CFB Top 50, #34: 2025 Texas Tech Red Raiders

by
Bracket Yard
July 20, 2025

Now at number 34 in the CFB Top 50 countdown, it’s the 2025 Texas Tech Red Raiders out of the Big 12.

I’m old enough to remember when Mike Leach (RIP) was patrolling the sidelines in Lubbock. They had the Air Raid offense back then, and they have it now. The thing is, Texas Tech proved in 2024 to be a live-by-the-sword, die-by-the-sword kind of team, having one of FBS’s best offenses but worst defenses. Such is life in the Big 12.

Texas Tech is going to have to sling the ball around and score some touchdowns to keep up in the Big 12 race. However, they can boast new coordinators on both sides of the ball, so there will be visible changes coming to each unit.

2025 Texas Tech Red Raiders Basic Facts

Head Coach: Joey McGuire (4th season)

2025 Conference: Big 12

2024 Record: 8-5 (6-3)

Final Resolution of Last Season: Lost Liberty Bowl

2024 Scoring Offensive Rank: 4th (37.6)

2024 Scoring Defensive Rank: 122nd (34.8)

Texas Tech Key Additions and Subtractions

IN – Quinten Joyner, running back. Transferred from USC.

IN – Romello Height, defensive end. Transferred from Georgia Tech.

IN – Tristan Gentry, wide receiver. Four-star recruit from Texas.

OUT – Caleb Rogers, tackle. Drafted by Las Vegas in 3rd round of 2025 Draft.

OUT – Tahj Brooks, running back. Drafted by Cincinnati in 6th round of 2025 Draft.

Best Game on the Schedule in 2025

October 18 at Arizona State. This is probably the most difficult game on the schedule for the Red Raiders, and an opportunity for them to make a big splash in the Big 12, if they’re up to it.

2025 Texas Tech Red Raiders: Outlook

Texas Tech has a senior quarterback, Behren Morton, who is back for one more go running their offense. Suffice it to say, whatever problems the Red Raiders may have had last season, he was not one of them – when he was on the field. He completed 63 percent of his passes and had a good touchdown-to-interception ratio of 27 to 8. However, Morton missed the bowl game last season due to injury, and that is the thing to watch for with him, as he has been injured more than once.

There truly is nowhere to go but up for the Texas Tech defense. Shiel Wood is the new defensive coordinator, and as the defensive coordinator of Houston last year, he had respectable results. Perhaps someone like newcomer Romello Height will help them generate a pass rush, which was nothing special in 2024.

Texas Tech is this year one of those schools which scheduled some easier games out of the gate, so expect them to start 2-0. Oregon State, one of the last of the Pac-12 survivors, is next up, and we’ll see what happens from there. If Morton is healthy, they are going to be able to keep up with most teams, but their defense needs to be better if they want to contend for the title.