Texas Tech rebuilds roster through transfer portal in bold bid for Big 12 title

• Texas Tech rebuilt nearly half its projected 2025 starting lineup through the portal, adding several transfers with 70.0-plus PFF grades and replacing all but two offensive line starters.

• The Red Raiders’ overhaul includes a top-three FBS tight end (Terrance Carter, 86.4 grade), a new backfield duo and five new defensive linemen — all part of a bold NIL-era push to contend for their first Big 12 title.

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Texas Tech was one of the most aggressive players in the transfer portal this offseason, signaling a bold new era in Lubbock. Backed by billionaire alumnus Cody Campbell, the Red Raiders are pushing all their chips in with a clear goal: bring national relevance — and a shot at the College Football Playoff — to West Texas.

Here’s how Texas Tech reshaped its roster this offseason, signaling its arrival as a rising powerhouse in the NIL era.

Offense

Offensive Line

Texas Tech’s offensive line will have a drastically different look in 2025. While center Sheridan Wilson (68.3 overall grade in 2024) and right guard Davion Carter (72.4) return, the rest of the unit has been overhauled. Dalton Merryman (Houston), Sterling Porcher (Vanderbilt), Ty Buchanan (Arizona) and third-round NFL draft pick Caleb Rogers have all departed.

North Carolina transfer Howard Sampson (6-foot-8, 340 pounds) is expected to anchor the line at left tackle. Sampson logged 824 snaps in 2024, earning a 73.1 overall grade and posting marks of 73.3 in pass protection and 70.0 in run blocking. A former North Texas transfer himself, Sampson’s rare size, athleticism and maturity made him one of the most sought-after offensive linemen in the portal.

Hunter Zambrano, a preseason All-American in 2024 (per Phil Steele), joins from Illinois State and is projected to start at right tackle. He missed most of last season due to injury but posted an 81.1 overall grade and an 88.1 pass-blocking grade in 2023. At left guard, Vinny Sciury rounds out the starting five. A 2023 transfer from Toledo, Sciury also missed nearly all of 2024 with an injury but recorded a 72.3 overall grade and an 87.4 pass-blocking grade in his final season with the Rockets.

Texas Tech also bolstered its depth with Will Jados (Miami, Ohio) and Cash Cleveland (Colorado). Jados brings more than 2,200 career snaps at left tackle and earned a 64.8 overall grade in 2024. Cleveland, a member of the PFF All-Freshman Team, posted a 71.5 overall grade last season and offers positional versatility across the interior.

Between high-end starters and experienced depth, Texas Tech’s offensive line has undergone one of the most significant portal upgrades in the country.

Offensive Skill Positions

Texas Tech added three key offensive weapons through the portal: tight end Terrance Carter, running back Quinten Joyner and wide receiver Reggie Virgil.

Carter, a Louisiana-Lafayette transfer, ranked ninth on PFF’s list of top returning tight ends and fills a major void as a true receiving threat. While last year’s graduates, Mason Tharp and Jalin Conyers, were reliable run blockers, Carter offers elite production in the passing game. His 86.4 overall grade over the past two seasons ranks third among FBS tight ends, trailing only 2024 NFL draft picks Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. He also finished in the top five in PFF WAR at the position in 2024.

*These are the combined numbers for all Texas Tech tight ends in 2024

To replace NFL-bound Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech landed USC transfer Quinten Joyner. The redshirt freshman logged just 53 carries last season but earned a 90.0 rushing grade and an 80.5 overall mark. He’s expected to form a 1-2 punch with J’Koby Williams and enters 2025 ranked fifth among running backs on Trevor Sikkema’s preseason NFL draft board.

On the perimeter, Reggie Virgil arrives from Miami (Ohio) after posting a 70.3 overall grade in 2024. At 6-foot-4, he combines size with the speed to stretch the field. Last season, 39.3% of his targets came on throws of 20-plus yards, the fifth-highest rate among 296 FBS wide receivers with at least 50 targets.

Virgil is expected to start opposite Caleb Douglas, allowing Coy Eakin to shift into the slot—a role both he and the staff believe suits him best.

Defense

Defensive Front

As dramatic as Texas Tech’s offensive overhaul was, the Red Raiders may have been even more aggressive in rebuilding their defensive front. They return no edge defenders or interior linemen who logged at least 350 snaps in 2024.

The lack of continuity underscores a larger issue: Tech struggled to establish a consistent, productive rotation. While other Big 12 defenses averaged 3.4 linemen with 400 or more snaps, Texas Tech had just one. The group finished 2024 with the fifth-lowest pass-rush grade (59.7), third-fewest sacks (13), third-lowest pressure rate (21.2%) and the second-highest negative grade rate in run defense (43.5%).

For 2025, the entire unit has been rebuilt through the portal.

David Bailey, a transfer from Stanford, leads the way on the edge after posting a 90.9 overall grade and a 93.2 pass-rush grade in 2024. He’ll be paired with Georgia Tech transfer Romello Height, who recorded a 78.4 overall grade and a 73.8 pass-rush mark last season.

On the interior, Northern Illinois transfer Skyler Gill-Howard adds balance and disruption. He earned an 84.7 overall grade in 2024, highlighted by an 87.9 run-defense grade and a 74.9 pass-rush grade. Gill-Howard will be joined by UCF’s Lee Hunter (74.0 overall grade) and Houston’s Anthony Holmes (69.8), both of whom logged more than 500 snaps last season.

This group may be new, but it represents a clear upgrade and gives Texas Tech a chance to reshape its defensive identity in 2025.

Transferring In:

2024 Unit:

Defensive Skill Positions

Texas Tech returns several key players on the back end. Linebackers Jacob Rodriguez (82.5 overall grade on 740 snaps) and Ben Roberts (56.6 on 657 snaps) are back, along with cornerback Maurion Horn (67.7 on 806 snaps). Chapman Lewis (69.9 on 606 snaps) and A.J. McCarty (59.2 on 560 snaps) are expected to resume starting roles at safety and nickel, respectively.

Still, with CJ Baskerville and Braylyn Lux departing, the Red Raiders turned to the portal to reload the secondary. Brice Pollock arrives from Mississippi State after logging 720 snaps and earning a 68.6 overall grade as a sophomore. Sixth-year senior Cole Wisniewski, a North Dakota State transfer, missed 2024 with a foot injury but was one of the top safeties in the FCS in 2023, earning a 93.0 overall grade with marks of 91.8 in coverage and 88.4 against the run.

Tech also added Dontae Balfour (Charlotte), one of only three corners in the American Athletic Conference over the past two seasons to log at least 1,000 snaps with a grade of 80.0 or higher.

The bottom line

Nearly half of Texas Tech’s projected starting lineup in 2025 is made up of transfers, and the upgrades are evident across the board. The offensive line has been completely retooled. The skill positions gained dynamic playmakers. The defensive front was rebuilt from scratch. And the secondary features experienced additions who should help stabilize a group with several returning starters.

It’s a bold approach, but one that gives the Red Raiders a realistic shot at contending for their first Big 12 title.