After last season, it was certainly clear that Joey McGuire needed some help on defense. Historically, it’s not an area where Texas Tech tends to thrive. The Red Raiders don’t have a great reputation on defense for numerous reasons and it’s hard to blame anyone for wanting to crack some jokes at Texas Tech’s expense when it comes to that side of the ball.
So, it was great to see McGuire address things by going out and plucking Shiel Wood out of Houston, stealing the talented defensive coordinator away from the Cougars. Along with that, McGuire and the Red Raiders then went out and picked up a ton of transfer portal help.
Especially on the defensive line. There is some very real talent up front in the trenches for Wood, McGuire, and the Red Raiders defense. And there’s no way that Wood and McGuire aren’t thrilled about the potential for that group.
Heck, it’s being considered the best defensive line in the Big 12 by the good folks over at Pro Football Focus.
PFF rates Texas Tech as having the best defensive line in the Big 12 and a top 5 DL in the country
Here’s where the Red Raiders stand on the defensive line side of things heading into 2025:
Top 5 Defensive Lines in College Football💪 pic.twitter.com/LDvgswnPgk
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 3, 2025
I mean, it’s so bizarre seeing any aspect of Texas Tech’s defense being considered among the best in the country. The Red Raiders have long had issues on that side of the ball and that’s certainly especially true in the trenches over the past couple of decades.
Texas Tech has needed a lot of help up front and it seems like they’ve gotten it. Now we’ll see how it all plays out for the Red Raiders on defense. With Shiel Wood as Tech’s defensive coordinator and a top five defensive line in the country, there could be some significant improvements on defense this year.