Sometimes, talented players simply don't pan out. That was the story of CamRon Valdez's time at Texas Tech. Now, according to a social media report by RedRaiderSports.com, the veteran running back has entered the transfer portal looking for a chance to finally break out.
This isn't the first time that Valdez has put his name in the portal. After the 2023 season, he also put his name in the portal before deciding to come back to the Red Raiders.
Unfortunately, that decision didn't work out. That's because he sustained a knee injury in Texas Tech's second game of 2024, ending his junior season almost before it got started.
#TexasTech running back Cam'Ron Valdez has entered the transfer portal, a source tells https://t.co/c0qI1BMLHu.
— RedRaiderSports.com (@RedRaiderSports) April 26, 2025
A four-star recruit in the 2021 class, Valdez totaled 510 yards in four seasons with the Red Raiders @RivalsPortal pic.twitter.com/SdeLmdPB4n
Valdez came to Lubbock in the 2021 recruiting class. At the time, he was a 3-star prospect and the No. 32 running back in the country (according to 247Sports.com).
The Rockdale, Texas native held offers from the likes of Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, TCU, Utah, West Virginia, and others. Therefore, many Red Raider fans had high hopes that he would become a star in Lubbock.
That never happened, though. Injuries plagued Valdez during his time on the South Plains and prevented him from being able to carve out a consistent role for himself.
In four seasons with Tech, he appeared in only 18 total games. 2023 was the only season in which he played in more than four.
That season, while backing up star RB Tahj Brooks, Valdez ran for 286 yards and one TD on 52 carries. However, 111 of those yards came in one game, a 49-28 victory over Houston in September.
Outside of that one anomalous performance, Valdez never ran for more than 71 yards in a game for the Red Raiders. That wasn't likely to change in 2025.
This season, the Red Raiders will feature a crowded running back room. Southern California transfer Quinten Joyner will battle with a pair of talented returning sophomores, Cam Dickey and J'Koby Williams, for playing time in the backfield.
That trio is expected to command almost all of the carries for the offense, meaning that Valdez was set to be the odd man out. That's why it comes as no shock to see him hit the portal as he tries to find a way to revive his career after seeing it derailed by a serious injury in 2024.