Texas Tech is sending six veteran leaders to Big 12 Media Days as Joey McGuire’s Red Raiders enter 2026 with championship pressure.
Texas Tech's Joey McGuire is bringing muscle to Frisco.
The Red Raiders have finalized their player group for the 2026 Big 12 Football Media Days, and it’s loaded with the kind of veterans you send when expectations have gone from hopeful to heavyweight.
Tight end Terrance Carter Jr., wide receiver Coy Eakin, defensive lineman A.J. Holmes Jr., cornerback Brice Pollock, linebacker Ben Roberts and center Sheridan Wilson will represent Texas Tech as the program steps into one of its most anticipated seasons in years.
Texas Tech is coming off a Big 12 Championship season and a College Football Playoff appearance, and the Red Raiders aren’t sneaking up on anyone anymore.
’re entering 2026 as the favorite to repeat in the Big 12, and McGuire’s roster has the blend every contender wants: proven leadership, high-end returning talent and impact help from the transfer portal.
Five of the six players heading to Frisco earned preseason All-Big 12 recognition from Phil Steele earlier this month. Carter, Holmes, Roberts, Pollock and Wilson also picked up preseason All-America honors, giving Texas Tech one of the most decorated Media Days groups in the conference.
Carter leads the charge after being named a first-team preseason All-American. Holmes, Roberts and Pollock earned second-team honors, while Wilson landed on the fourth team.
That kind of recognition doesn’t win games in September, but it does tell you how the rest of the college football world views this roster.
The Red Raiders are no longer being discussed as a cute story. They’re being treated like a target.
That’s what makes this Media Days appearance so interesting. Every question in Frisco will orbit the same theme: can Texas Tech handle being hunted?
Last year’s run changed the temperature around the program. Now the Red Raiders have to prove they can live at the top instead of simply crashing the party.
Carter and Eakin give the offense experienced voices. Wilson brings stability up front.
Holmes, Roberts and Pollock give the defense star power at every level. It’s a group built to talk like a contender because it has already played like one.
Kickoff is still months away, but Big 12 Media Days always feels like the first real warning shot of the season.
Texas Tech is bringing six leaders to Frisco. More importantly, it’s bringing expectations.
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