Texas Tech has moved quickly to build out what could become one of the nation’s most dangerous preseason groups for 2026-27, and the latest piece is a familiar one.
Darrion Williams is set to return to the Red Raiders, giving the program another proven scorer and versatile forward to pair with the rest of its rapidly growing core. Williams spent the 2023-25 stretch in Lubbock, starting 67 games and putting up 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 39% from three. After transferring to NC State for a year, he averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game this past season, and knocked down 40% of his threes on nearly six attempts per game.
The return of Williams gives Texas Tech a major boost on the wing, but the Red Raiders have also addressed the frontcourt in a big way. Jamichael Stillwell, a 6’8 forward from UCF, was the first addition in this stretch.
He averaged 11.6 points and 8.2 rebounds last season and brings Big 12 experience to the roster. Stillwell can handle either the four or the five, and he’s likely to open as the team’s starting center while All-American JT Toppin works back from a torn ACL.
That frontcourt could be loaded if everything comes together. Williams and Toppin already formed a dynamic Big 12 duo in the past, and Stillwell’s arrival adds another layer of size and production to the mix.
The backcourt has also taken shape. Texas Tech previously landed Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, who scored 20.7 points per game at UNLV, and Cruz Davis, who averaged 20.1 points and 4.7 assists at Hofstra.
Both were among the most productive guards in the country and could give the Red Raiders their starting backcourt. There’s also a path where one of them comes off the bench if Donovan Atwell returns for another year.
Atwell averaged 13.5 points and is also pursuing another season of eligibility, which would give Texas Tech yet another scoring option.
A few weeks ago, Texas Tech had just 10 players on the roster and plenty of open spots. That picture has changed fast. If Atwell comes back and the rest of the roster holds, the Red Raiders could jump from being left out of most preseason polls to opening 2026-27 in the top 10, or even the top five.
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McGuire seems comfortable leaning into it, too, embracing Texas Techs place as a team plenty of opponents would rather not see succeed. Theres still a football season to play and a new starting quarterback to sort through, with Will Hammond stepping in after backing up last year, but the broader message is already clear. Texas Tech opens Sept. 5 against Abilene Christian, and it will do so carrying the swagger of a team that no longer wants to be liked, only taken seriously. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas Techs offseason has moved quickly, and the roster picture for 2027 is already starting to come into focus around JT Toppin. The Red Raiders have added former UCF forward Jamichael Stillwell and bolstered the backcourt with Cruz Davis, Damarion Dennis and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a clear response to the departures that left holes on the perimeter and forced the staff to keep reworking its plans.
Darrion Williams is also back in the mix after a season away, giving Texas Tech another familiar piece as the program tries to build a lineup that can grow together fast. A recent court ruling that handed certain athletes an extra year of eligibility has played a major role in how this roster has come together, opening the door for both returns and new arrivals as the Red Raiders reshape themselves for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]