Texas Tech's portal board is already moving. Here's who's leaving, who’s arriving, and what it means for the Red Raiders' 2026 reload.
Texas Tech just authored a season that will live in Lubbock forever ... 11-1 in the regular season, 8-1 in Big 12 play, and the program's first outright conference title in 70 years.
The Red Raiders didn't get there by accident.
Joey McGuire's staff weaponized the portal like a true modern contender, stacking impact pieces such as Howard Sampson, Reggie Virgil, David Bailey, and Romello Height to build a roster that could win big now.
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And now comes the part every contender has to survive: the portal churn.
This cycle is even tighter than usual, with one transfer window running Jan. 2-16, turning roster management into a two-week sprint. For Texas Tech, the early theme is clear - some depth pieces are moving on, while the staff is already shopping for the next wave of difference-makers.
On the departures side, Dylan Spencer is the most intriguing name. A former four-star edge rusher, Spencer's Tech tenure has been a stop-start story with a promising freshman year, a season-ending injury, a medical redshirt, and then getting squeezed out by an upgraded defensive line room.
He only played three games this season, preserving another redshirt, and he's expected to hit the portal with three years of eligibility. In the right spot, Spencer is the kind of fresh start talent that can pop quickly.
Wide receiver Price Morgan is also moving on after a winding path from Central Missouri to Texas Tech. He posted legitimate production at the DII level with 50 catches, 487 yards, six scores in 2023, but barely saw the field in 2025. He'll look for a place where his body of work turns into real reps.
Specialists matter, too, and Upton Bellenfant entering the portal is a reminder that jobs are won every week.
The Lou Groza watch list nod carried expectations, but Stone Harrington won the kicking battle and earned all-conference recognition, leaving Bellenfant to seek a final-year opportunity elsewhere.
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As for additions, Tech has already grabbed a high-upside swing in Amarie Fleming from Allen University.
The numbers jump off the page with 14.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss this season. He's a developmental pass rusher with two years of eligibility (plus a potential redshirt), and Tech's recent track record suggests this is exactly the kind of bet that can turn into a rotation piece, or more, faster than people think.
Texas Tech isn't rebuilding. It's reloading. And the next two weeks will tell us just how sharp this contender plans to stay.