While the Texas Tech Red Raiders are heading into the 2025 season with the goal of having an above average defense (and hopefully one of the best in the Big 12 this year), the Red Raiders are apparently going to have some work to do to impress some folks (and some defensive metrics).
Texas Tech doesn’t exactly have a reputation for producing competent defenses, which is understandable given the way some of the defenses in Lubbock have performed over the past couple decades. But with the amount of talent that Texas Tech was able to accumulate through the Transfer Portal this offseason, I figured the Red Raiders would rank a bit better than No. 58 in the country.
And that’s where Texas Tech finds itself, according to Kelley Ford ratings and the preseason defensive unit power rankings. Which, you know, according to the little disclaimer, the Red Raiders are ranked a smidge above average, but that’s not exactly where TTU probably wants to be this season.
Texas Tech ranked at No. 58 in defensive power rankings ahead of 2025 season
Here’s what the full rankings look like:
2025 Defensive Unit Power Ratings v1 pic.twitter.com/3agb6w7cbp
— Kelley Ford (@KFordRatings) June 19, 2025
According to those ratings, the Red Raiders have the No. 10 defense in the Big 12 right now. Which, uh, I don’t think that’s how it’ll look a few weeks into the season. Here’s what the Big 12 looks like according to these ratings:
- Utah Utes (No. 16)
- Kansas State Wildcats (No. 26)
- BYU Cougars (No. 27)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (No. 28)
- Iowa State Cyclones (No. 29)
- Houston Cougars (No. 36)
- TCU Horned Frogs (No. 39)
- Cincinnati Bearcats (No. 48)
- Colorado Buffaloes (No. 56)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (No. 58)
- Baylor Bears (No. 60)
- UCF Knights (No. 61)
- Arizona Wildcats (No. 69)
- Kansas Jayhawks (No. 71)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (No. 81)
- Oklahoma State Cowboys (No. 87)
Texas Tech will have plenty of opportunities to improve upon this ranking and it certainly seems like the Red Raiders are capable of that.