On the Gridiron
The US LMB Coaches Poll was released with Texas Tech starting the season at No. 24.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman has his annual freaks list and 3 Red Raiders made the trip:
* No. 43 David Bailey, Texas Tech, outside linebacker
* No. 80 Howard Sampson, Texas Tech, offensive tackle
* No. 88 Davion Carter, Texas Tech, offensive lineman
Carter arrived from Memphis last year and was Tech’s starting right guard. He was their second-highest graded o-lineman, according to PFF, at 70.6. He’s an impressive combination of agility and power. He clocked 18.88 mph on the GPS at a stout 6-0, 300 pounds. He also bench pressed 425 pounds and squatted 655 this offseason.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg looks at the programs that may be impatient with their head coach:
Assessing the impatience: Texas Tech doesn’t have the historical profile to match the other three teams in this tier. The Red Raiders last won a league title 31 years ago, in the old Southwest Conference, and haven’t claimed an outright championship since 1955 in something called the Border Conference. The team has just one 10-win season since 1976, zero AP Top 25 finishes since 2009 and zero AP top-10 finishes in its history. But this is 2025 and the NIL engine has allowed programs like Texas Tech, spurred by deep-pocketed super booster Cody Campbell, to dream bigger. Grander dreams bring less patience, though, and Campbell and the top Texas Tech stakeholders aren’t going to wait around for stronger results. Texas Tech had a monster offseason, addressing both lines with transfers including UCF’s Lee Hunter, Stanford’s David Bailey, Georgia Tech’s Romello Height and North Carolina’s Howard Sampson. McGuire’s staff retention and additions helped Texas Tech earn the No. 2 spot behind LSU in ESPN’s top offseason rankings.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on receiver Roy Alexander joining Texas Tech:
Alexander grew up the youngest of eight children under one roof: his mother’s four kids and his aunt’s four kids. Next door was Sammy Watkins, who’d go on to be a two-time first-team all-American at Clemson and a nine-year NFL pass catcher.
Alexander’s career wouldn’t be so smoothly paved after he graduated from Fort Myers Riverdale in 2019. He said he was offered spots by several small colleges, but wanted more, so he spent six months at Bridgton Academy, a prep school in Bridgton, Maine. Then came four football seasons — the first a Covid-delayed schedule of four games in March 2021 — at UAlbany, an FCS school in Albany, New York.
Got an hour and ten minutes to kill? The Solid Verbal with a preview of Texas Tech and an hour of highlights from the Big 12 YouTube channel.
On the Hardwood
These guys for Field of 68 reviewed the players that Texas Tech is recruiting for the 2026 class. I included the list of players with links to recruiting profiles if that interests you.
NEXT GEN HOOPS! @Ani_Umana and @ShuNegga break down Texas Tech’s recruiting prospects and their thoughts on the Red Raiders! | PRESENTED BY @athleteaiapp https://t.co/9z1tB8XdAi
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) August 1, 2025
* SG DeKari Spear (6’4″): 24/7 Sports and On3.
* SG Quintin Coleman (6’3″): 24/7 Sports and On3.
* PG Darius Bivins (6’0″): 24/7 Sports and On3.
* PG Anthony Brown (6’1″): 24/7 Sports and On3.
* SF Jalyn Collingwood (6’6″): 24/7 Sports and On3.