Outside linebackers coach Jacquies Smith and defensive line coach Imarjaye Albury, Sr. are made available to the media for the first time that I can remember.

This is probably going to make some folks upset, but there’s no reason to ignore it. The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel has his Big 12 predictions and thinks that Texas Tech finishes 6-3, which is 3rd, behind BYU and Houston. If you are curious how people are able to create an entire career as a report with this type of A+ analysis, well, I don’t have any answers:

3. Texas Tech gets its comeuppance. The Red Raiders won’t implode without Sorsby, but don’t expect another 12-win season. Yes, the fighting Cody Campbells still have plenty of expensive talent, but the heart of last year’s top-ranked defense — Jacob Rodriguez, David Bailey and company — is in the NFL now.

“Comeuppance is a noun that means a deserved punishment, penalty, or piece of bad luck that someone gets for doing something wrong or acting badly.”

I don’t know why Mandel thinks that Texas Tech needs to receive it’s comeuppance, maybe for signing Brendan Sorsby or spending money on the roster or maybe have some big boosters or maybe some other reason.

For the past decade I’ve ignored all of the pre-game shows. Some of that is because I had kids and we were doing things, but I also have no interest in watching talking-heads. It doesn’t matter who it is. I simply don’t care. The same thing generally applies to opinion writers like Mandel. I just don’t care what Mandel thinks.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese on some really nice praise from the coaches on freshman LaDamion Guyton, particularly defensive line coach Imarjaye Albury, Sr. (Guyton is an outside linebacker so not his coach):

“I’m so impressed,” Texas Tech defensive line coach Imarjaye Albury said of Guyton. “I’ve never seen a freshman that mature, that locked in. He ain’t gonna talk much. You won’t even see him smile. I pay attention to him in meetings. He’s taking notes. It’s a guy that doesn’t have mental busts out there and he goes out there and tries to run through people.”

Red Raider Sports’ L. Jordan with recaps of Coach Albury’s media scrum.

CBS Sports’ John Talty and Chris Hummer on Monday’s article with the most expensive rosters, which did not include Texas Tech:

Texas Tech’s roster is in the low $30-million range for 2026, per sources. But that comes with a Brendan Sorsby-sized asterisk. Had his $5-million-plus salary been on the books for the full year, the Red Raiders would have been on the cusp of the top 12. Either way, Texas Tech is comfortably atop the Big 12 for 2026.

There’s an understanding in Lubbock that a roster cost in the 30s will put Texas Tech in position to potentially win the Big 12 every year — we figure they have $10-million more than any conference foe to work with — and give the team a chance to compete in the playoff. Don’t expect Texas Tech to slow down any time soon. Their 2027 class, which is headlined by the nation’s No. 1 defensive lineman Jalen Brewster, is a top 10 group. And Texas Tech will always be among the most aggressive spends in the transfer portal.

Red Raider Sports’ Mason Turnbow with a very detailed recap of special teams coordinator Kenny Perry from the first scrimmage. If special teams is your bag, then this is for you.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese on the battle at defensive tackle:

“We want to be a relentless group up front, we want to be a violent group up front. We want to be a smart group up front,” Albury said. “Well, you got to exemplify that. You got to be the spearhead of that. He’s been doing a great job of, hey, if this is what you want our group to look like, they got to see it in you all the time, not just sometimes. Every single play, down in and down out. He’s been doing that 100%.”

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on what safety Brendan Jordan means to the defense:

“Him being the green dot,” linebacker John Curry said, “getting that over, like, Cole (Wisniewski) or someone like that — J-Rod (Jacob Rodriguez), Ben (Roberts), anyone on the team — that just goes to show how much this coaching staff and everyone on this team believes in him.”

Texas Tech announced they would have on-field advertising with Progressive Insurance. Additionally, Texas Tech announced the color schemes for fans. I don’t have a ton to say about either of those things.