Texas Tech's revamped defensive line among the best in college football
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When head coach Joey McGuire and his staff decided to hit the transfer portal hard after last season, they did so with the intent of building an elite defense. In 2024, the Red Raiders finished with one of the worst defensive units in college football, surrendering 460.2 yards per game. That mark put Texas Tech at No. 126 in the nation in total defense, highlighting the need for significant change.
Heading into 2025, all four starters on the defensive line are expected to be incoming transfers - and they're really good, too.
The transfer portal haul on the defensive line is so good that PFF recently listed the entire D-Line among the top 10 most impactful in all of college football. Here's what PFF had to say about the Red Raiders' revamped defensive line:
"Lee Hunter is my No. 5 returning defensive tackle in college football after two dominant years at UCF. Across 2022 and 2023, he led all FBS interior defenders in run-defense stops (59) and tackles for loss or no gain (27). His 49 pressures in that span are second among returning Power Four defensive tackles as well. Stanford’s David Bailey led all FBS edge defenders in pass-rush grade (93.2) and was second in pass-rush win rate (27.5%) last season.
"The other edge spot will be manned by Georgia Tech-transfer Romello Height, who was 10th among ACC edge rushers with a 78.4 PFF grade in 2024. Skyler Gill-Howard transferred in from Northern Illinois and was a dominant player for the Huskies. Among Group of Five interior defenders last year, he was fifth in PFF grade (83.8) and pressures (29) while placing second in defensive stops (28). The Red Raiders also added Houston defensive tackle Anthony Holmes Jr., who placed fifth in the Big 12 with 23 defensive stops last season."
With the additions of Hunter, Bailey, Height, and Gill-Howard up front, what was one of the worst defensive units in college football last year could become one of the best.
Even with a manageable schedule in 2025, the Red Raiders will still face plenty of firepower in the Big 12 conference. Last year, that firepower from the opposition led to Texas Tech giving up a whopping 34.8 points per game, good for 121st in the nation. This year, that number will need to be significantly better if the Red Raiders hope to compete for their first Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
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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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