Editor’s note: Ninth in a series previewing each team in the Big 12 in 2025.
Texas Tech is making a big bet on its 2025 season.
A $10 million bet, according to reports.
According to ESPN, through NIL deals and revenue sharing, Texas Tech’s incoming transfer class will make more than $10 million in an effort to catapult it to the top of the Big 12 Conference.
Texas Tech has never won the Big 12 championship — or even made it to the conference’s title game.
The Mike Leach-led Red Raiders were co-champions of the southern division in 2008, but lost the tiebreaker to Oklahoma.
“They’ve built the best team money can buy. But if they don’t win the Big 12, holy cow.”
— anonymous Big 12 coach on the Texas Tech football team
With giants Texas and Oklahoma out of the conference, Texas Tech boosters (led by oil billionaire Cody Campbell) took a big swing, hoping that this is the year that the Red Raiders finally reach the mountaintop.
On the heels of an 8-5 (6-3 Big 12) season, Texas Tech’s top-rated transfer class brings in 21 new players, including defensive ends David Bailey (Stanford) and Romello Height (Georgia Tech) and offensive linemen Howard Sampson (North Carolina), Hunter Zambrano (Illinois State) and Will Jados (Miami of Ohio).
Here’s what an anonymous Big 12 coach told The Athletic at Big 12 media days:
“They’ve built the best team money can buy. But if they don’t win the Big 12, holy cow.”
There’s tremendous pressure on the Red Raiders to live up to the expectations set up by the money that’s been thrown around.
Can they live up to it?
“Yeah, it’s been a fun offseason. We were really aggressive whenever it came to the portal and meeting some of our needs for the football team,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said.
“... I think this conference is really strong. There’s a lot of teams that have some big opportunities this year to really make a statement and we’re planning on being one of them.”
Behren Morton, the Red Raiders’ quarterback, will be at the helm of the offense again after throwing for 3,335 yards and 27 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
Calling plays will be offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, who orchestrated a high-powered Texas State offense last season.
At running back will be Quinten Joyner, who left USC after rushing for 478 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries, and J’Koby Williams, who had 236 yards and two scores on 41 carries last fall for Texas Tech.
At receiver, Texas Tech has returners Caleb Douglas (877 yards and 6 TDs on 60 receptions) and Coy Eakin (652 yards and 7 TDs on 49 receptions) and add Reggie Virgil (816 yards and 9 TDs on 41 receptions) from Miami (Ohio). Despite losing a 1,000-yard receiver in Josh Kelly, Morton will have weapons to throw to.
Protecting Morton will be a retooled offensive line with Sampson, Zambrano and Jados alongside returners Davion Carter and center Sheridan Wilson.
On defense, Texas Tech has a new coordinator — Shiel Wood, who held the same position at Houston last season.
Linebackers Jacob Rodriguez (127 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception) and Ben Roberts (84 tackles, three forced fumbles), are back in 2025.
Pundits are expecting a big year out of Rodriguez, who was named the Big 12’s preseason defensive player of the year.
“I’m just glad he made the choice to come back. He is such a rock star when it comes to our culture in our building and the way we work. I mean, he’s a pro,” McGuire said. “... I was excited, very honored that he was named preseason defensive player of the year, and now he knows he’s got to go back it up.”
Beyond that, there’s a lot of transfers, including defensive ends Bailey (31 tackles, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, and Height (34 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception).
The secondary is remade as well, with safety Cole Wisniewski (92 tackles, eight interceptions at North Dakota State in 2023 before suffering a season-ending injury in 2024), and cornerback Brice Pollock (48 tackles, one interception, seven pass breakups at Mississippi State).
Texas Tech believes it has addressed its needs after raiding the transfer portal. All that’s left now is to prove it.
Texas Tech Red Raiders 2025 preview
2024 record: 8-5 (6-3 Big 12)
Utah ties
- None
2025 Schedule
- Aug. 30 — vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
- Sept. 6 — vs. Kent State
- Sept. 13 — vs. Oregon State
- Sept. 20 — at Utah
- Sept. 27 — Bye
- Oct. 4 — at Houston
- Oct. 11 — vs. Kansas
- Oct. 18 — at Arizona State
- Oct. 25 — vs. Oklahoma State
- Nov. 1 — at Kansas State
- Nov. 8 — vs. BYU
- Nov. 15 — vs. UCF
- Nov. 22 — Bye
- Nov. 29 — at West Virginia