When NIL, Revenue Sharing, and the Transfer Portal were introduced into college football, it gave programs a chance to become powers even if they hadn't been a dominant force before. The schools that found the best way to blend recruiting the High School ranks and the Transfer Portal while making a push on the NIL front would have a chance to build a Playoff contender on a yearly basis.
Texas Tech wasn't early to being an NIL power, but over the past year, the Red Raiders have started to play the game better than anyone else. With the backing of Cody Campbell, the Red Raiders built a roster that won the Big 12, and now it looks like that will be the standard every season.
Texas Tech's recruiting surge should have everyone on notice
When Texas Tech went out and brought in a loaded transfer class, it was notable, but it also wasn't a sustainable model. Oregon exposed in the Playoff that it takes multiple offseasons of recruiting at a high level to truly build a great roster which Texas Tech wasn't able to match. While the Red Raiders are continuing to attack the Transfer Portal, their surge in High School recruiting is far more notable.
Last offseason, Texas Tech signed the Nation's 19th ranked recruiting class headlined by 2 5-star recruits. This offseason, Texas Tech has a serious chance to finish with a top 5 recruiting class in the Country.
As things currently stand, Texas Tech holds the Nation's 4th ranked recruiting class with 6 players committed. The class is headlined by the Nation's top ranked recruit Jalen Brewster and the Nation's 2nd ranked quarterback Kavian Bryant.
Spending each season in the Transfer Portal is a major investment, and creates a challenge of nailing a class each offseason. While the Transfer Portal can be incredibly rewarding, it's better to suppliment a roster via the portal rather than using it to build an entire roster.
Recruits like Jalen Brewster and Kavian Bryant would typically land with the traditional blue bloods, but this era has leveled the playing field. As Texas Tech starts to build toward being a contender on a yearly basis, getting elite talents from the High School ranks only gives them a greater chance of contending for National Championships.