Ranking Texas Tech's Top Transfer Portal Acquisitions So Far
The transfer portal was kind to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in 2025. With a revamped NIL collective, headlines were made in Lubbock, Texas, and waves were felt across the nation as the Red Raiders landed one of the top transfer portal classes in the country.
However, even more importantly, Tech nailed the talent evaluation portion of the process, adding several cornerstone players. Tackle Howard Sampson, tight end Terrance Carter Jr., wide receiver Reggie Virgil, edge rushers David Bailey and Romello Height, defensive tackles Lee Hunter and A.J. Holmes Jr., and cornerback Brice Pollock were all first-year members of the scarlet and black in 2025.
With a large exodus of players graduating and/or heading to the 2026 NFL Draft, the Red Raiders dipped their toes back into the water in pursuit of repeating as Big 12 champions. With a transfer portal class of nearly 20 players, which ones were the best additions in this year's chaotic cycle?
Ranking Texas Tech's 5 Best Transfer Portal Additions Ahead of 2026 Season
5. Wide Receivers
The Red Raiders' wide receiver rotation in 2025 was a bit of a chicken-or-the-egg situation. Three players dominated Texas Tech's snap share at wide receiver, with Reggie Virgil, Caleb Douglas, and Coy Eakin playing a combined 1,190 passing-down snaps.
In offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich's first season with the Red Raiders, this could have been an indication of either his trust in the wide receiver depth or his offensive philosophy. However, he seemed to have a more traditional rotation with the Texas State Bobcats in 2023 and 2024, which could be evidence of the former.
This season, Texas Tech did not hesitate to bring in a surplus of wide receivers, adding four players with wide-ranging skill sets. Donte Lee Jr. (Liberty) and Kenny Johnson (Pitt) boast more traditional traits of a big-play pass-catcher who can line up on the outside, similar to Virgil and Douglas.
Meanwhile, Malcolm Simmons (Auburn) is an athletic flanker, and Jalen Jones (Alabama State) is a dynamic after-the-catch threat, something the Red Raiders lacked in 2025. This gives the Red Raiders options for 2026; when paired with a tight end duo (Terrance Carter Jr. and Jett Carpenter) and a running back trio (Cameron Dickey, J'Koby Williams, and Quinten Joyner), Tech's offense could win in multiple ways.
4. Adam Trick/Trey White
The addition of Bailey and Height is what truly unlocked Texas Tech's defense in 2025 under defensive coordinator Shiel Wood. With Wood back and Bailey and Height headed to the NFL, though, the Red Raiders needed to add more firepower off the edge.
Adam Trick excelled at Miami (OH) while Trey White was a multi-year standout at San Diego State, making them proven players at the Group of Five level. They will be making a jump to the Power Four level, but the Red Raiders proved that talent wins out in 2025. Virgil was also a Miami (OH) transfer, while Carter came from the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, and safety Cole Wisniewski elevated from the FCS (North Dakota State).
Between Bailey and Height, the Red Raiders lost production equal to 24.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss in 14 games. Trick and White have both proven they know how to get to the quarterback as well.
Trick has 18 tackles for loss and 13 sacks over the last two seasons and recorded the 13th-best PFF pass-rush grade in the country (91.1) in 2025. White is also a premier playmaker, logging 28.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks over the last two seasons. He led the Mountain West in both marks in 2024.
Wood wants to win in the trenches with just four rushers, but to do that, you need players who can produce. The Red Raiders are hoping Trick and White can be that answer.
3. Mateen Ibirogba
After opening his career at Georgetown, Mateen Ibirogba transferred to Wake Forest for the 2024 season. In 2025, he emerged as one of the top interior defenders in the ACC.
Last season, Ibirogba ranked third in pass-rush win rate (14.2), fourth in PFF pass-rush grade (78.4), and fifth in pressures (26) among qualified ACC defensive tackles. While there is still needed development as a run defender, with just nine run stops, he could play a role similar to the one Skyler Gill-Howard had in 2025.
With the 330-pound Hunter headed to the NFL Draft, though, Texas Tech will be relying on Ibirogba and its other defensive line additions to step up in run defense as space-eaters. An expected return from Holmes should help with the run defense, as well as the addition of Bryce Butler from Washington, while the Red Raiders await an official announcement on Gill-Howard's eligibility for 2026.
Ibirogba will team up with several other defensive line additions in Lubbock, including Trick, White, Butler, Jojo Johnson (Oregon State), Julien Laventure (Akron), and Amarie Fleming (DII Allen).
2. Austin Romaine
Multi-season all-conference talent is not common in the transfer portal, but one of the Red Raiders' first additions came with that level of pedigree. Kansas State's Austin Romaine brings experience as an inside linebacker, suiting up for nearly 1,400 snaps over three seasons with the Wildcats.
Romaine's 2025 season was cut short due to an injury, but he still finished second on K-State's roster in tackles (66) and tackles for loss (7.0) despite playing in nine games. However, his standout 2024 season was his best at the college level — he recorded 96 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and a 90.3 PFF defense grade, headlined by an 89.8 in run defense.
One key area where Romaine will need to improve for Wood's defense is in tackling. He has had a missed-tackle rate above 18% in each season of his career. He has 90 run stops and 39 missed tackles over the last two seasons. Under Wood's leadership, Texas Tech was one of the best tackling teams in the country.
However, experience like Romaine's is critical for a defense, and he has familiarity with the Big 12 and opposing offenses. He wore the green dot for the Wildcats. While he likely will not be for Texas Tech — as Wood's prefers that it be with a safety — his communication skills could be key to replacing an All-American like Jacob Rodriguez.
1. Brendan Sorsby
Brendan Sorsby was the headline addition for Texas Tech, and he even had his name plastered on billboards at New York's Times Square. The real boon of his addition, though, is how he can transform Texas Tech's offense and add new dimensions where it was previously limited.
While Texas Tech's offense was dominant statistically, advanced numbers displayed signs of down-to-down flaws that became blights against the Oregon Ducks' defense in the College Football Playoff. Quarterback Behren Morton struggled immensely against pressure, which was compounded by his limited mobility. As well, he was playing through an injury, which exacerbated the issue.
Sorsby has the arm talent and confidence to operate Tech's downfield offense while adding mobility both behind the line of scrimmage and as a runner. He can make plays with his legs Morton couldn't, which could give the Red Raiders more opportunities for scramble-drill plays.
Additionally, he provides plenty in the designed running game, which could make Tech one of the most dangerous teams on the ground in the Big 12. Among Power Four quarterbacks, he was 10th in scramble yards (283), tied for 11th in missed tackles forced (23), and 18th in yards after contact (300).
Quarterback is the most important position in football, and with Sorsby's ability to elevate Texas Tech's ceiling, he could help Texas Tech compete for back-to-back Big 12 titles and College Football Playoff berths.
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-43389ae7766a84cbb8a6c33939d17968.jpeg "Jordan Epp")
Jordan Epp is a journalist who graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 and is passionate about telling stories, sharing news, and finding ways to entertain people through the medium of sports. He has formerly worked as a writer and editor at The Battalion and The Eagle, covering football in College Station, Texas, and served as the managing editor for PFSN.
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