Saturday, while most of the country was focused on the three first-round College Football Playoff games, the Texas Tech football program made an important but under-the-radar move for the 2025 season. The Red Raiders picked up a commitment from Buffalo transfer kicker Upton Bellenfant in what could be the program's final portal move for the time being. The move was reported by Pete Nakos of On3Sports.com on social media.
The 17th player Tech has added from the portal since it opened on December 9th, Bellenfant was a redshirt sophomore in 2024. He made 14 of 16 field goal attempts and all 29 of his extra-point tries this season.
He was 3-3 from 20-29 yards, 6-6 from 30-39 yards, and 5-6 from 40-49 yards. He missed his only try this season of over 50 yards.
Prior to this fall, Bellenfant was at Alabama for two seasons. There he did not attempt any kicks.
Buffalo kicker Upton Bellenfant has committed to Texas Tech, a source tells @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 22, 2024
The Alabama transfer was an All-MAC selection and was 100% on extra points and 14 of 16 on field goals in 2024. Texas Tech on a portal roll. https://t.co/wMrfFrdlE6 pic.twitter.com/2A0iZG1Al4
Now, he's likely going to be the Red Raiders' primary kicker in 2025 replacing Gino Garcia who was 18-19 on field goals and 37-37 on extra points in 2024. What's more, Tech also saw Reese Burkhardt go 3-4 on field goals and 12-12 on extra points this fall as Tech rotated kickers for a portion of the season.
It is fair to believe that this move will be the last that Tech will make in the transfer portal, for now. After addressing virtually every flaw on the roster from the secondary to the lines of scrimmage to wide receiver to running back, Tech has fortified its ranks via the portal like never before.
Now, the Red Raiders head into the offseason with the most complete and the deepest roster they have fielded in recent memory. However, they could still add more talent via the portal when the spring window opens around the time of spring football.
If there are more defections from the roster, especially from players that the Red Raiders hope to keep in the fray, then Tech might pursue other transfers. But for now, Tech's pre-Christmas shopping frenzy is likely over now that Bellenfant has filled one of the last holes the Red Raiders wanted to address this offseason. That means that the long wait for what will be the highly anticipated 2025 season is now under way.