Since the turn of the century, when Mike Leach brought the "Air Raid" offense to Lubbock, Texas Tech has been known as a one-dimensional football program. That could change in 2025, though. In fact, some experts are predicting that the Red Raiders could field a team that will be unlike any we've seen since the 1990s.
According to the X account for the website, CFBSelect.com, the Red Raiders will have one of the toughest defenses in the game this fall. According to the CFB Select post, Tech will be in the company of such blue-blood programs as Ohio State, Clemson, Texas, and Michigan when it comes to their defense.
If that happens, it would mark an incredible one-year turnaround for the program. Last season, Tech fielded one of the worst defenses in the nation and one of the worst in program history.
2024 saw Tech rank 126th in total defense (460.2 yards per game allowed) and 121st in scoring defense (34.8 points per game allowed). What's more, Tech was 132nd in passing yards allowed (308.1).
That's why head coach Joey McGuire decided to fire former defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and replace him with Houston DC Shiel Wood. What's more, the Red Raiders have signed nine defensive transfers to fortify that side of the ball.
Newcomers such as Stanford edge David Bailey, Georgia Tech edge Romello Height, UCF defensive tackle Lee Hunter, and Mississippi State corner Bryce Pollock are all expected to help transform a defense that is returning All-Big 12 linebacker Jacob Rodriguez to give Tech its most talented defense since at least 2008.
These teams will have the toughest defenses in College Football this season.
— CFBSelect.com (@CfbSelect) May 5, 2025
Agree? Disagree? Retweet and Reply! pic.twitter.com/fiouhTMGe8
Texas Tech football could look totally different in 2025
It has been decades since the "Swarm" defenses were what Texas Tech football was known for. Over the past 25 years, no program has become more associated with high-octane offense and putrid defense than Tech.
In fact, the last time the Red Raiders had a defense ranked even in the top 50 nationally in total defense was 2012. That year, the last season of the Tommy Tuberville era, Tech finished 38th overall in that category.
Even in the glory days of the Leach era, the offense was the big-ticket item that Tech was built around. Meanwhile, the hope was that the defense could simply be competent enough to allow the offense to win shootouts.
It hasn't been since the Spike Dykes era that this program has relied on a dominant defense to carry the load. Could that be the case in 2025, though?
Most of the questions surrounding this roster heading into the summer involve the offense. Will QB Behren Morton be fully healthy when September rolls around after offseason shoulder surgery? Is Morton more than just an average major-conference QB? Can the offense replace Tech's all-time leading rusher, Tahj Brooks? Will the rebuilt offensive line finally be good enough to handle Big 12 defenses? Are the receivers dynamic enough to threaten defenses?
When the preseason All-Big 12 teams are announced later this season, Tech likely won't have any honorees on the offensive side of the ball. However, on defense, Rodriguez, Hunter, and Bailey will all probably be named. What's more, Height and Pollock could be as well.
That's why the expectation is that Tech will finally field a top-flight defense this year. If that happens, it could be a shock to the system for fans in scarlet and black. However, it would be a change that would be easy to grow accustomed to for a fan base starving to see the defense finally pull its weight on the South Plains.