This off-season has been very busy for Joey McGuire and company. Within 48 hours of the Red Raiders sending Neal Brown packing after a 52-15 victory in Lubbock, McGuire found himself needing to replace one coordinator by choice and the other after he accepted the head coaching job at FAU. The hiring of offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich and defensive coordinator Shiel Wood have been emphatic responses to the toughest challenge in his three seasons as the Red Raiders head coach. In addition to his coaching hires, McGuire’s staff has hit the portal as hard as any team in the country. The Texas Tech transfer portal addition of two former FCS All-Americans this week should excite fans and coaches alike.
Texas Tech Transfer Portal Agenda
The Texas Tech transfer portal management this off-season is more than just players looking to play elsewhere. However, the Red Raiders dealt with their fair share of negative headlines in the portal with Micah Hudson entering the transfer portal after failing to find a way on the field in a significant fashion for Texas Tech. Hudson was the first five-star recruit the Red Raiders have ever signed out of high school in the 247 recruiting rankings era. He is currently rated by 247 as the 14th-best overall player in the portal. Hudson is one of 12 players currently in the portal from the Red Raiders.
Additionally, Texas Tech is losing six offensive and three defensive starters from the 2024 team who won the most regular season games since 2009. Tech is expected to add about ten players, according to language from McGuire’s comments before the portal opening. However, things can (and will) change as more Red Raider players may choose to enter the portal as well as juggling the incoming roster limits.
Major Addition For Offensive Line
The Red Raiders wasted no time making the biggest splash of the winter portal opening. McGuire’s staff was able to secure a commitment from Illinois State offensive lineman Hunter Zambrano. Zambrano is the top-rated offensive lineman and fifth overall-rated player in 247’s portal rankings. He only played in two games in 2024 due to injury. But Zambrano’s 2023 season earned him a preseason FCS All-America nod heading into the 2024 season. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound senior earned All-MVFC Second Team in 2023 as the Redbirds’ best offensive lineman, according to PFF. In his 11 starts during 2023, Zambrano achieved an 88.7 PFF pass-blocking grade over 397 pass-block snaps. His overall grade of 79.3 ranked as the 18th best grade in all of FCS. This will be a great addition for Leftwich to shore up the offensive line quickly.
Defense Also Added FCS All-American
But Zambrano wasn’t the only top 100 transfer portal player the Red Raiders added. One day after Zambrano’s commitment, Texas Tech picked up a commitment from Saftey Cole Wisniewski. Just like Zambrano, Wisniewski’s 2024 season was plagued by injuries and never saw the field this season. However, he was also an FCS All-American in 2023 just as Zambrano was. That distinction was awarded to him after a 98-tackle, North Dakota State single-season record eight-interception campaign.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound safety has injury concerns beyond the 2024 season. Wisniewski was able to play in all 10 games of the 2020 season and started all 14 contests in 2021. But the injuries began to show up in 2022 as he missed the first seven games of that season. After missing the entire 2024 season, he now has missed 19 games in his career due to injury. But if he can stay healthy, the 77th-ranked player in the portal should make an instant impact on Wood’s defense.
His defenses have consistently been ranked in the upper tier of college football. Wood’s most recent work at Houston in 2024 saw his defense rank 30th nationally in EPA/Play, 26th in total defense, and 47th in scoring defense. Assuming Wisniewski is on the field for most/all of the games in 2025, he will be a key addition to bring Texas Tech out of the 130s rankings in any key defensive category.
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