On the Hardwood
Jalynn Bristow was interviewed by ESPN regarding their trip to Europe this summer.
On the Gridiron
Texas Tech’s longform writer Wes Bloomquist asked all of the players what they remember about how their football journey began. Good stuff to get to know the players more personally.
If you haven’t seen this week’s episode of The Brand, it is very good. It premiers on TexasTech.TV and eventually makes its way to YouTube.
CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson predicts the AP’s top 25 and thinks that Texas Tech will check in at No. 20:
20. Texas Tech (NR): A wide-ranging investment operation has Texas Tech not only loaded up with talent in 2025 but making waves on the recruiting trial in the upcoming cycles. The Red Raiders have put together a roster that’s worthy of Big 12 title expectations, and the buzz around Lubbock is going to draw enough attention to get a preseason AP poll ranking, something we haven’t seen since 2008.
ESPN’s Craig Haubert on the top 40 recruiting classes with Texas Tech at No. 26:
The Red Raiders have been active in the transfer portal, but Joey McGuire & Co. also remain committed to building their roster through high schools. He pulled off a huge in-state win landing five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo. It’s the second time McGuire has landed an in-state five-star prospect (Micah Hudson, 2024). Ojo is lean and needs some further development but has elite length, bends well and brings a high ceiling for development. In-state guard Jerald Mays is another nice addition to that unit, as he is a thickly built lineman with good feet.
While the hope is Hudson will still break out and meet expectations, Tech is adding to the receiver room in four-star Chase Campbell, a target with good speed and body control who has amassed over 160 receptions with 35 TDs between his sophomore and junior years. In-state safety Donovan Webb can close well and has strong ball skills to finish and generate turnovers. He was position MVP at this spring’s UA Dallas camp.
Do you need to catch up on the first scrimmage? I got all sorts of stuff from Saturday including a non-transcript from Joey McGruie post-practice and other videos as well.
Raiders’ (of the Las Vegas variety) Levi Edwards interviewed former Red Raider footballer Caleb Rogers.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on the 5 position battles after the first scrimmage, here’s one of them:
Backup boundary edge: Terrell Tilmon, Cheta Ofili and Dylan Spencer
So much attention’s been shown to touted transfers David Bailey and Romello Height it’s easy to forget they won’t play every snap. Who comes in when they need a breather? McGuire lists steady veteran Charles Esters III behind Bailey at field end.
The boundary edge is harder to handicap. Tilmon was second on the team with 3 1/2 sacks last season and started the bowl game, but the fifth-year senior hasn’t practiced yet because of the broken toe he suffered at the end of spring ball. Ofili and Spencer, a redshirt freshman and a sophomore, respectively, are practicing, Spencer coming back from the torn knee ligament that cost him the 2024 season.