Texas Tech transforms the transfer portal into a championship engine, aggressively building a powerhouse with proven talent and strategic depth.
Texas Tech is no longer dabbling in the transfer portal. The Red Raiders are running it like a seasoned operation.
After a historic 2025 season that ended with a Big 12 title and the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, the Texas Tech Red Raiders are once again attacking the portal with purpose.
Head coach Joey McGuire showed last year what happens when portal aggression meets NIL support. The additions of David Bailey, Lee Hunter, Terrance Carter Jr., and Brice Pollock turned Texas Tech from a feel-good story into a legitimate Big 12 power. The results spoke loudly.
This year’s portal window is shorter and tighter, running from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, but Texas Tech wasted no time. By Jan. 10, the Red Raiders had already built one of the most physically impressive transfer classes in the country.
If you like defense, this class feels like Christmas morning.
Texas Tech loaded up the trenches with defensive linemen who have actually played football at a high level. Wake Forest transfer Mateen Ibirogba arrived with national portal hype after being ranked the top defensive tackle by multiple outlets.
Oregon State’s JoJo Johnson, Akron standout Julien Lavenutre, Washington’s Bryce Butler, and Division II menace Amarie Fleming give Tech both depth and disruption.
Edge defenders Adam Trick and Trey White bring pass-rush juice that travels well in November.
Offensively, Tech addressed needs with experience, not hope. New quarterback Brendan Sorsby gives the Red Raiders a proven option while the room gets healthy.
Kenny Johnson from Pitt and Jalen Jones from Alabama State add speed and production to the receiver group.
Tight end Jett Carpenter arrives fresh off career highs, and kicker Jacob Hand brings a leg that actually enjoys touchbacks.
Just as important as who arrived is who stayed.
The return of the running back trio of Cameron Dickey, J’Koby Williams, and Quinten Joyner ensures continuity in one of the league’s most productive backfields. Brice Pollock’s return stabilizes the secondary.
Left tackle Howard Sampson and tight end Terrance Carter Jr. coming back removes major question marks before spring ball even starts.
Portal success is not about winning headlines in December; it's about building depth where injuries happen, and experience wins games. Texas Tech is doing that better than most programs in the country.
This is what sustainability looks like in modern college football. And Texas Tech is no longer chasing the standard. They're setting it.