The Texas Tech Red Raiders bought in at a level that we haven't seen any other school do last offseason, building a College Football Playoff worthy roster. While the Red Raiders won the Big 12 Championship, Oregon exposed that they weren't good enough yet to compete with the big schools for National Championship.
Joey McGuire and his staff didn't just sit around as they hit the Transfer Portal with intensity once again. The Red Raiders didn't bring in as many blue chip pieces as they did last offseason, but they built a far more competent team than we saw last season.
Grading Texas Tech's all-in offseason
Most Important Addition: Brendan Sorsby
In the College Football Playoff, it was exposed that Texas Tech wasn't nearly good enough on offense as Behren Morton struggled immensely. After the game, Texas Tech did what we saw last offseason, as they spent big to land the Transfer Portal's top quarterback. Brendan Sorsby has been one of the best quarterbacks in the Country at Cincinnati, and with the weapons he'll have in Lubbock, he's poised to take a massive leap.
Most Impactful Addition: Mateen Ibirogba
Texas Tech needed to bolster the offensive line with David Bailey, Romello Height, and Lee Hunter all off to the NFL as potential 1st round picks. The biggest addition they made by far was defensive tackle Mateen Ibirogba. This season, Ibirogba racked up 2 sacks and 26 pressures giving the Red Raiders another dominant player on the interior.
Sleeper Addition: Malcolm Simmons
Auburn wide receiver Malcolm Simmons may end up being the best addition any team made this offseason when we look back on this transfer cycle. This season, Malcolm Simmons only ended the season with 457 yards, but he's showcased what he could be with better QB play in games like the Iron Bowl with 3 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. Pairing Simmons with Brendan Sorsby should allow him to have his breakout season and post massive numbers.
Highest Upside Addition: Trey White
Trying to replace the elite duo of pass rushers, Texas Tech went out and made a high upside addition in San Diego State transfer Trey White. Over the past two seasons, Trey White has racked up 19.5 sacks making him an elite pass rusher. The Red Raiders will hope that he can do it against tougher competition, but White has shown the ability to be a game wrecker.
Biggest Loss: Braylon Rigsby
Texas Tech didn't lose any players that were massive losses as they've shown that they're willing to spend to build a winner. The biggest loss of the offseason came when Linebacker Braylon Rigsby moved to Big 12 rival Oklahoma State. Rigsby is an athletic piece on the defensive line that could've filled in at several places.
Offensive Grade: A+
Texas Rech dominated with defense in 2025, and it was clear they needed to make a splash at quarterback to make this spending spree worth it. Landing Brendan Sorsby to run the offense changes this team overnight giving them one of the best quarterbacks in the Country. Adding Malcolm Simmons along with several high upside pieces only makes this group more dangerous with Sorsby at QB.
Defensive Grade: A
Texas Tech didn't have the same level of offseason as they had last season bringing in Bailey, Hunter, and Height, but they still had a great offseason. Austin Romaine will step into the void left behind by Jacob Rodriguez at linebacker. This group will be counting on smaller school players like Trey White and Adam Trick to play at a high level while taking a step up in competition, and if it works this defense will be loaded once again.
Overall Grade: A+
Texas Tech showed last season that they're going to push to make a deep run in the College Football Playoff every season, but the team needed to start stacking great offseasons to catch up with the blue bloods. Landing a quarterback of Brendan Sorsby's caliber makes this team far more serious as a contender. The Red Raiders will need to continue to stacking good transfer and recruiting classes, but they did more than enough to enter 2026 as favorites in the Big 12.