Texas Tech expected to receive visit from top transfer EDGE rusher
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Texas Tech fell outside of the top-10 of the transfer portal rankings Thursday behind fellow College Football Playoff teams Ohio State and Texas A&M.
That ranking might not hold for long as coach Jerry McGuire hosts a Thursday visit from one of the top available edge rushers in the portal in Missouri's Damon Wilson, according to On3.
He entered the portal Jan. 6 and debuted as the No. 7 available transfer this cycle and No. 2 among pass rushers following a breakout season with the Tigers.
Highest pressure rate, SEC EDGE:
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) November 6, 2025
Yhonzae Pierre, Alabama: 21.7%
Damon Wilson II, Missouri: 21.4%
Keyron Crawford, Auburn: 19.7%
Cashius Howell, Texas A&M: 19.5%
Zion Young, Missouri: 19.1%
Princewill Umanmielen, Ole Miss: 18.6%
Joshua Josephs, Tennessee: 17.6%
Malick Sylla,… pic.twitter.com/U3MLh279DF
Wilson enjoyed a strong junior season with the Tigers, recording 23 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception across 13 games. He also produced one of the highest pressure rates by any pass rusher in the SEC this season at a shade over 21%.
The 6-foot-4, 250 pound pass rusher started his career at Georgia as a member of the Bulldogs' 2023 class. Wilson was the No. 17 ranked prospect in the country, No. 3 at his position and No. 4 among athletes in Florida by 247Sports.
Once his visit in Lubbock is over, Wilson is expected to head to Miami at some point. The Hurricanes will play in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday, Jan. 19.
One factor that could help persuade Wilson to sign with Texas Tech is how much havoc Shiel Wood's defensive front caused this season. The Red Raiders ranked No. 4 in tackles for loss with 105 and No. 9 in sacks with 41 on the year with exceptional production from Heisman finalist Jacob Rodriguez, John Curry, and star EDGE rusher David Bailey, who transferred in from Stanford in the offseason.
Mizzou EDGE Damon Wilson II (Rd 1-2):
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) December 17, 2025
+ Freakish athleticism
+ Bend at the top of his arc
+ High motor in pursuit
+ Hand activity and pass-rushing IQ
+ Length
+ First-step acceleration
+ 9 sacks in 2025
- One-year starter
- Anchor vs. run pic.twitter.com/Jtv7k6zZvh
Texas Tech rode its dominant defense to its first Big 12 Conference Championship and College Football Playoff berth as a No. 4 seed.
Wilson's decision could be a tough one as both Texas Tech and Miami are expected to remain near the top of the college football landscape for the immediate future.
The NCAA transfer portal window will come to a close at 11:59 p.m. EST on Jan. 16, but student-athletes will have an unlimited amount of time to figure out their next move during the offseason.
Red Raiders Portal Class
• Trey White, EDGE (San Diego State)
• Austin Romaine, LB (Kansas State)
• JoJo Johnson, DL (Oregon State)
• Bryce Butler, DL (Washington)
• Jalen Jones, WR (Alabama State)
• Brendan Sorsby, QB (Cincinnati)
• Mateen Ibirogba, DL (Wake Forest)
• Julien Laventure, DL (Akron)
• Adam Trick, DL (Miami, OH)
• Davin Martin, CB (UTSA)
• Donte Lee Jr., WR, (Liberty)
• Amarie Fleming, EDGE (Allen University)
• Jett Carpenter, TE (Nevada)
• Kenny Johnson, WR (Pitt)
• Malachi Simmons, WR (Auburn)
• Corey Platt, Jr., LB (Houston)
• Kirk Francis, QB (Tulsa)
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Jacob is a contributor to Texas Tech and a seasoned journalist with over eight years of covering college football on digital platforms. He also contributes to Arkansas On SI and has previous writing experience at Saturday Down South and SB Nation. He is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University.
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