Texas Tech may not be done adding talent via transfer portal, SEC target to visit

Just when we thought that the Texas Tech football program had wrapped up its holiday shopping spree via the transfer portal, another name has been tied to the Red Raiders. It is being reported by Matt Zenitz of CBSSports and 247Sports that Tennessee defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins is set to visit Texas Tech on January 5th.

Of course, the Red Raiders are always in the market for talent upgrades on defense. That's especially true at defensive end.

Jenkins is a 6-foot-6, 281-pound native of New Jersey. In 2024, he was a redshirt sophomore who made nine tackles (four for loss) and two sacks in 13 games played. Prior to that, Jenkins had four tackles in six games in 2023 and two tackles in one appearance as a true freshman in 2022.

As a recruit, Jenkins was a three-star prospect in the class of 2022. He was rated by 247Sports as the No. 152 defensive lineman in America and the No. 25 overall player in New Jersey.

Overhauling the defensive line has been a priority for Texas Tech in the current transfer portal cycle. Since players could enter the portal on December 9, the Red Raiders have added four defensive linemen as transfers.

Lee Hunter was an All-Big 12 defensive tackle in 2024 for USC. Edge rusher Romello Height is rated a 4-star transfer from Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, defensive end Anthony Holmes Jr. played for new Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood at Houston last year. What's more, Skyler Gill-Howard was a standout for Northern Illinois in 2024.

Now, it appears that the Red Raiders could be interested in bringing in another defensive lineman via the portal. So as the new year dawns, keep an eye on Jayson Jenkins of Tennessee because he appears to be on the Red Raiders' radar as they continue their portal frenzy.