Tag: Texas Tech Red Raiders

Previewing the Big 12 Opener: No. 20 Texas hosts Texas Tech

The final Big 12 opener for Texas will have Texas Tech traveling to the Moody Center.

The Big 12 opener for No. 20 Texas will tip-off on Saturday as the Longhorns host the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the Moody Center. Continue reading “Previewing the Big 12 Opener: No. 20 Texas hosts Texas Tech”

Texas A&M, Texas Tech announce home-and-home series

An old conference rivalry renewed.

Former Southwest Conference, Big 12 rivals Texas A&M and Texas Tech announced a home-and-home series starting in 2024. The two teams will meet at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas, for the 2024 season. In 2025 the two will tip off from Reed Arena in College Station.

The Red Raiders announced the series in a press release on Tuesday.

“I think this is a big part of what makes college basketball so great,” TTU men’s basketball head coach Grant McCasland said in the release. “To have a series between historic rivals is important to continue. We are thrilled about the opportunity to compete against the Aggies and know that this will benefit our team and schedule. I know the environment at United Supermarkets Arena will be elite. Our fans will love to be a part of this game next year.”

Overall, Texas Tech is 64-61 against Texas A&M dating back to 1953. They last faced off in the 2011-12 season where the Aggies swept the Red Raiders in the regular season.

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Texas Tech among the big winners of early signing day

Not a bad way to finish out the 2023 season.

It was quite a day for Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire and his staff after they signed a top-25 class. The only class among the best teams in the country for the Big 12.

Paul Myerberg pointed out Texas Tech among the winners which includes Alabama, Nebraska, and Ohio State.

The Red Raiders inked a pretty eye-opening group thanks in large part to five-star wide receiver Micah Hudson, the highest-rated signee in program history. Hudson will be expected to immediately impact a passing game that ranked last in the Big 12 in yards per attempt and interceptions during the regular season. Beyond Hudson, the class is defined by geography: All but one of Texas Tech’s 21 signees as of Wednesday afternoon came from inside the state, with other standouts including offensive lineman Ellis Davis and four-star quarterback Will Hammond.

Hudson was the first-ever five-star player to sign with Texas Tech since ranking prospects started in 2000. He is a dynamic weapon and he will be among the early enrollees along with quarterback Will Hammond.

When discussing the losers of early signing day, Myerberg pointed to the rest of the Big 12.

Texas Tech’s signing class hovered around the top 25 nationally but ranks as the best group in the Big 12, according to 247 with TCU, Central Florida and Kansas coming next. In comparison, the ACC had four, the Big Ten had six and the SEC had a whopping 13 classes ranked in the top 25. The already measurable talent gap between the league and the rest of the Power Four will only grow after signing day.

The Red Raiders capped off the 2023 season with a win over California in the Independence Bowl to finish with a winning record for the second straight season. Something that hasn’t happened since Mike Leach roamed the sidelines in Lubbock, Texas.

After finishing 15-11 in his first two seasons with the Red Raiders, the real test will come in year 3 as Tech looks to take control of the new look Big 12. They will have plenty of competition with Arizona and Utah coming in along with Arizona State and Colorado.

Former Texas Tech WRs Jerand Bradley, Myles Price announce transfer destinations

The Texas Tech duo announced their new destinations on Monday.

On Monday former Red Raider wide receivers Jerand Bradley and Myles Price both announced where they would play next. The duo will be heading in different directions as Bradley heads to the ACC and Price is Big Ten bound.

Price has spent the last four seasons with Texas Tech, this past year was his most productive from a touchdown standpoint. He hauled in 161 receptions for 1,751 yards and 10 touchdowns. In his first two seasons, he was also used as a runner with 26 attempts for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Price will now join an Indiana Hoosiers squad that recently hired former James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti to run the program. Price should have ample opportunity to show what he can bring to an offense that is in desperate need of playmakers. Indiana finished 3-9 this past year which caused them to move in a new direction with the firing of Tom Allen following the season.

Bradley announced that he would be on his way to join the Boston College Eagles in 2024. Bradley joined the Red Raiders as part of the 2021 recruiting class. He showed flashes as a freshman in 2021 and was a bigger part of the offense in his redshirt freshman season of 2022. That role seemed to lessen this past season.

Bradley hauled in 92 passes for 1,274 yards, and 10 touchdowns during his three-year stint with Texas Tech. Most of his production came in 2022, the first year under head coach Joey McGuire. Bradley will give BC a legitimate threat on the perimeter. The Eagles finished the regular season with a 6-6 record under head coach Jeff Hafley.

The Red Raiders did add some talent of their own this transfer portal cycle with former Florida Gators wide receiver Caleb Douglas and former Washington State Cougars wide receiver Josh Kelly. Not to mention they will add five-star signee Micah Hudson, who is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Texas according to 247Sports composite rankings.

Texas Tech cruises to Independence Bowl victory in commanding offensive display

The Red Raiders held California scoreless for the final three quarters and scored 27 unanswered points to cruise to a 34-14 victory.

Texas Tech cruised to a 34-14 victory over California in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl behind an empowered offense and an opportunistic defense.

The Golden Bears offense was powered by running back Jaydn Ott this season, a First Team All-Pac-12 nominee. He finished the regular season averaging 114.6 yards per game, the seventh-best mark in the nation, but despite an early touchdown, the Red Raiders defense stifled him to just 45 yards on 16 carries.

On the offensive side of the ball, sophomore quarterback Behren Morton threw for 256 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. All three of his touchdown passes came in the first 21 minutes of the game, including a go-tying 15-yard score to Mason Tharp and a go-ahead touchdown pass to Loic Fouonji in the early second quarter. Texas Tech never surrendered the lead again.

Despite a touchdown pass in the opening minute of the game, California quarterback Fernando Mendoza made too many costly mistakes in the second half. With Texas Tech leading and Ott unable to get going downhill, the Golden Bears quarterback threw an interception on the first drive of the third quarter. He threw two more before the game was over and even coughed up a fumble, turning the ball over four times in seven second-half drives.

With the California offense unable to get off the ground, the Red Raiders cruised to an easy victory. Running back Tahj Brooks punched his way into the end zone in the third quarter, the highlight of a 98-yard performance. Texas Tech scored the game’s final 27 points, and the California offense didn’t score after the first quarter ended.

Here are the best photos from the Texas Tech victory.

Former Florida WR announces transfer to Big 12 program

After two years with Billy Napier’s Florida Gators, wide receiver Caleb Douglas is headed to join Texas Tech in the Big 12.

Former Florida wide receiver [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] will play for the Texas Tech Red Raiders in 2024, according to an announcement he posted on social media Wednesday afternoon.

Douglas hinted at his departure from Gainesville on Nov. 28, three days after the regular season finale against Florida State. A day later, reports of impending transfer surfaced, and Douglas made things official when he was allowed to enter the portal on Dec. 4.

A member of Billy Napier’s transition (and first) recruiting class at Florida, Douglas became a regular contributor for the Gators as a true freshman in 2022. He started two of the eight games he appeared in, reeling in 10 catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

Through five games as a sophomore, Douglas added 11 more catches for 133 yards and a touchdown as Florida’s No. 2 receiver. A season-ending injury, suffered during the Kentucky game, put him one game past the threshold for redshirting. He’ll leave Gainesville with two years of eligibility remaining.

Florida still has Marcus Burke, Kahleil Jackson, Andy Jean, Aidan Mizell and Eugene Wilson III remaining in the position room and expects to add three players during the early signing period, which starts in one week.

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Tahj Brooks announces return in 2024

It will be Tahj time again in 2024.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders received a massive bump for next season. Star running back Tahj Brooks announced that he would return for his fifth season in Lubbock on Monday morning.

Brooks is coming off the most productive season of his career with a bowl game left to play on Saturday against California. He rushed for 1,443 yards with 9 touchdowns during the regular season. According to Pro Football Focus, Brooks also led the nation in missed tackles forced (91) and finished fourth in yards after contact.

Brooks’ breakout season began in 2022 during the Texas Bowl, where he rushed for 6.4 yards per attempt against the Ole Miss Rebels. The lead runner for Tech rushed for over 100 yards in eight of the final 10 games of the regular season.

It appears that quarterback Behren Morton will have plenty of weapons with the impending addition of five-star wide receiver Micah Hudson and four-star transfer tight end Jalin Conyers.

This news comes shortly after backup running back Cam’Ron Valdez announced that he would enter the transfer portal.

Bryson Donnell will likely fill the void of backup running back for Texas Tech in their bowl matchup. He has seen limited action as a redshirt freshman this season. Donnell carried the ball just four times for 15 yards.

Texas Tech gets commitment from former Arizona State tight end

Jalin Conyers amassed 846 yards and six touchdowns across three seasons with the Sun Devils, including a three-touchdown game against Colorado last year.

Former Arizona State tight end Jalin Conyers committed to play for Texas Tech, Conyers announced on social media on Sunday.

The former Sun Devil has one year of eligibility remaining, according to his announcement when he entered the portal. He compiled 846 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 74 receptions in his three years with Arizona State.

His best season with the Sun Devils came in 2022 when he caught 38 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. He exploded against Colorado with six receptions for 108 catches and three touchdowns in a single game.

Pro Football Focus is bullish on the newest Red Raiders tight end. He earned a receiving grade of 86.0 in 2022 and 71.6 this past season. The company graded Conyers as its fourth-best tight end in college football over the past two seasons.

Conyers was a four-star prospect out of high school, 247Sports’ fourth-highest tight end in the class of 2020.

No. 7 Texas vs Texas Tech: A brief history of the Longhorns owning the rivalry

The two teams play each other for possibly the last time on Friday.

The upcoming game between the No. 7 Texas Longhorns and the Texas Tech Red Raiders might be their last encounter due to Texas moving to the SEC in 2024. Continue reading “No. 7 Texas vs Texas Tech: A brief history of the Longhorns owning the rivalry”

Brent Venables continues to prove he’s the right man to lead Oklahoma to the SEC

The Oklahoma Sooners are not a finished product but have still taken a big step in Year 2 under Brent Venables.

This time last year, the Oklahoma Sooners were gearing up to play their final regular season game of the season against the [autotag]Texas Tech Red Raiders[/autotag]. The Sooners were sitting at an abysmal 6-5 just barely bowl eligible.

They lost that game and their bowl game to fall to 6-7 in year one under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. Fast forward to this year. The Sooners sit at 9-2 and have an outside chance at playing for a conference championship.

This offseasons, most fans would have taken that any day of the week after what happened a year ago. Venables spoke about where the program is at in year two.

“I’ve experienced tremendous success at the very highest level, and it’s never been a straight line,” Venables said. “I think having that right perspective is important. Coming off a game where it was a tough, hard-fought victory. Where maybe we had to overcome several things. Whether it’s losing our quarterback, not having him in the second half. For not fitting gaps right pretty consistently for most of the day with our linebackers. But still finding a way to win. So, the improvement has been incremental in most ways, and we’ll never stop improving.”

The improvement has been clear, especially on the defense. The thing they are still missing is true difference-makers along that defensive line. That will come over time with recruiting and development. But this year was about if Venables was the right man for the job. Could they take a massive leap as a program?

For a lot of people, including myself, a 9-3 or 10-2 season would have shown that. The Sooners already have that ninth win. Now it’s about finishing the season strong with plenty of momentum heading into next year.

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