Texas Tech’s recruiting surge has become one of the loudest talking points in college football, but Joey McGuire says the easy explanation - that the Red Raiders are simply outbidding everybody - doesn’t hold up.
After practice Tuesday, McGuire pushed back on the idea that Texas Tech’s rise in high school recruiting is built purely on money. The Red Raiders reportedly spent $32 million on their 2026 football roster, a figure that leads the Big 12 but, according to a recent CBS Sports report, still trails several national heavyweights. Seven schools reportedly spent more than $40 million, with another group landing just below that mark.
“Well, contrary to popular belief, we did not offer these guys the most money,” McGuire said. “It's funny, at some point if I ever retire you and I can sit down and write a book on what's happened over the last three years of like the misconception of how much money is being paid at Texas Tech versus what's being offered at some other schools.”
McGuire’s point is that money matters, but it’s only part of the sales pitch. In his view, recruits and families are also weighing development, NFL opportunity, facilities, culture, winning potential and trust in what coaches are telling them.
That bigger picture helps explain why Texas Tech’s 2027 class has taken off. The group ranks eighth nationally in 247Sports’ team rankings and sits atop the Big 12. It includes two five-star commits, eight four-star pledges, seven of the top 117 recruits in the country and eight of the top 50 recruits in Texas.
The Red Raiders also added elite 2028 offensive lineman Austin Attalah on Tuesday. He announced his commitment on ESPN’s the Pat McAfee Show and reportedly chose Texas Tech despite taking a smaller offer.
One reason McGuire believes the program is landing so many top prospects is the staff around him, especially general manager James Blanchard and the personnel department.
“I feel really good about our coaches... our coaches, man, are working at a really high level,” McGuire said. “It starts with Blanchard, and his group because they identify talent and then they really start the recruiting process.”
McGuire also pointed to defensive coordinator Shiel Wood as a major factor in the 2027 class’s momentum. He said Wood brought new ideas to the process this summer that stood out inside the program.
“This summer, whenever we get to sign this 2027 class-the day that we do and we get to talk about it--Sheil Wood, his ideas this summer were elite,” McGuire said. “I mean, just absolutely a whole another level. Stuff that we had never done before, and I don't think that he'd ever done, either, but he had some really, really, good ideas that I think made a difference with this class.”
McGuire framed Texas Tech’s recruiting rise as the product of a lot more than cash - a combination of investment, alignment, staff work and, now, proof that the program can win conference titles, reach the College Football Playoffs and send nine players to the draft this year.
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The issue has quickly become a talking point across the sport, with LSU among the programs already signing players who were recently in NFL camps and are pursuing an extra year of college eligibility through lawsuits. It is the kind of loophole that has divided coaches, with McGuire taking a more cautious stance while others, including Lane Kiffin, have been more willing to test the boundaries of the new landscape. [Read more 🡒]