest hurdles, at least on paper. No TCU or Baylor provide a solid road map for the Red Raiders to reach AT&T Stadium to play in the Big 12 championship. 

Floor

8-4

The roster talent and soft schedule should prevent the Red Raiders from dipping below eight wins. But four losses would feel like a massive disappointment after the offseason investment in the transfer portal and on a coaching staff that hired a new offensive and defensive coordinator and fought off Notre Dame for its general manager. 

 

Coach Gossip

“All the transfers have given them a bunch of hype but it’s been a bunch of hype for three or four years now. They’ve had hype in recruiting the last few cycles but I’m not sure those guys have been developed if they need more than a dozen transfers. What does that say?”

“The good news for Joey (McGuire) and those guys is that they had an unlimited budget and now that roster can go compete for a Big 12 title. The bad news, at least if they don’t make it to Arlington, is that billionaires aren’t typically known for patience on their return on investment.”

“Both of those new coordinators are top shelf. Great hires. But I don’t think coaching was the problem with that defense last year. Personnel was a bigger issue. It looks like they fixed that, too.”

2024 RESULTS

Aug. 31                 Abilene Christian          W, 52-51 (OT)
Sept. 7                  at Washington State  L, 37-16
Sept. 14               North Texas     W, 66-21
Sept. 21               Arizona State  W, 30-22
Sept. 28               Cincinnati          W, 44-41
Oct. 5                     at Arizona          W, 28-22
Oct. 19                 Baylor                    L, 59-35
Oct. 26                 at TCU                   L, 35-34
Nov. 2                    at Iowa State   W, 23-22
Nov. 9                    Colorado            L, 41-27
Nov. 23                 at Oklahoma State      W, 56-48
Nov. 30                 West Virginia  W, 52-15

Dec. 27                Arkansas (Liberty Bowl)            L, 39-26
Record: 8-5 (6-3)

 

2025 PREDICTIONS

Aug. 30                 Arkansas Pine-Bluff   W
Sept. 6                  Kent State          W
Sept. 13               Oregon State  W
Sept. 20               at Utah                 W
Oct. 4                     at Houston       W
Oct. 11                 Kansas                 W
Oct. 18                 at Arizona State              L
Oct. 25                 Oklahoma State            W
Nov. 1                    at Kansas State              L
Nov. 8                    BYU       L
Nov. 15                 UCF       W
Nov. 29                 at West Virginia              W

Record: 9-3 (6-3)

Biggest Game

Oct. 18 at Arizona State

The Red Raiders will likely be favored in their first six games of the season. The first time Joey McGuire’s team could be an underdog is in a mid-October trip to Arizona State to face the defending Big 12 champions – a team that Texas Tech beat at home last year. 

Trap Game

Sept. 20 at Utah

Texas Tech is 6-10 in true road games through three years of the Joey McGuire tenure. The first trip outside of Lubbock for his Red Raiders in 2025 is to Utah in Week 4. The Utes should return to form after a disappointing Year 1 as a Big 12 squad. 

Upset Bid

Nov. 1 at Kansas State

Texas Tech lost by nine points the last time the Red Raiders traveled to Manhattan, Kansas, to face the Wildcats. Beating a physical squad away from Jones AT&T Stadium has proven difficult for Texas Tech over the last few years. Joey McGuire is 0-2 versus Kansas State as a head coach.