Well, Texas Tech Red Raider fans had just one season with David Bailey, but it’s fair to say that everything went well for everyone involved.
Bailey, who arrived in Lubbock out of the transfer portal after leaving the Stanford Cardinal, helped secure and transform Texas Tech’s defense and turned the Red Raiders into a legitimately terrifying team on that side of the ball. He wasn’t totally responsible, but he played a huge role. And he had 14.5 sacks this season.
Because of all of that success, he’s now the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 edition of the NFL Draft. And he’s headed on to the NFL after the New York Jets picked him up after Fernando Mendoza was selected No. 1 overall.
Bailey was a force to be reckoned with and there’s a ton of gratitude from Texas Tech fans for that. Sure, there’s a slightly bittersweet element to this, he was only a Red Raider for just a season, but that time propelled him to the top of the NFL Draft and put Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff.
Here’s how Texas Tech football fans are feeling after David Bailey was picked by the New York Jets in the NFL Draft
Here’s how Texas Tech fans are reacting as Bailey was picked up by the Jets in the first round of the NFL Draft:
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Michael Crabtree (@KingCrab15) April 24, 2026
Will forever miss you king. GO BE GREAT
— Maguire Mathis🌵 (@MaguireMathis) April 24, 2026
Wreck Em!
— V for Vendetta 🌵 (@TexasTweetsonX) April 24, 2026
It feels like a good thing to see Crabtree weighing in on this. Texas Tech greats supporting Texas Tech greats is a great thing, in my opinion.
Wreck the league
— Ben Roberts Enjoyer (@caab0871720) April 24, 2026
Tech runs through NYC
— Raider Red's Pistol 🌵 (@RRPistol) April 24, 2026
2nd pick!! Let’s go!!!!
— Brett (@brettupchurch1) April 24, 2026
There’s a ton to be proud of here. With what Bailey accomplished this season, he certainly deserves to have a great moment. And it seems like Texas Tech fans are all about that.
PROUD AS IT GETS!!
— Osteen Sosa ⚜️ (@OSTEEN_SOSA1) April 24, 2026
Well deserved ❤️🖤👆
— Cha- Cha (@cocktail_ftbll) April 24, 2026
And to be completely honest, it makes a ton of sense for Red Raider fans to be a little emotional about this. This is a program that has been overlooked in so many ways.
When Bailey arrived, he helped change the culture a bit and he accelerated the elevation of a program that was slowly moving forward. Bailey delivered 14.5 sacks, helped lock down a defense that historically has been a joke, and assisted in Texas Tech getting to 12 wins this season. That’s a ton to be proud of.
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