The Texas Tech football team has always been known for its offense.
Entering the 2025 season, attention has shifted toward the new-look defense, with the majority of the Red Raiders’ transfer portal additions being focused on stopping other teams from scoring. The bulk of Texas Tech’s returning production, though, is on offense, and the unit will have plenty of weapons for new offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich to utilize.
So, who are the top offensive players for the Texas Tech football team in 2025? Here are our picks:
7. Howard Sampson, OL
Putting an offensive lineman on a list of best offensive players seems counterproductive, but Howard Sampson is the exception to the rule. The 6-foot-8, 325-pound left tackle will be relied on to cover Behren Morton’s blindside, keeping the quarterback upright a bit more than last year’s team did. The centerpiece of a retooled unit, Sampson’s importance to the team cannot be overstated.
6. Coy Eakin, WR
Eakin will be making the shift from outside receiver to the slot position, so we’ll see what does to the Stephenville native’s production. Last year’s slot receiver, Josh Kelly, became the safety valve and Eakin and Morton have a longstanding connection with each other. He totaled 652 yards and seven touchdowns on 49 catches last season.
5. Reggie Virgil, WR
The Miami (Ohio) transfer put up career numbers as a junior, grabbing 41 balls for 816 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 (he had just two catches for 62 yards and one score in the previous seasons combined) and will now be Texas Tech’s speed option on the outside. This should open up the field a bit more for Eakin and the other receiver on this list.
4. Terrance Carter, TE
Texas Tech lost two of its three-man tight end rotation from a year ago. Louisiana transfer Terrance Carter is being tasked with filling that void. Carter’s versatility at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds puts him in a position to be used in a variety of ways, whether spelling or playing alongside returner Johncarlos Miller II.
3. Quinten Joyner, RB
Quinten Joyner was the eyebrow-raising offensive addition out of the portal. Joyner spurned even visiting Ohio State after arriving in Lubbock for a visit and will join the fray of a crowded-but-talented group of running backs looking to replace Tahj Brooks. Joyner had 478 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games at USC last season.
2. Caleb Douglas, WR
The top returning receiver from last season blossomed in the stretch run of 2024. Douglas finished the year with 60 catches, 877 yards, and six touchdowns, the majority of which came in the latter part of the season. He’ll step into the spotlight as Texas Tech’s No. 1 receiver this year after showing off his big-play ability as a junior.
1. Behren Morton, QB
A lot of this comes down to Morton’s health and durability. He got through the entire 2024 season — save for the second half of the TCU game — without an injury problem and posted 3,335 yards and 27 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. So long as Morton continues to stay healthy during the season, he should finish as one of the top passers in the country once again.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ranking Texas Tech football’s 7 best offensive players for the 2025 season
Reporting by Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
