Texas Tech welcomed in a slew of new faces while returning an equal amount of talent ahead of its most anticipated season since 2008.
Riding into 2025 at No. 23 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, here are 10 key players who will determine if Tech retains its ranking:
1. Cole Wisniewski
Sixth-year senior S / 6-4 220 pounds
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2023 stats: (missed 2024 with a foot injury) 88 tackles, 8 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 defensive touchdown
Breakdown: In 2024, Texas Tech was the worst Power Four program in pass defense. The Red Raiders returned only four defensive backs who started nine or more games, so Wisniewski’s leadership will be leaned on heavily in 2025. His experience in a defense that competed in the FCS playoffs every year of his career will be critical to directing less experienced players on the road, especially against Arizona State and Kansas State.
#NDSUSeasonOpenerCountdown: #31: A first-team All-American in 2023, he led the country with eight interceptions.
Was a fixture on defense since his freshman year, when he made his first start in a playoff game.
Transferred to Texas Tech, number 31, Cole Wisniewski. pic.twitter.com/xABRfP03fj
— Dom Izzo (@DomIzzoWDAY) July 30, 2025
2. Jacob Rodriguez
Redshirt senior LB / 6-1 235 pounds
2024 stats: 127 tackles, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception
Breakdown: No portal addition can top the value Texas Tech gained by retaining its All-American linebacker. Rodriguez is dangerous on the stat sheets, but where his true value lies is in his ability to balance the roles of director and disruptor. When Rodriguez is in the game, he wears the green dot on his helmet, relaying calls from defensive coordinator Shiel Wood to the front seven. Rodriguez effectively switches from a relay man to the blitzing linebacker or coverage specialist, which earned him the Big 12 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Related:Jacob Rodriguez sets 2025 goals, says Texas Tech return was ‘smart decision’3. Dontae Balfour
Senior CB / 6-1 185 pounds
2024 stats: 49 tackles, 11 pass breakups, 2 interceptions
Breakdown: Balfour’s success in press coverage over the years will translate to Texas Tech seamlessly. The Red Raiders defensive line will collapse the pocket quickly in 2025, forcing opposing quarterbacks to get the ball out quicker or run a higher percentage of RPO’s. Balfour specializes in press coverage and has found a knack for getting his hand between the ball and the receiver. In two seasons, the Charlotte transfer set the program record for career pass breakups at 22.
4. J’Koby Williams
Sophomore RB / 5-10 185 pounds
2024 stats: 41 carries, 236 yards, 2 touchdowns; 10 receptions, 100 yards, 1 touchdown
Breakdown: Texas Tech is operating out of a running back by committee approach in 2025, but Williams should see the field the most amongst his room. His speed allows him to be optioned outside on plays and play as a scatback in the receiving game. Williams served as Tech’s primary kick returner at the end of 2024 and will start 2025 in the same role. He amassed a 24.7-yard average per return with only 12 returns in total.
5. Sheridan Wilson
Junior C / 6-5 300 pounds
2024 stats: 98.9 pass-blocking efficiency rating per PFF
Breakdown: Keeping quarterback Behren Morton upright in 2025 starts with Wilson. The third-year lineman started all 13 games in 2024 and allowed zero sacks on 581 pass-blocking snaps. The other four men in the trenches this season are an upgrade from 2024 with UNC transfer Howard Sampson, Miami Ohio transfer Will Jados and Illinois State transfer Hunter Zambrano by his side. Wilson spent the offseason working primarily on communication at the line and confidence in shifts, which will ultimately determine the combined success of the unit.
6. Roy Alexander
Senior WR / 5-11 200 pounds
2024 stats: 100 receptions, 1,108 yards, 13 touchdowns; 7 carries, 66 yards, 2 touchdowns
Breakdown: The speedy Incarnate Word transfer goes from one Air Raid offense to another, while also becoming a third or fourth option. In Alexander’s case, the jump in talent around him will open up his game. Rather than being tasked to beat out an opponent’s top corner, Alexander can take on the lower end of the depth chart and get open on go routes for quarterback Behren Morton to sling it.
7. Skyler Gill-Howard
Senior DL / 6-1 290 pounds
2024 stats: 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 4 quarterback hurries
Breakdown: Head coach Joey McGuire got to Texas Tech just in time to reap the benefits of former elite defensive linemen Jaylon Hutchings and Tony Bradford Jr. Now, the fourth-year head coach can repeat history with Gill-Howard and UCF transfer Lee Hunter, with one piece of insight he didn’t have then. Pass rush lane integrity is a strong suit of Gill-Howard’s, who has worked during the offseason on chemistry across the front four to ensure better discipline than in years past.
8. JohnCarlos Miller II
Senior TE / 6-5 240 pounds
2024 stats: 10 receptions, 122 yards, 3 touchdowns
Breakdown: Miller II took a backseat to Dolphins tight end Jalin Conyers and former Red Raider Mason Tharp in 2024, but will be a three down starter in offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich’s scheme. Although primarily a receiving threat tight end, Miller II’s offseason priority has been run blocking. He amassed a 70.8 grade as a run blocker by Pro Football Focus and has spent all offseason working with tight end coach Josh Cochran on footwork and weight management to ensure a boost in that category.
#TexasTech tight ends coach and run game coordinator Josh Cochran is working with both units on blocking.
Tight end JohnCarlos Miller II (9) said his biggest area of growth over the offseason has been blocking. pic.twitter.com/Z9a1vBIXDo
— Ty Kaplan (@TyKaplan_) August 4, 2025
9. David Bailey
Senior OLB / 6-3 250 pounds
2024 stats: 31 tackles, 8 quarterback hurries, 7 sacks, 5 forced fumbles
Breakdown: The backfield is a second home for Bailey. A combination of powerful arms and quick hands got Bailey past the ACC’s top lineman in 2024 and his production will only increase in Lubbock. The Stanford transfer works against [Howard] Sampson on a daily basis and routinely gets freed up by the immense pressure the rest of his defensive line can produce.
10. Upton Bellenfant/Stone Harrington
Junior K / Junior K
2024 stats: (Bellenfant) 18-of-21 FGs, 31-of-31 PATs (Harrington) 13 kickoffs, 8 touchbacks
Breakdown: A consistent part of Texas Tech’s success on special teams in 2024 was its dual kicker system. Both kickers, Gino Garcia and Reese Burkhardt, alternated field goal attempts, while Burkhardt handled kickoff duties. [Kenny] Perry said he intends to run a similar concept with Harrington handling a large portion of kickoffs and Bellenfant taking the three-point tries. Tech went 22-of-24 on field goals and a perfect 52-for-52 on extra points in 2024 with the dual kicker system.
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