Texas Tech football: Red Raiders’ best additions of the portal era

No. 2: Collin Schooler was a tackling machine after transferring to Texas Tech

The chaos of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic brought the next player on our list to Texas Tech.  That’s because Collin Schooler transferred to the Red Raiders in 2020 after fall camp had begun when it appeared that the PAC-12 was going to cancel the season.  But in spite of joining the program in mid-August, the former Arizona Wildcats’ standout quickly became a key player for a revamped Texas Tech defense.

In that 10-game season, he saw action in all nine Big 12 games.  Racking up 63 tackles, he registered a team-leading 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

That year, Schooler would earn honorable-mention all-conference accolades for his work.  That was impressive given how late into the offseason his transfer occurred.

2021 saw Schooler close out one of the most productive NCAA careers in history.  Starting all 13 games, he was credited with 106 tackles (7.5 for loss), two sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception, and ten QB pressures.

For his collegiate career, Schooler would make 481 tackles with 58.5 going for loss.  However, there is one play that stands out from the crowd.

In 2020’s 24-23 Red Raider victory over Baylor in Lubbock, Schooler had the play of the game.  His bone-jarring hit on Baylor QB Charlie Brewer at the goal line saved the Red Raiders from giving up a touchdown.  That play would prove to be pivotal in that win and it garnered national attention on social media.

Few good things came out of the COVID-19 pandemic but Collin Schooler’s arrival at Texas Tech was one of them.  He was as productive as any player the Red Raiders have featured in the past decade and he left many positive memories for Tech fans.  It’s just too bad we didn’t get to see his full career play out in Lubbock.