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There may not have been a team in college football that generated more comments behind the scenes than Texas Tech did the past few months. Some of them were snide. A handful were vindictive. Most of them were just downright jealous at what was happening in Lubbock.
There was no team that was more aggressive in the transfer portal or in recruiting than the Red Raiders. There may very well have been no other team that spent more on its roster in 2025. Fueled by an ambitious billionaire booster, the football program has not been content to let another offseason go to waste at a time where college football has changed significantly off the field.
Tech, quite simply, is going for it this season—all of it.
“We’ve got to stop talking about it, and we’ve got to go do it. We’ve got a great opportunity. So why not us?” coach Joey McGuire says. “I think this year is huge, not just for this year but for the future of Texas Tech to continue to push us to a different level.”
That’s the aim of one of the most impressive transfer classes that the Red Raiders have ever hauled in. In the everything-goes Big 12, where every game is decided in the final few minutes, there are more and more people asking why can’t the Red Raiders break through, win the conference and make the College Football Playoff?
It’s not out of the realm of possibilities despite the program’s historical lack of success. The Red Raiders have a returning quarterback and a ton of impressive skill-position talent. Their offensive line was fortified by the likes of North Carolina’s Howard Sampson and the defensive line is channeling the Philadelphia Eagles with the amount of highly sought-after players they’ve added to the depth chart.
So will it all work? That’s why they play the games, but based on what Texas Tech has done this year, it has attempted to leave as little to chance as possible.
Fast Facts
2024 record: 8–5, 6–3 Big 12
Offense: 37.6 ppg (fourth in FBS), 5.96 yards per play (53rd)
Defense: 34.8 ppg (122nd in FBS), 6.52 yards per play (123rd)
On the Headset
Joey McGuire, entering Year 4 in Lubbock, 23–16 overall record
Respect for McGuire runs deep in the state of Texas for his stint as an ultra-successful high school coach who worked his way up into getting a Power 4 job with the Red Raiders. He’s aggressive on fourth down, he is fiery when the moment calls for it and he has plenty of fun along the way.
He’s also the first coach since Mike Leach to have three consecutive winning seasons at Tech and has seemingly been given the keys to the kingdom for this season between a set of impressive facilities upgrades, a massive NIL war chest and a greater anticipation surrounding the team than it has seen for two decades.
“People say well, Tech’s never played for a Big 12 championship. This is the team that we need to go and do it,” McGuire says. “With that obviously raised expectations comes some pressure.”
There’s lots of that for sure. While this doesn’t quite have the feel of a true make-or-break moment for McGuire’s tenure with the program, it feels incredibly pivotal. He knows that and most of all seemingly understands it.
Some coaches wind up fretting from such a massive spotlight if they haven’t been in that prime-time slot before, but Texas Tech and McGuire might be feeding off those raised expectations far more than fearing them.
Key Returning Starter
QB Behren Morton, Sr.
Amid all the portal chatter surrounding the Red Raiders, the biggest eyebrow raised was that the team didn’t go hard at all to land a quarterback. That was mostly by design because the coaching staff have faith in Morton—which is saying a lot given that he is coming off a shoulder injury.
“Having that confidence from your head coach, that I’m their guy, we’re going to roll with me, that speaks volumes,” Morton said. “I love [McGuire]. I’ll do whatever it takes to win him a Big 12 championship this year.”
Staying healthy is key to all that. Tech is 14–4 when Morton starts and finishes games the last two years, and he’s got quite a bit of moxie to him when not getting the ball out quickly. He’s got a chance to pass 10,000 career yards this season, so he’s played a lot of football and the hope is the supporting cast upgrades will allow Morton to realize both his potential and this team’s.
Key Transfer
Edge Romello Height, from Georgia Tech
There’s been an understandable emphasis on the arrival of Stanford edge rusher David Bailey, who was a star while playing for a very mediocre Cardinal squad last season. But if the Red Raiders and their defense want to really turn around one of the worst units in the country from 2024, they’re going to need Bailey’s running mate to be just as productive. Height is a long, lean prospect who has seen a lot of ball and played in a lot of leagues, but coaches think he’s on the verge of a massive breakout campaign.
Key Departure
RB Tahj Brooks, sixth-round NFL draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals
There were not many losses at Tech that they truly felt this offseason, but Brooks running out of eligibility certainly was one of them. He spent five years in the program, became the all-time leader in rushing yards and posted back-to-back seasons of at least 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns at a place that isn’t known for handing the ball off. There’s hope that USC transfer Quinten Joyner can help fill some of the void, but it’s a big one in the backfield until further notice.
Circle the Dates
- Sept. 20, at Utah
- Oct. 18, at Arizona State
- Nov. 1, at Kansas State
- Nov. 8, vs. BYU
Bottom Line
If Texas Tech manages to make it to Dallas for the Big 12 title game for the first time, it will certainly have earned it. The Red Raiders play most of the real contenders in the Big 12 this season in what might be the most difficult slate in the league. That was a partial factor in why the team went deep into its pockets to bring in a transfer class that was as full of impact players as it was with notable depth signings. It will fall on McGuire’s shoulders to get it all to work out, but there’s little doubt the Red Raiders are really going for it.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s College Football Preseason Top 25: No. 14 Texas Tech.