The Red Raiders have a lot to live up to after the 2025 season, but Joey McGuire is bringing in heaps of talent to make that level a new standard in Lubbock.
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech Red Raiders, under recruiting tactician head coach Joey McGuire and the backing of an oil-filled alumni commitment, have continued surging up recruiting rankings.
That remains the case during this early look at the 2027 cycle, where ESPN reports that only 20 percent of top high school prospects entering their senior football season have not yet committed to a college. That number is expected to lessen as this part of the calendar has resulted in waves of commitments.
In the latest 2027 recruiting rankings, the Red Raiders have dropped from the third-best class to No. 6, but that remains tops in the Big 12 by a wide margin, with Texas Tech as the only team in the conference sitting inside the top 15.
Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Notre Dame top the list because of their double-digit amount of SC Next 300 commits, but the Red Raiders are still led by the verbal commitment of the country's No. 1 overall prospect.
McGuire's defending Big 12 champs are undergoing a major change on both sides of the ball, with the quarterback room in flux and the defense losing most of its production to the NFL.
"Joey McGuire continues to prove he can elevate the Texas Tech program as he is building a 2027 class that fits its new identity: explosive on offense and big, versatile and aggressive in the front seven," said recruiting analyst Craig Haubert.
Of the Red Raiders' eight Next 300 verbals, it's the 5-star defensive lineman Jalen Brewster - a product of Cedar Hill in Dallas, where McGuire had title-winning success as a coach - who shines the brightest.
"The five-star is truly a 'jumbo athlete' and can be a disruptive interior force," Haubert said. "At around 6-3, 300-plus, he's quick, explosive, and agile, with the versatility to play DT, DE, even RB and Wildcat QB in high school. He carries his weight like a smaller player and wins one-on-ones with leverage, active hands, and sudden get-off. He can wreak havoc against the run and pass game alike."
DeSoto recruit K'Adrian Redmond and 5-star edge rusher Anthony Sweeney add depth to the D-line class that hopes to reload the dominance displayed in 2025. In 2026, the Red Raiders will largely be led by returner AJ Holmes and a wave of transfers, but this 2027 group figures to make an impact through old-fashioned, home-grown recruitment.
On offense, ESPN tabs elite quarterback pledge Kavian Bryan as "the future" for the Red Raiders under center.
He's already among the program's highest-rated QB commits and will bring a versatility that will make Texas Tech just as explosive on offense as they've been recently on defense.
"The 6-2 dual threat fits the shift toward more athletic passers in Lubbock," Haubert said. "He's a dynamic playmaker who will extend plays, escape trouble and function as a designed runner, with his passing touch and accuracy continuing to trend up."
Bryant's potential partner is Benny Easter Jr., a speedy 4-star wide receiver commit who "gives the Red Raiders a strong, athletic target who can work outside or in the slot."
Texas Tech may have dipped in the rankings, but the future of the program still oozes with optimism as another strong freshman class prepares to build on the noise being made in Lubbock.
