Fans of a certain age may not remember that there was once a time when Texas Tech football was synonymous with rugged defense. In fact, during the Spike Dykes era, the Red Raiders' "SWARM" defense was annually the team's strength.
The program's identity flipped during the early 2000s, however, and playing defense was a struggle in Lubbock for a quarter of a century. However, in 2025, Tech once again had one of the country's most feared defenses. The good news for people in scarlet and black is that head coach Joey McGuire thinks that the 2026 defense will be even better.
Though the program saw stars such as David Bailey, Jacob Rodriguez, Romello Height, and Lee Hunter head to the NFL after last season, McGuire is confident that his program will take another step forward on that side of the ball this year.
"Defensively, there's a chance we're better than we were last year," he said to SiriusXM's Danny Kanell and Roy Philpott on Friday. "And that's [after] losing the No. 2 overall player [Bailey], who's dominating right now. That's losing Jacob Rodriguez.
"Just the depth of this team; we have seven defensive tackles that have started college football games. You know, we have three defensive ends with two more that are ready to play, that are young guys. And then we got a kid out of Georgia, LaDamion Guyton, who's a freshman for us who's going to be really special. So we have six defensive ends. You know, if you're good up front, you have a chance to win."
Last season @TexasTechFB was one of the best defense's in the country. Despite losing top players to the NFL, @JoeyMcGuireTTU told @dannykanell & @RoyPhilpott he isn't concerned.
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) August 28, 2026
“Defensively, there’s a chance we were better than we were last year.” pic.twitter.com/O48VoaD1r1
In 2025, Texas Tech ranked third nationally in total defense by giving up just 258.3 yards per game. The defense also ranked third in points allowed per game at just 11.7. In other words, the bar has been set high for the upcoming season. Still, Tech should not see much of a drop-off on defense.
The Texas Tech defense might look different but will still be dominant
The 2025 Defense was built on star power. Bailey, Rodriguez, Height, and Hunter were all selected in the top three rounds of the NFL Draft this spring.
This season, Tech's defensive strength might not be in its high-end players as much as in the droves of quality defenders it will send at opponents. For example, don't expect a Red Raider to lead the nation in sacks as Bailey did in 2025. But expect a number of Red Raiders to prove to be quality pass rushers.
Last season, Bailey and Height each reached double digits in sacks. This year, the defense might not have a player hit that mark, but numerous players could have between five and nine sacks. That would make it hard for offenses to key on just one or two defenders when designing their blocking schemes. Oh, and in the middle of the defensive line will be the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, A.J. Holmes.
At linebacker, Tech will have arguably the best group of players in the nation, even without Rodriguez. Ben Roberts will lead the group while K-State transfer Austin Romaine is in the mix after being one of the Big 12's most productive defenders a season ago.
Additionally, the versatile John Curry (a Lubbock native) will be all over the defense as a play-making hybrid safety/linebacker. While none of those players will end up in the top five of the Heisman race as Rodriguez did last fall, they combine to give Tech a rangy, versatile group of players in the middle of the defense.
In the secondary, Tech returns All-Big 12 corner Bryce Pollock and safety Brenden Jordan, a multi-year starter. Additionally, 2025 starting corner Amier Boyd is back after being one of last season's breakout players.
The Red Raiders have made a concerted effort to invest in their defense in the past two offseasons. They have added 22 defensive transfers, and more of them have been difference-makers. That investment will pay off in 2026 as it did last year. What's more, if McGuire is correct, Texas Tech could have the best defense in program history this fall.
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