In 2024, Christmas came early for Texas Tech football fans. What's more, it came not in the form of presents under the tree but rather in the form of the nation's top transfer class.
Since the portal opened on December 9, Tech has added 17 players. Of that group, nine of those players call the defensive side of the football home.
That makes sense given that the Red Raiders were dreadful in that aspect of the game in 2024. According to team rankings.com, Tech sits at No. 117 out of 134 FBS programs in yards allowed per game at 439.6.
Meanwhile, it is even worse when opponents throw the ball as Tech ranks No. 131 giving up 288,0 yards per game through the air. That is the worst pass defense in the Big 12.
Against the run, the Red Raiders have been stronger but not elite. Allowing 151.6 yards per game on the ground, Tech ranks 66th nationally. However, that might be in part because teams simply decided to throw the ball all over the suspect Red Raider secondary.
All season, the Red Raiders had to overcome their defensive liabilities and repeatedly, head coach Joey McGuire lamented his program's struggles on that side of the ball saying that Tech will never win championships until the program's defense matches its high-powered offense.
Thus, it should have come as no surprise that McGuire made a change at defensive coordinator just after the conclusion of the regular season. Firing Tim DeRuyter and replacing him with former Houston D.C. Shiel Wood signaled a new attempt to right the wrong that has plagued Texas Tech football for decades.
But an infusion of talent was also needed and that's where the transfer portal came into play. Tech attacked that means of player acquisition with aggressiveness never before seen from the program and it might have been tough for fans to keep up. So let's take a moment to look at the top five defensive players the Red Raiders have added to the mix on the side of the ball that desperately needed a rebuild.
This countdown isn't just about each player's ranking according to the recruiting services but also about projecting what the player could mean to the Red Raiders on the field because of their potential fit. One player who fits the description of being a perfect fit for Tech is former FCS star Cole Wisniewski.
At first glance, fans might not get too excited about a player from a lower level of the sport. However, at South Dakota State, he was an All-American in 2023 before missing much of 2024 with a foot injury.
In 2023, he made 88 tackles and intercepted eight passes. That type of productivity would make a huge difference in the Red Raider secondary.
What's more, Tech needs a safety to replace the graduating CJ Baskerville. This year, he had 68 tackles and four interceptions for the Red Raiders.
Whether or not Wisniewski plays the exact same role for new DC Shiel Wood in 2025 as Baskerville played for Tim DeRyuter in 2024 is yet to be seen. However, what we can be hopeful for is that the FCS star will step in and adjust to the FBS level where he will be a ball-hawk as he was in 2023 because Tech will need a new playmaker at safety next fall.
Another player that Tech fans might have glossed over during the transfer portal frenzy of December is defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard. This is a sneaky-good addition for the Tech defense because the Red Raiders have to get stronger along the defensive front.
In two seasons at Northern Illinois, the 6-foot-1, 285-pound redshirt junior racked up 75 tackles and 6.0 sacks. That included 51 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 2024 alone.
Understand what that sack number means. In 2024, the Red Raiders had no defensive lineman record more than 2.0 sacks so if Gill-Howard can come close to 5.0 sacks (or even surpass that number) in 2025, it would mean quite a bit to a Texas Tech team that didn't have much success when rushing the passer this fall.
Now, Gill-Howard will be stepping up in competition this year by playing in a power conference. However, it is always great to add a player of his pedigree to a defense that is graduating three defensive tackles in 2024. He's rated by 247Sports as the No. 18 defensive tackle in the portal and he will bring some much-needed pass-rush abilities to the Tech defense.
The Red Raider secondary was a disaster at times in 2024. Often, the issue was a lack of communication as some young players struggled in their first chance to play meaningful snaps.
At other times, the problem was simply a lack of depth as injuries took their inevitable toll. That might not be an issue in 2025 after Tech added four corners in the transfer portal.
The most highly regarded of those four corners is Mississippi State transfer Brice Pollock. The 6-foot-1 junior-to-be made 48 tackles with one interception in 2024. What's more, he was credited with nine pass defenses.
Pollock could step in as Tech's top corner in 2025 replacing the graduating Bralyn Lux who made 32 tackles, came up with one pick, and had three pass defenses in nine games this fall. When Lux was on the field, Tech's defense was noticeably stronger in the secondary because of his leadership and calming presence.
With his impending departure, Tech needed to add a significant piece to fill his shoes. Hopefully, one of the four corners that the program has added will emerge as a lead corner in 2025 and Pollock, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 7 corner in the portal, seems like the most likely candidate.
This year, Texas Tech's edge rushers simply didn't measure up. Terrell Tillman led the group with just 3.5 sacks while players like Isaac Smith, Amier Washington, and Havey Dyson just didn't find a way to impact the passer with consistency. What's more, potential starters Joseph Adedire and Dylan Spencer missed the entire season with injuries.
Thus, the addition of Georgia Tech edge rusher Romello Height was a huge move for Tech. Though last year, the senior-to-be had just 2.5 sacks for the Yellowjackets, Height was one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the ACC. Totaling 30 QB pressures in 2024, Height got more pressure on the QB than any Red Raider has in a season since Tyree Wilson in 2022.
This year, the hope is that this will finally be Height's breakout season in his last season of college football. That's where the Red Raider defense could improve the most.
If Height and the rest of Tech's edge rushers can bring the pass rush back to Lubbock, it will not only help the defensive line but it will do wonders for the secondary. Height is ranked the No. 5 edge rusher in the portal and adding a pass rusher of that talent could transform the Red Raider defense.
Controlling the line of scrimmage is a must if a team wants to win championships. Tech wasn't able to do that often enough in 2024. However, the addition of UCF transfer defensive tackle Lee Hunter could change that next season.
It will be imperative that the 2024 second-team All-Big 12 honoree finds a way to be a difference-maker for Tech next season. This year, he made 45 tackles with 10 behind the line of scrimmage. In 2023, he had an impressive 69 tackles with 11 for loss and 3.0 sacks.
After 2024, Tech will lose starting defensive tackle Quincy Ledet Jr. who was the program's top interior defensive lineman this year. However, he isn't the type of player that Hunter is.
Next season, Tech has to dictate terms to opposing offensive lines in a way that it hasn't in recent years. In fact, That will be one key to competing for a Big 12 title.
247Sports ranks Hunter as the No. 5 defensive lineman in the portal. That type of talent could help transform the Red Raider defense next season.