Texas Tech landed the commitment of five-star edge rusher LaDamion Guyton on Thursday afternoon. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound prospect from Savannah, Ga. picked the Red Raiders over SEC powers Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. 

On3 lists Guyton as the No. 2-ranked player in the 2027 recruiting class and the top-ranked edge rusher. He’d be Texas Tech’s highest-ever ranked signee if he remains pledged to Joey McGuire’s program through signing day next December. He is the first commitment for Texas Tech in the 2027 cycle. 

Guyton’s commitment is the latest example of Texas Tech’s rise. The Red Raiders signed the best portal class in the country to build a roster that can win the Big 12 in 2025. They’re starting to recruit the high school ranks like a blueblood program. General Manager James Blanchard has compared the current climate in Lubbock to Oregon’s rise over a decade ago. 

Texas Tech’s 2026 class currently sits at 25th nationally but it includes two Top 150 players in the entire country, per On3. Mansfield Lake Ridge offensive tackle Felix Ojo is a 247Sports Composite five-star recruit and the highest-rated pledge to a Big 12 program in the 2026 cycle. Frenship wide receiver Chase Campbell is ranked as high as 57th nationally by one recruiting service. 

These are the types of players that rarely came to Lubbock in previous generations. Added resources – through revenue sharing, NIL, and enhanced facilities – have made West Texas more attractive than ever. 

The Holy Trinity in program building in college football are typically resources, location, and tradition. Texas Tech clearly has the resources. Location is becoming less of a factor because money in the players’ pockets means that family can move with them or easily come visit without breaking any rules. Not to mention FaceTime and other digital ways to stay connected from long distances. Tradition, namely winning, feels like the missing piece for the Red Raiders. 

McGuire knows this. He’s accepted and embraced the bullseye firmly planted on his team’s back because of the spending and offseason headlines. Tech believes it has the best roster in the Big 12. One thing is for sure, it has the most expensive one. The Red Raiders haven’t won an outright conference championship since 1955 when they were in the Border Conference. 

Emerging as a potential power is one thing. Breaking through that gridiron ceiling and becoming the next Clemson or Oregon requires winning on and off the field. Commitments from players like Guyton prove that Texas Tech can attract the attention of the best players in the country, not just the state. And the best players win the most games. Win big in 2025 and Guyton could be joined by a host of national recruits hoping create a new blueblood in West Texas.