When a program adds as much ready-to-play talent as Texas Tech football has this offseason, there will be some fallout in the form of defections. Thus far, it has not been difficult to see most of the Red Raiders who have jumped into the portal during the spring window depart. That changed on Wednesday when talented pass rusher Joseph Adedire announced that he is seeing new opportunities.
Adedire has never become a star at the college level, but it's always felt that he was on the cusp of doing so.
He arrived at Tech in the class of 2022 as an early enrollee out of Mansfield, Texas. As a recruit, he was a four-star prospect who picked Tech over Arizona, Baylor, Boston College, California, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Houston, Indiana, Iowa State, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Oregon, SMU, and TCU.
In his first season in Lubbock, he was the only true freshman on the team to play in more than four games. He was credited with 19 tackles (four for a loss) and a sack.
Texas Tech DE/EDGE Joseph Adedire is set to enter the transfer portal. his agent @ZCardenez tells @RivalsFriedman.
— NCAA Transfer Portal (@RivalsPortal) April 23, 2025
Adedire was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention as a freshman and is now fully recovered from a knee injury. He has 2 years of eligibility remaining pic.twitter.com/0MlXvK67zv
2023 saw him make eight starts at outside linebacker while playing in 12 games. He racked up 25 tackles (four more for a loss) and another sack.
Thus, he headed into 2024 expecting to be a key part of Tech's pass rush. However, a knee injury sustained in fall camp caused him to miss the entire season.
Now, with the Red Raiders having totally revamped their pass rush via the portal, Adedire is looking elsewhere for a chance to finally break out. He will be a redshirt junior this season, and he doesn't want to sit behind the unquestioned starters at outside linebacker that the program has brought into the fold this offseason.
In 2025, most of Tech's pass-rush opportunities are expected to go to Stanford transfer David Bailey and Georgia Tech transfer Romello Height. However, both of those players are set to be seniors this fall, meaning Tech will have to replace them in 2026.
Adedire could have been a depth piece behind Bailey and Height this season as he worked his way back from his knee injury and then blossomed into a key contributor next fall. However, he apparently doesn't want to follow that path.
Instead, he's going to find a new home, and that is disappointing. For many Red Raider fans, Adedire will always be remembered as a player who was constantly on the verge of breaking out but who never got over the hump. Still, players of his talent and athleticism are tough to find, especially on the edge of the defensive line, and his departure will weaken the Red Raiders' defensive depth at a crucial position.