The NCAA transfer portal window has officially closed for the offseason, and Texas Tech wasted no time making a move. Just a day after the deadline, the Red Raiders landed their first portal pickup in former Louisville offensive lineman Jordan Church-a solid addition to a unit that’s undergoing a serious facelift.
Church, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound interior lineman, brings both size and experience to Lubbock. He played in every game for Louisville this past season, a campaign that saw the Cardinals go 9-4 and cap things off with a win in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Church started three games early on and made the most of his opportunities. According to the Courier-Journal, he allowed just one sack over 514 snaps-a strong efficiency mark for any lineman-and was one of the least penalized players in the country among those logging 500-plus snaps.
That kind of discipline and consistency is exactly what Texas Tech needs up front.
The Red Raiders are in the market for new starters on the interior after losing Davion Carter, Will Jados, and Vinny Sciury-all of whom have exhausted their eligibility. Church, who will be a junior with two years left to play, steps into a wide-open competition for a starting guard spot. And even if he doesn’t win one outright, he’s a plug-and-play option with meaningful snaps under his belt-something you can’t overvalue in a Power Five offensive line room.
Church’s path to Texas Tech has been a winding one. He played his high school ball at IMG Academy in Florida, then began his college career at Florida Atlantic.
After redshirting in 2023 (appearing in two games), he became a full-time starter in 2024, holding down the left guard spot in all 12 games. That year of starting experience, especially at a program like FAU where he had to scrap for every rep, helped shape him into a reliable, battle-tested blocker.
Texas Tech’s offensive line depth chart is now a blend of youth and portal experience. In addition to Church, returners like Cash Cleveland (six games played this season) and Hunter Zambrano (a previous portal addition who saw action in three games) are expected to be in the mix.
Then there’s a group of younger linemen-Daniel Sill, Holton Hendrix, Connor Carty, and Patrick McMath-who will also be vying for bigger roles. Sill ended the year as a backup tackle, while McMath, originally projected as a center, was working behind the starters at guard.
What Church brings to the table is more than just depth. He’s a player who’s already proven he can hold his own against quality competition, and he arrives with a pedigree that suggests his ceiling is still rising. Coming out of IMG, he had reported offers from several big-name programs, including Florida State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Tennessee-and, of course, Louisville, where he eventually landed.
For Texas Tech, this is a savvy pickup. Offensive line play is often the difference between a good offense and a great one, and Church gives the Red Raiders a versatile, experienced piece to help solidify the trenches. Whether he locks down a starting spot or becomes a reliable swing option, his presence raises the floor-and potentially the ceiling-of Tech’s offensive front heading into 2026.