The Texas Tech Red Raiders have been active in the transfer portal so that they could assemble an improved roster and we’ll see how it all pays off this coming season. Arguably the most talented roster in the Big 12 (and one of the most talented rosters in the state of Texas) resides in Lubbock.
But while Tech was picking up interesting pieces in the transfer portal, they didn’t make a huge or exciting move at quarterback. And the Red Raiders probably could have. There is NIL money to spend out in West Texas.
And there were some intriguing and remarkably talented quarterbacks available through the transfer portal, such as the former Tennessee Volunteer by the name of Nico Iamaleava. Still, Tech decided to stick with Behren Morton and there’s a very good chance that works out for McGuire and the Red Raiders.
If you ask a coach at another Big 12 school about that decision (which Athlon Sports actually did), you’ll get an interesting answer (which Athlon Sports actually did).
Rival Big 12 coach believes that Texas Tech truly trusts Behren Morton as a ‘high-caliber starter’
As one coach anonymously told Athlon Sports, it seems like the Red Raiders think the world of Morton. But, there’s a pretty big question that comes with starting him.
“Will [Behren] Morton stay healthy? They didn’t bite on Nico [Iamaleava] in the portal, so they believe they’ve got a high-caliber starter,” one coach told Athlon Sports.
So yeah, while picking up Iamaleava (or some other transfer portal quarterback) could have resulted in some pretty big headlines and plenty of attention being paid to the Red Raiders, there’s certainly a chance that chasing off Morton would have resulted in a net loss.
And it is most certainly worth noting that Morton has been a really solid quarterback for the Red Raiders. We’re talking about a guy that completed over 63 percent of his passes for 3,335 yards and 27 touchdowns while only throwing eight interceptions last season.
Plus, the Red Raiders are pairing him with one of the most dynamic playcallers in Mack Leftwich as Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator. It is going to be absolutely fascinating to see what that combination brings. Assuming Morton stays healthy, that is. That is a fair (and fairly big) question here.