Red Raider Review

A Look at Where Texas Tech is Ranked in the Team Transfer Portal Rankings

To say Texas Tech is having a fantastic offseason with their transfer portal additions is an understatement. The Red Raiders, along with Indiana, are successfully adding key players through the transfer portal.
Ryan Kay|
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Texas Tech Red Raiders

Texas Tech is ranked high in the team transfer portal rankings, but let's first look at the social media reactions to the Red Raiders getting top players via the portal.

Here is now a look at where Texas Tech is currently (as of January 6th) in the team transfer portal rankings.

According to On3, Texas Tech is ranked No. 2 among FBS teams. They have the top three ranked transfers that have committed to the Red Raiders as Brendan Sorsby, quarterback from Cincinnati, Austin Romaine, linebacker from Kansas State, and Trey White, defensive edge rusher from San Diego State. Sorsby is ranked No. 6, Romaine No. 85, and White ranked No. 248 overall in the transfer rankings.

247 Sports ranks the Red Raiders No. 6, just outside the top 5. They have Oklahoma State ranked ahead of them, but they do have Sorsby as the No. 2 overall-rated transfer.

ESPN doesn't have transfer portal team rankings, but they do have Sorsby as the No. 1-ranked transfer. They also have White ranked No. 13 in their top 26 transfers.

Other publications, such as cfbdepth.com, have ranked Texas Tech No. 8, while more well-known media outlets, like The Athletic, have listed Texas Tech as one of the five teams identified as winners for the early college football portal window.

Here are some reasons why Texas Tech is once again doing so well, convincing key players to transfer to Lubbock, Texas, and become Red Raiders.

Texas Tech is doing very well this 2026 transfer portal cycle. The "perfect storm" of outstanding play on the field, solid support from NIL, and head coach Joey McGuire's clear vision has led to their success in convincing key players in the portal to transfer to Texas Tech.

Sorsby, dubbed the "Crown Jewel" of quarterbacks, is the primary factor contributing to their high ranking in 2026. He used to play for Cincinnati and Indiana and now will be playing for his third school. Many publications are saying that Sorsby is the best quarterback in the transfer portal, and his performance last season has fueled the Red Raiders' high ranking among the schools competing to get key talent via the portal.

Lubbock has now become a top destination for highly rated wide receivers and offensive linemen who want to play in an offensive scheme with a top quarterback who has already committed to the school. Second, the CFP appearance shows that the strategy of adding top-tier players from the portal works. Success breeds greater success, and Texas Tech had a great season in 2025 as they won their first Big 12 Championship and made it to the College Football Playoff.

Players in the portal no longer consider Texas Tech to be a "building" school. Instead, they view Texas Tech as a strong competitor that can provide them with national exposure to enhance their NFL Draft status. The Red Raiders have multiple players "projected" to go in the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Reports claim Texas Tech has a lot of "war chest" money, and some estimates say the school has a total NIL pool of roughly $30 million. Sorsby is reported to be worth roughly $5 million, which shows that Tech is ready and able to compete with anyone in the SEC or Big Ten when it comes to money for transfers.

Joey McGuire is quite adept at "bringing the kids back home." Those who were born and raised in Texas but moved away are often their main targets to come back home to the Lone Star State. McGuire has a lot of connections to Texas high school football coaches, which helps him connect with players who may have felt left out or who want to go back to their origins of playing college football back in Texas after playing somewhere else.

Transfers like Sorsby have remarked that the "culture" and "world-class facilities" were the key reasons they chose Lubbock after visiting. McGuire and his staff, along with strong support from boosters and donors, have made those goals of having outstanding facilities and an amazing culture within the program a reality.

Some programs use the "best available" strategy, but Texas Tech has been very diligent in locating and filling the gaps of players who have run out of playing eligibility or who intend to enter the NFL Draft. They swiftly signed quality defensive players like White from San Diego State, who was one of the Mountain West's best defensive players, and Romaine from Kansas State, who are replacing key players who were departing. They've acquired two dynamic playmakers, Donte Lee Jr. from Liberty and Jalen Jones from Alabama State, to make sure the offensive playmakers stay one of the fastest units in the Big 12.

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Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.

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