Texas Tech got a major boost in its push to bring Darrion Williams back for a fifth college season. On Monday, a judge in McLennan County, Texas, granted Williams and 30 other players a temporary injunction in their lawsuit against the NCAA, keeping them eligible while the case works its way toward a final ruling.
The court said the plaintiffs showed “a probable right to recovery and a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury in the absence of temporary injunctive relief. Plaintiffs face the loss of finite opportunities to enroll, practice, train, compete, obtain roster positions, and receive compensation associated with participation in collegiate athletics during the 2026-27 academic year.”
That final hearing is still ahead, and it could take weeks or even months to arrive. But with the season approaching in early November, the ruling gives Williams a real path to being on the floor for the Red Raiders from opening night.
The decision matters for Texas Tech beyond just Williams. Guard Donovan Atwell and forward Jamichael Stillwell are also pursuing fifth-year eligibility in separate cases, and if all three get cleared, the Red Raiders could be staring at a roster built to chase the Big 12 and make a run to the Final Four, especially with superstar forward J.T. Toppin expected back after the knee injury that ended his 2025-26 season.
Williams is the centerpiece of that picture. Texas Tech needed him back after he left Lubbock following the 2024-25 season and spent a year at N.C.
State. The Red Raiders had tried to patch the hole at small forward with Washington State transfer LeJuan Watts, but the fit never really clicked.
Watts averaged 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, but he was a defensive liability and lacked the clutch gene Williams has shown. He also made back-breaking mistakes at the worst possible times.
Tech and Watts split after last season, and he is now with the Washington Huskies.
That sent Texas Tech back into the market for help at small forward, and the answer was obvious: reunite with Williams and hope for one more run together. He delivered strong numbers at N.C. State, averaging 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while bumping his 3-point shooting from 34.0% in 2024-25 to 40.4% last season.
Williams was also an honorable-mention All-ACC selection in his fourth year of college basketball. Before leaving for N.C. State, he had already established himself as an All-Big 12 first-team player under Grant McCasland and helped lead Texas Tech to the Elite Eight.
So for the Red Raiders, Monday was more than just another legal update. It was a meaningful step toward getting back the player they missed most.
In Other News...
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Micah Hudsons slow start is the biggest reason that spotlight has lingered. The junior and former five-star recruit has managed only three catches for 44 yards in three games, still searching for the kind of breakthrough season many expected when he arrived. For a Texas Tech passing game leaning on Johnson as its leading receiver, the question now is how long the Red Raiders can keep waiting for Hudson to turn promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Got An Early Answer On A Key Defensive Newcomer
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White was part of a broader defensive reset in the game, with safety Brenden Jordan also making his season debut and transfers Jamond Mathis and Davin Martin logging their first starts. Jordan and linebacker Ben Roberts paced the defense with 10 tackles apiece, a sign that Texas Tech is still sorting out its pieces but may be finding answers in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Still Has One Big 12 Question After That Close Call
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What the close call also leaves hanging is whether Texas Tech has fully answered the bigger question about where it belongs in that pecking order. The schedule will keep offering chances to settle it, but for now the Red Raiders remain part of the weekly debate rather than a clear step ahead, and that is the part worth watching as the Big 12s next round of games approaches. [Read more 🡒]