LUBBOCK - Grant McCasland is obviously excited about the potential opportunity to add valuable pieces to his 2026-27 roster, but he knows nothing is set in stone just yet.

The Texas Tech head coach spoke on Double T 97.3 on Saturday and mentioned the news sweeping through college athletics this week: several lawsuits involving players seeking a temporary injunction against the NCAA that would give them extra eligibility.

For fans of the Red Raiders, that's a rollercoaster many have already ridden thanks to the Brendan Sorsby situation. These new cases, however, involve the 2022 high school class that has gotten the short end of the stick in the NCAA's new rule about five years of eligibility in five years.

READ MORE: Former Red Raiders Named in New Eligibility Lawsuit

"We got players we're talking to. We had a pretty big court case - we had some changes. We're working on some stuff around here," McCasland said.

Many believe those to be Donovan Atwell, Darrion Williams and Jamichael Stillwell.

Atwell starred on the Red Raiders last season, setting the program 3-point record with 130 made triples on the year.

Williams spent the last season in NC State, but led Texas Tech to an Elite Eight berth the year prior. He has been posting on social media throughout this week that he is working out in Lubbock - and even called out Jack Francis on X, saying he'd "come back" if the former walk-on and graduated senior did following the new ruling.

Stillwell, who is involved in a separate lawsuit from Atwell and Williams, averaged 11.6 points and 8.1 rebounds across 31 games as a key force for UCF last season. He has already committed to Texas Tech, but of course, needs official eligibility to be ruled in his favor.

McCasland has kept space open. On Texas Tech's athletics website, only nine roster spots are filled. Each NCAA Division I program is allowed a maximum of 15 players on men's basketball rosters.

"It feels like there's a lot of momentum toward that '22 class getting eligibility and getting that fifth year," said McCasland, who referenced how the effects of COVID similarly allowed extra years of eligibility. He sees how the previous senior class could reap similar benefits this year.

The NCAA, however, has released the following statement to its members, calling a court ruling in Colorado that grants eligibility to all Division I athletes in the high school class of 2022 "egregiously wrong".

There is a lot to unpack, but for now, McCasland has enjoyed his process of reloading the Red Raiders' roster.

The fourth-year Red Raiders coach did not directly mention what athletes he's been targeting as the 2026-27 team fills out, but he mentioned being involved in "a lot of prospects behind the scenes, and quite a few international prospects."

"The NCAA eligibility component has changed, and so I can't talk about specifics, but I've felt great about it all along."

McCasland believes Texas Tech has "really good options" in this process, and something he said he has been willing to hold a scholarship spot for.

"The biggest thing is I love what we're doing and who we got, and I really believe in our team. I feel like in the end, we're going to end up where we need to be, which is competing for a Big 12 championship, advancing in the NCAA tournament, and ultimately winning the whole thing.

"That's why you come to Texas Tech."

READ MORE: What's Texas Tech Football Worth? Rankings Big 12's Most Valuable Programs

As cases are conducted, McCasland knows that major pieces departed last year's team, notably star guard Christian Anderson. Fellow All-American JT Toppin was also absent for the end of the season after he tore his ACL.

"I want to get the right people here," McCasland said. "I'm not saying we didn't have the right people, but we had some significant roles that I felt like we need to match my competitiveness and will to win. That's the X factor, that's what Donovan Atwell has."

Atwell just this summer tried his hand at the NBA level after earning a roster spot on the Chicago Bulls' summer league roster. The sharp-shooting lefty averaged 13.5 points per game last season for the Red Raiders on 45.8 percent shooting from the perimeter.

McCasland continued to rave about the type of players that fit best in his culture, similar to Atwell.

"Anybody that's watched Darrion Williams play, anybody that's watched a JT Toppin play, a Christian Anderson - when it got the toughest and you needed to be competitive, those dudes had a will to win that's different. And that's the common denominator. That's what Donovan was last year for us, just in the biggest moments he played his best."

When it came to big moments, arguably none have been as large as Williams' pivotal 3-pointer in the NCAA tournament that ultimately pushed Texas Tech past Arkansas and into the Elite Eight in 2024, a moment that has returned to Red Raider Nation's memory in this news of a possible return for "D5".

"Those are the guys that fit with Texas Tech Basketball," McCasland added. "And we were really specific on making sure that's the trend we continued so we can play at the highest level and play in a Final Four, go to the NCAA championship game."

The Red Raiders' social media team generated online excitement with its recent hype video seemingly announcing that Toppin will be available at some point this season, but McCasland knows a long road is still ahead in what he called an "awesome" recovery process thus far.

"I'm just not gonna push it," the coach said. "I trust JT, and I know everybody does. ... The dude wants to play - there's no doubt about it. He's always wanted to play, but he's really smart about it."

"I would not anticipate him being ready anywhere near close to the beginning of the season," McCasland said in acknowledgement of the projections. "I think it'll be deeper into the season, and then I just think it's gonna be about when he's strongest and when he's 100 percent. We're not putting him out there at 90, we're gonna put him out there when he's fully recovered. It's an open timetable."