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Texas Tech football received some great news in the transfer portal recently. The Red Raiders are signing the No. 1 offensive tackle in the transfer portal. The move, along with the recent addition of safety Cole Wisniewski, are signs that head coach Joey McGuire's team is on the rise. Texas Tech can now legitimately contend for the Big 12 title with quarterback Behren Morton's return and the addition of Hunter Zambrano.
Zambrano, a former offensive lineman at Illinois State, was ranked as the top guard in the portal via 247Sports. The grad transfer will have one more year of eligibility remaining. When asked about his decision to transfer to Texas Tech, Zambrano, via National College Football Writer for 247Sports Chris Hummer, gave a ringing endorsement of Joey McGuire's program.
“I don't think you can get much better than this. So, I made the decision to cancel all my other visits and become a Red Raider.”
Texas Tech should enter 2025 ranked in the top 25
Despite only having the 39th-ranked recruiting class for 2025, the Red Raiders should have high expectations heading into next season. Joey McGuire has put together two top-30 recruiting classes in 2023 and 2024. Those players will be coming into their prime next season. The Red Raiders are also killing it in the transfer portal this season. And Zambrano is the kind of addition that can solidify an offense that should return some starters on the o-line.
Speaking of the Red Raiders' offense, Texas Tech led the Big 12 in scoring by a large margin. Behind Behren Morton, the team put up 38.6 points per game. Morton had a very successful year in his first one as the lead signal caller. The Eastland, Texas native threw for over 3,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions.
Despite this great season on offense, one key for Texas Tech will be replacing star running back Tahj Brooks this offseason. Brooks had another year rushing for over 1,500 yards and was named Second-Team All-Big 12.
For the regular season, Texas Tech went 8-4 and 6-3 in conference. Standout victories include a win over then-No.11 Iowa State and eventual conference winner Arizona State. Going into the last week of the season, the program was technically still eligible for a Big 12 championship berth. Unfortunately, things didn't go its way in Week 14, but this was the latest Texas Tech has been in the conference championship hunt for a long time.
Overall, Hunter Zambrano's comments reflect the positive culture Joey McGuire is building in Lubbock. The new College Football Playoff format gives programs like the Red Raiders a realistic shot at a national championship. In addition, newcomer Arizona State winning the Big 12 shows how the conference is up for grabs in the future. 2025 might finally be the time for the Red Raiders to seize the moment in their fourth year under McGuire.
