Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire isn’t wasting time this offseason. After a Big 12 title run, the Red Raiders are looking to reload, not rebuild - and McGuire made it clear that the transfer portal is going to be a key part of that plan.
He’s targeting seven to ten additions, and at the top of that list? A quarterback and help on the defensive front.
Let’s start under center. The quarterback situation shifted quickly when Will Hammond, the presumed starter for 2026, went down with a torn knee ligament in November.
His recovery is expected to stretch right up to the start of preseason camp, which leaves Texas Tech in a precarious spot. For a team with championship aspirations, entering spring without a clear QB1 isn’t an option - not when the portal offers a chance to solve that problem now.
One name already drawing attention is Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, a Texas native out of Corinth Lake Dallas. Sorsby just wrapped a strong season, throwing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns with only five picks, while adding 580 yards and nine scores on the ground.
He’s officially in the portal, though his NFL decision looms. If he stays in college, Tech could be a logical landing spot - but that’s a big “if.”
On the other side of the ball, Tech’s defense has been one of the stingiest in the country. They lead the FBS in both rushing defense and turnovers gained, and they’re third in scoring defense.
That dominance starts up front with a group that’s been flat-out disruptive: edge rushers David Bailey and Romello Height, and interior linemen Lee Hunter, A.J. Holmes, and Skyler Gill-Howard.
But with Bailey, Height, Hunter, and Gill-Howard all potentially exiting - and only Holmes returning for sure - reinforcements are a must.
McGuire’s aiming to bring in at least three defensive linemen through the portal: one tackle and two edge defenders. And he’s not just filling roster spots - he’s looking for players who can keep the defensive front operating at a championship level.
“We’ve seen, whenever you’ve got a dominant defensive front, everybody’s better,” McGuire said. And he’s not wrong.
A disruptive front makes life easier for linebackers, safeties, and corners. It changes the math for opposing offenses.
The portal window opens January 2 and closes January 16. That’s the only chance this offseason - no spring window this time - so every move has to count.
One area McGuire isn’t losing sleep over? The secondary.
With most of the key contributors returning, there’s continuity on the back end. But there’s still some tinkering going on, especially with how to deploy John Curry.
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound hybrid safety/linebacker has been a force, and with the Big 12 shifting toward more 11 and 12 personnel looks (one running back, one or two tight ends), Curry’s size and versatility give Tech options. Defensive coordinator Shiel Wood is weighing whether to move Curry inside or leave him at the star position, where he’s thrived.
If Curry stays put, McGuire said the team might look to add a veteran inside linebacker to round out the group.
There’s also a bit of a waiting game going on - not just with portal targets, but with eligibility rulings that could shape the roster. A federal lawsuit, *Patterson v.
NCAA*, is challenging the current redshirt rule that caps eligibility at four seasons in five years. The plaintiffs - five players who didn’t redshirt but have played four full seasons - are seeking a fifth year of eligibility.
If the court grants the injunction, it could open the door for players like Tech wideouts Caleb Douglas and Reggie Virgil to return. Both are seniors who haven’t redshirted, and without a rule change, they’ll be out of eligibility after this season. That would send Tech back to the portal for a receiver.
McGuire is watching the case closely. “The injunction is going on right now for the five-for-five,” he said. “The NCAA said that it’ll only be for those five players in that lawsuit, which will be extremely interesting, because we already know what’s going to happen [if the judge rules for the plaintiffs].”
A similar case last year involving Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia led to a blanket waiver for players from non-NCAA schools. This one could have ripple effects across the country - and directly impact Tech’s roster decisions.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech is also waiting on a medical hardship waiver for offensive lineman Hunter Zambrano, who played in just three early-season games before being sidelined. If granted, it would be a quiet but valuable win for the Red Raiders. “That’s almost like getting a portal guy,” McGuire said.
Bottom line: Texas Tech isn’t sitting back after its Big 12 title. The Red Raiders are aggressively building toward 2026, and the next few weeks - between the transfer portal and eligibility rulings - will go a long way in shaping what that team looks like. With a few key additions and some favorable decisions, McGuire’s squad could be right back in the thick of the conference race.