Three and Out: Can Red Raiders close in on top portal class?
In this story:
What's up with Perich?
Texas Tech has been predicted to land Minnesota three-way star Koi Perich for nearly a week now, but his recruitment remains silent despite trips to visit with Red Raiders coaches and Oregon.
Considered the No. 1 safety in the transfer portal, according to both 247Sports and On3, Perich took a visit to Texas Tech Thursday and made such a strong case to land land the former multi-sport athlete. He enjoyed his best season so far on the Golden Gophers' defense which makes him a can't miss prospect in the portal for teams with national championship aspirations.
The 6-foot-1, 200 pound defensive back finished the 2025 season as the No. 3 tackler on Minnesota's defense with 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble.
He was a major playmaker on special teams, including 617 total return yards and even contributed offensively by catching seven passes for 89 yards.
It's obvious why the Red Raiders would be targeting Perich on the defensive side given how dominant the unit was collectively. Tech wants better than the No. 26 ranked pass defense after giving up 190 yards per game through the air.
The Red Raiders did force 17 interceptions which ranked No. 9 nationally while it allowed just 11 passing touchdowns, good for No. 6 in the country.
Adding to special teams
This weekend was relatively quiet for Texas Tech, but special teams did add a quality piece to the room in Stephen F. Austin transfer kicker Jacob Hand. The 5-foot-11, 170 pound redshirt sophomore made each of his three field goals this season, drillig attemtps from 48, 54 and 56 yards.
He will have two more years left to play and will likely sit behind starting kicker Stone Harrington, who made 22-of-28 field goals this season as a Lou Groza Award semifinalist during the 2025 season. Harrington will have one year of eligibility remaining for Tech.
Hand's addition came after Upton Bellenfant entered the transfer portal last month after making 6-of-6 field goal attempts this season. He announced his commitment to South Carolina on Friday.
Looking on the Outside
After Cam Coleman opted to commit to Texas Sunday afternoon and play with quarterback Arch Manning, it's clear that the Longhorns intention is championship or bust in 2026.
That leaves the Red Raiders looking for more options in the passing game for transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby. Obviously, coach Jerry McGuire's staff have brought in quality additions such as Kenny Johnson, Donte Lee and Jalen Jones but there just seems to be something missing.
There are only six transfers ranked in the top-50 who remain uncommitted, including No. 5 DeAndre Moore, No. 6 Darrell Gill, No. 27 Noah Rogers, No. 32 Malcolm Simmons, No. 48 Jeremiah Harrison and No. 49 Johntay Cook.
It's possible none of them share mutual interest with the Red Raiders, but they all could contribute immediately in 2026.
More From Texas Tech On SI
Stay up to date on Texas Tech Athletics by bookmarking Texas Tech On SI and follow us on Twitter.
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.
Follow jacobdaviscfb