Red Raider Review

Texas Tech Red Raider Commits React to Huge Win Over Utah

Texas Tech's win had the whole college football world talking. In this article, I caught up with some of the class of 2026 commits to get their thoughts on the Red Raiders' win.
Julio Gonzalez, Jr.|
Texas Tech Red Raiders tight end Terrance Carter Jr.
Texas Tech Red Raiders tight end Terrance Carter Jr. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Texas Tech Red Raiders faced a top-20 matchup in Salt Lake City against the Utah Utes, seeking a significant conference road win that had sometimes eluded them. At Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the No. 17 Red Raiders defeated the No. 16 Utes, 34-10, propelled by a strong defensive effort that forced four turnovers and limited Utah to 263 total yards.

Texas Tech faced the challenge of losing starting quarterback Behren Morton to a head injury in the third quarter, requiring them to rely on backup redshirt freshman quarterback Will Hammond, who was up to the challenge and threw for 169 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 61 rushing yards in relief.

The Red Raiders improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in the Big 12 conference. They will move up in the polls and now head into their bye week before a road trip to Houston against the Cougars on October 4.

They currently have the No. 23-ranked recruiting class nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12, according to On3. I caught up with some of their commitments to get their thoughts on the big win.

Chase Campbell | Wide receiver | 6-1 195 lbs | Frenship High School | Wolfforth, TX | Rivals Industry Ranking: 138 nationally- 19 WR- 20 TX

Four-star wide receiver Chase Campbell committed to Texas Tech on July 22 over Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Utah, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Baylor. On the season, he has 29 receptions for 549 yards and eight touchdowns, added 20 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns, and has also thrown for a touchdown for the Tigers.

"I thought it was a great win and definitely a statement game putting the whole world on notice! With Wolfforth only 10 minutes away from the Texas Tech campus, Campbell said he is going to try to be at every game he can make it to.

Jerald Mays | Interior offensive lineman | 6-2 280 lbs | Weiss High School | Pflugerville, TX | Rivals Industry Ranking: 787 nationally- 73 IOL- 112 TX

Three-star interior offensive lineman Jerald Mays committed to Texas Tech on April 8, over offers from SMU, Houston, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Arizona State.

"I thought that offense really picked it up in the second half, and the defense played amazing. It really solidified Tech as a contender this year. I want to get back there for the BYU and Kansas games," Mays said. He was in Lubbock for the Oregon State game last weekend.

Kaegan Ash | Linebacker | 5-11 205 lbs | Mount Enterprise High School | Mount Enterprise, TX | Rivals Industry Ranking: 884 nationally- 78 LB- 123 TX

Three-star linebacker Kaegan Ash committed to Texas Tech on June 15. choosing them over offers from Washington State, Texas State, UTEP, UTSA, Army, Navy, and Air Force. Ash plays on both sides of the ball, and on the season, he has 31 tackles, four sacks, and four forced fumbles. On offense, he has added 57 carries for 955 and 15 touchdowns, five receptions for 204 yards and three touchdowns.

"I thought it was amazing, and Tech played great," Ash said. He was in Lubbock two weeks ago for the Kent State win.   

Ayden Johnson | Defensive lineman | 6-0 330 lbs | Mount Pleasant High School | Mount Pleasant, TX | Rivals Industry Ranking: 979 nationally- 97 DL- 134 TX

Three-star defensive lineman Ayden Johnson committed to the Red Raiders on November 24, 2024, choosing them over offers from Texas State, Arkansas State, UTSA, and UTEP.

"There were lots of good things in that game, and it was awesome," Johnson said. He is planning to get to Lubbock for a game soon.

Imari Jehiel | Wide receiver | 6-0 170 lbs | Forney High School | Forney, TX | Rivals Industry Ranking: 1190 nationally- 179 WR- 173 TX

Three-star wide receiver Imari Jehiel committed to the Red Raiders on June 18, 2025, choosing them over offers from several schools, including SMU, TCU, Texas State, Utah, Houston, Oregon State, and Boston College, among others. So far this season, he has recorded 12 receptions for 211 yards and two touchdowns for the Jackrabbits.

"It was great seeing my team dominate and play a great game on both sides of the ball. I am excited to be a part of that next year!" Jehiel plans to be in Lubbock to attend the Kansas game on October 11, the Oklahoma State game on October 25, and the BYU game on November 8.

Noah Lewis | Corner back | 6-1 195 lbs | Terrell High School | Terrell, TX | Rivals Industry Ranking: 1355 nationally- 137 CB- 195 TX

Three-star cornerback Noah Lewis committed to the Red Raiders on March 22. So far this season, he has played in four games, recording 11 tackles, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Additionally, he has two receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers.

"It was an impressive win! The defense really set the tone early, and the offense kept applying pressure. I loved seeing the energy and how physical they played it. It shows the standard that Tech is building and wins like that on the road say a lot about where the program is headed," Lewis said. "I'm really looking forward to getting out there for a game, experiencing the atmosphere in Lubbock, and seeing it all in person. I can't wait to be a part of it soon."

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Julio Gonzales, Jr.
JULIO GONZALEZ, JR.

Julio Gonzales Jr. is from Lubbock, Texas, and graduated from Lubbock Christian University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He is a writer for Texas Tech On SI. He has previously written for Mike Farrell Sports and Rivals. There, he covered recruiting for JUCO Football, UTSA, Texas Tech, and SMU. He continues to cover recruiting on his Sports Madness page on Substack. You can reach him at jrgonzales213@gmail.com.

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