The Texas Tech Red Raiders just finished the best season in program history, and the blueprint wasn’t subtle. Joey McGuire and his staff spent big in the transfer portal, landed the top-rated class in America, and turned an 8-5 team into Big 12 champions.
The Red Raiders’ 12-1 record and first outright conference title since 1955 didn’t happen by accident. It happened because Lubbock became the model for college football’s new economic reality.
Texas Tech’s Transfer Portal Strategy Paid Off in 2025
The math was simple. When the portal opened in December 2024, Texas Tech came in with a plan and the resources to execute it. General manager James Blanchard had spent the entire season evaluating film and grading every player with remaining eligibility who fit their needs.
By the time names started hitting the portal, the Red Raiders already knew who they wanted.
Blanchard’s staff locked onto their top targets early: Howard Sampson was their No. 1 offensive tackle, Lee Hunter was their No. 1 defensive tackle, and Romello Height was their No. 1 edge defender. All three were top-50 players in ESPN’s transfer rankings. All three signed deals exceeding $1 million.
When Sampson entered the portal from North Carolina, McGuire got on a FaceTime call with his friend Mack Brown while Sampson and his family were on their visit to Lubbock. That personal touch, combined with the financial backing, beat out (per ESPN) LSU, Alabama, and Missouri for the 6’7″, 340-pound tackle.
The investment totaled roughly $12 million in NIL commitments for the incoming class alone. An anonymous SEC personnel staffer told On3 in February that Texas Tech’s aggressive approach disrupted the entire market. That complaint looks different now that the Red Raiders are playing in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal on New Year’s Day.
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McGuire didn’t hide his intentions. At Big 12 Media Days, he was direct about the approach: the Red Raiders were aggressive in meeting roster needs through the portal. The staff identified specific positions, an older running back, an experienced tight end, multiple offensive linemen, edge rushers, and secondary help, and went hunting.
The defensive overhaul proved especially crucial.
Texas Tech entered mid-October with the best defensive stop rate in the country and ended the regular season with PFSN’s fourth-ranked defensive unit.
Hunter, the former UCF defensive tackle, changed how the Red Raiders could play at linebacker. Jacob Rodriguez, already one of the Big 12’s best players, suddenly had freedom to roam because Hunter was eating double teams in front of him.
James Blanchard and the Texas Tech Scouting Operation
Behind every successful transfer portal haul is infrastructure, and Texas Tech built its around Blanchard. He was the first hire when McGuire took the job in November 2021, and the two came together from Baylor with a shared vision for building a roster.
Blanchard earned a promotion to general manager in 2023, making him one of the first true GMs in college football.
His office became the war room where the recruiting staff gathered, with a whiteboard covered in magnets representing every player and prospect on their radar. The system worked so well that Notre Dame tried to hire him away in February 2025. He turned them down.
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Blanchard’s ambition is obvious: he wants to be the best GM in college football history. His confidence stems from results. Under his watch, Texas Tech produced consecutive top-25 high school recruiting classes before landing what multiple outlets rated as the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal haul.
The scouting operation uses data-driven evaluations from firms like Sūmer Sports, which grade players on an individual-play basis and even assign NIL valuations. When it comes time to negotiate, McGuire and Blanchard have realistic market values rather than inflated numbers from agents.
None of this works without financial backing.
Cody Campbell, a fourth-generation Texas Tech graduate who made billions in oil and gas, bankrolled the operation through the Matador Club collective he co-founded. Campbell called a meeting in July 2024 with McGuire, Blanchard, and key administrators.
His message was clear: the window was open, there was no salary cap, and Texas Tech should be ready to pounce when players entered the portal.
The gamble paid off. Texas Tech won the Big 12 Championship Game over BYU and earned a program-first playoff appearance. McGuire’s offseason vision became reality.
