REPORT: Texas Tech offers multi-million dollar deal to land 5-star LaDamion Guyton
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Once again, Texas Tech is making national headlines—this time by landing the top high school prospect in the country. Five-star edge rusher LaDamion Guyton, a 6-3, 250-pound prospect out of Georgia, committed to the Red Raiders over powerhouse programs like Alabama and his home-state Georgia Bulldogs.
The latest recruiting win underscores Texas Tech's commitment to building a national champions hip contender. But when you're a program still climbing toward elite status, securing the nation's best talent doesn't come cheap. Fortunately for Red Raider fans, money doesn't seem to be in short supply in Lubbock.
On Friday, On3 reported that Guyton's deal is set to pay him $900,000 as a true freshman and $3.5 million over the course of three years. It's a package similar to what was reportedly offered to another five-star commit, offensive lineman Felix Ojo.
NEW: Texas Tech 2027 5-star EDGE commit LaDamion Guyton is expected to make $900,000 as a freshman, @PeteNakos_ reports🌵
— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) August 8, 2025
Details: https://t.co/BV6bKximaW https://t.co/P2gKw4jBTc pic.twitter.com/VhhOwZFzQC
What's perhaps even more eye-opening is how transparent Texas Tech has been about its approach to NIL. While many programs prefer to keep those numbers under wraps, the folks in Lubbock aren't hesitant to speak publicly about their aggressive recruiting strategy. General Manager James Blanchard recently put it bluntly:
"We're going to poach some guys," Blanchard said. "I'm going to do senior evals on the 2026 class across the country and if somebody is underpaying an elite guy that has senior tape, he might be a four or five star guy and people are only paying him 100, 200 thousand, I'm going to give him 300 to 400 thousand and go steal somebody."
That's how you say it with your chest.
In an era where NIL deals are shaping the college football landscape, Texas Tech has embraced the new reality—and is thriving because of it. While some fans and traditionalists may still be uneasy about the growing financial arms race in recruiting, those objections often come from programs on the losing end.
At the end of the day, this is the current world of college athletics, and Texas Tech has made it clear: They're willing to pay whatever price is necessary to win.
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Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
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