The Texas Tech football program has been the talk of the sport this offseason thanks to one of the nation's top transfer classes. That influx of talent has positioned the Red Raiders to be one of the preseason Big 12 favorites. That's because Tech hasn't just brought in a large number of new faces but has also added several high-profile players. However, some of the newcomers who have flown under the radar might have as big of an impact as anyone else this fall.
Overall, the Red Raiders have signed 21 transfers. Of that group, all but four joined the program in the early signing window in January.
Meanwhile, Tech has landed 13 players rated as 4-star transfers by 247Sports.com. That's why the Red Raiders have the No. 2 transfer class in the nation (behind only LSU) according to 247Sports. (And, according to On3, Tech's transfer class is the best in America and the best since that site began ranking transfer classes.)
The headliners of the class are easy to identify. Everyone in the sport is high on David Bailey, the edge rusher from Stanford who is projected to be a first-round pick in 2026.
Similarly, Georgia Tech edge rusher Romello Height was a huge get for head coach Joey McGuire and his program. Playing between Bailey and Height on the defensive line will be 2024 second-team All-Big 12 defensive tackle Lee Hunter, a transfer from UCF.
On offense, new left tackle Howard Sampson was a huge addition (both literally and figuratively) from North Carolina. The 6-foot-8, 325-pounder should be a significant upgrade at one of the most important positions on the field. Meanwhile, wide receiver Reggie Virgil from Miami (OH) made plenty of news when he picked Texas Tech over offers from some blue-blood programs, including Oklahoma. And, of course, the return of former 5-star recruit Micah Hudson has had the fan base buzzing in recent weeks.
However, there are other incoming transfers who will have a chance to shine this fall despite not grabbing as many headlines when they committed. Let's take a look at three such newcomers who might become crucial to what the Red Raiders want to accomplish in 2025.
Texas Tech will likely lean on Terrance Carter Jr. at tight end
Fans often get excited about transfers arriving from name-brand FBS programs. However, those who make the jump from a Group of 5 conference program to a power conference program can be revelations.
One new Red Raider who fits that description is tight end Terrance Carter Jr. Coming over from Louisiana, he has an opportunity to be a matchup nightmare for the offense.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 240-pounder caught 48 passes for 689 yards and four touchdowns. That was good for an average of 14.4 yards per catch, a great number for a tight end.
With Tech graduating both Jalin Conyers and Mason Tharpe from last season's tight end room, the Red Raiders need Carter to be a solid contributor this season. Fortunately, he has the athleticism to be a true weapon in the passing game.
We don't know how new Texas Tech OC Mack Leftwich will utilize a tight end like Carter. Last season, while serving as the OC at Texas State, his top tight end caught just 14 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. However, Texas State didn't have a tight end with Carter's talent.
This fall, expect Carter to be on the field a ton for the Red Raiders. If he can come close to matching his stats from 2024, he'll make the passing attack lethal given his ability to create mismatches.
A playmaker that was added to the Texas Tech secondary
Last season, the Texas Tech secondary was one of the worst in the nation. So this offseason, the program has thrown a ton of resources at fixing that position group.
One intriguing addition that hasn't been talked about enough is safety Cole Wisniewski. A 6-foot-4, 220-pound playmaker who transferred to Tech from North Dakota State out of the FCS, he could be a game-changer in Lubbock.
The Wisconsin native was a 2024 preseason FCS All-American. However, an injury kept him out of action for the entire season.
If he can come close to being the player he was in 2023, though, he could be a star for the Red Raiders. Two seasons ago, he was credited with 88 tackles and eight interceptions as he earned All-American honors.
Some might be skeptical about the prospects of an FCS player making noise in the Big 12, but Wisniewski was one of the best players at that level of the sport. Every year, an FCS player jumps up to the FBS and makes a huge impact. We saw that in 2024 with Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, who was one of the top running backs in America after starting his career at Sacramento State.
Perhaps the Red Raiders have landed the defensive version of Skattebo in Wisniewski. If he is healthy and returns to form this fall, he could be a game-changer for a defense that needs plenty of those in the secondary.
Another player who could beef up Texas Tech's defensive line
The Texas Tech defensive line has been completely overhauled. But while Bailey, Height, and Hunter have drawn most of the attention, Northern Illinois transfer Skyler Gill-Howard has been overlooked.
The versatile 6-foot-1, 290-pounder has amassed 75 tackles and six sacks in two FBS seasons. Prior to that, he played at Division II Upper Iowa.
Now, he's going to see what he can do against Big 12 competition. Hopefully, he can make an impact similar to the one he made a season ago for the Huskies when he had 5.0 sacks and 51 tackles.
He had four tackles when Northern Illinois stunned Notre Dame early last fall, and he had three tackles in a loss to NC State. Now, he'll likely be a starter for Tech along the defensive front, where he could be a sneaky-good addition, especially considering that he'll be surrounded by potential all-conference teammates.