Five Texas Tech football freshman signees who could make an impact

First things first and full disclosure: The headline of this story might be misleading. In Joey McGuire’s four seasons in charge of the Texas Tech football program, the Red Raiders have yet to have a single season in which five true freshmen played past the four-game redshirt window.

And the way the Red Raiders have been mining the NCAA transfer portal, adding 22 players that way last year and 21 this winter, it seems unlikely they’ll break that trend in 2026. The Red Raiders won 12 games and the Big 12 championship this past season and they want to keep living in that neighborhood, so where immediate needs arise, they want to add as much experienced talent as possible.

Still, the traditional February national signing day just passed, and recruiting services say Texas Tech pulled in a top-20 class. Part of the fun is projecting who among them might contribute relatively early.

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So let’s go through the exercise, then, trying to envision ways for several freshmen to make an impact.

LaDamion Guyton, edge defender, Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military: Guyton reclassified to be part of the 2026 class and won’t join the Red Raiders until after spring. On top of that, the Red Raiders signed four edge defenders from the portal who combined for 34 1/2 sacks in 2025. Putting Guyton on this list, then, is all about his perceived talent. He’s a national top-30 recruit and the No. 2 prosect in Georgia, according to the 247Sports composite index of consensus recruiter evaluations.

Chase Campbell, wide receiver, Frenship: Beyond returning starter Coy Eakin, Texas Tech doesn’t have a wide receiver who had even 10 receptions or 120 yards last season, so opportunity awaits anyone who can catch on quickly to the college game. Campbell was enormously productive the past three seasons and just outside top-100 national recruit status. Again, he’ll have to contend with an influx of four receivers, all upperclassmen, from the portal.

Matt Ludwig, tight end, Billings (Mont.) West: Texas Tech graduated tight end Johncarlos Miller and filled his spot with Nevada transfer Jett Carpenter, who made a career-high 35 catches last season. Ludwig, listed by Tech as 6-foot-4 and 255 pounds, has adequate size for a freshman, and his scholarship-offers list was a who’s who of the country’s most prestigious programs.

Felix Ojo, offensive tackle, Mansfield Lake Ridge: On the list of positions hardest to play as a true freshman, offensive line is at or near the top. Then again, Ojo was near the top of the list of the most sought-after recruits in the country: No. 5 in Texas and No. 48 in the nation on the 247Sports composite ranking. He visited Ohio State, Michigan, Texas and Ole Miss, among others.

Donovan Webb, safety, Frisco Panther Creek: Among the 12 Tech players McGuire didn’t redshirt as true freshmen were four wide receivers, three safeties, two running backs, two edge defenders and a linebacker. Martin’s another safety with a big-time suitors list. He could earn a regular role, either in a young position group or on special teams.

Texas Tech football players under Joey McGuire who didn’t redshirt as true freshmen

∎ 2022: DE Joseph Adedire (12 games played/6 starts)

∎ 2023: DE Dylan Spencer (8/0), S Brenden Jordan (13/5), S Chapman Lewis (12/0), S Jordan Sanford (11/0)

∎ 2024: RB Cameron Dickey (12/0), RB J’Koby Williams (10/1), WR Micah Hudson (8/1)

∎ 2025: WR Leyton Stone (10/0), WR-PR Tristian Gentry (7/0), WR Bryson Jones (5/0), LB Brock Golwas (14/0)

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Five Texas Tech football freshman signees who could make an impact