The Texas Tech football team is ranked No. 12 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and is picked to repeat as Big 12 champion by a USA TODAY Sports Network panel. Tech coach Joey McGuire says the 2026 edition of the Red Raiders has the best depth of any team in his five years as head coach.
The Red Raiders shouldn’t have to rely on many freshmen, what with 13 returning starters and 21 transfer-portal additions. Nevertheless, Tech’s freshman class was No. 15 in the 247Sports composite index, and some of the young talents could see some time.
The Red Raiders will be back on the field Monday, Aug. 10, for their fifth practice of fall camp. Here’s what’s been said about five notable freshmen.
LaDamion Guyton, 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, edge defender
Guyton’s a consensus national top-30 recruit from Savannah, Georgia. McGuire said recently Guyton’s stature reminds him of All-American David Bailey, last year’s quarterback menace. Guyton reclassified — from a 2027 high-school senior originally to a 2026 graduate — so he arrived and got squared away just in time to join the Red Raiders in the middle their first workout.
“He got the end of practice (Wednesday) and some conditioning and he got probably half the practice (Thursday), just making sure he’s in great shape, which he is,” McGuire said. “Man, he definitely looks the part.”
Chase Campbell, 6-foot, 200 pounds, freshman
It’s didn’t go unnoticed that Campbell, because of shoulder surgery, was a non-contact participant in spring practice, yet is slotted on the depth chart ahead of sophomore Tristian Gentry, who lettered last year. The Frenship graduate was just outside national top-100 recruit status, and Tech coaches think he can make an impact in a hurry.
“The biggest thing you notice is … the maturity and the football intelligence for a kid his age is off the charts,” offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich said, “and so he’s able to come in and handle all the install just like a guy who’s been in college for four years. You never have to worry about him busting a route.
“He plays with great detail and one of his best, unique skillsets is the way he transitions with the football. He’s a guy that’s going to catch a lot of passes, make a lot of people miss and get a ton of yards after the catch. His ability to transition with the football is about as good as anybody on our team.”
Felix Ojo, 6-foot-6, 295 pounds, offensive tackle
Ojo was a consensus national top-50 recruit out of Mansfield Lake Ridge. He’s in an ideal spot, in that the Red Raiders expect him to be a future offensive line anchor, but he doesn’t need to be right away. He’s the second-team left tackle behind returning starter Howard Sampson.
Offensive line coach Clay McGuire said Ojo is “one of the most mature young guys I’ve ever coached” and will be “everything and then some” if he keeps the right approach.
Mack Leftwich’s father, Spencer Leftwich, was a college offensive line coach for more than 30 years. During spring practice this year, Spencer Leftwich observed, ‘Man, that kid is going to be special,’ ” Mack Leftwich said.
“He loves football,” the Tech offensive coordinator said. “He loves to talk about the details of his technique. He loves to talk about scheme. He loves to talk about the weight room — everything that goes into this. He’s a high IQ guy. So you put those things together, his ceiling is as good as anybody on the team.”
Cord Nolan, 6-foot, 220 pounds, linebacker
Last year, Nolan was an all-state defensive player of the year for Bixby, Oklahoma, helping the program win its eighth consecutive state championship. Although a true freshman’s not going to crack Tech’s seasoned linebacker hierarchy, McGuire and special teams coordinator Kenny Perry say Nolan will help on coverage units.
Two pluses for Nolan: With the NCAA’s newly enacted 5-for-5 eligibility rule, coaches no longer need to keep freshmen in a four-game redshirt window. And Tech lost some key special teams performers, such as Chief Collins and Luke Dillingham after last season.
“Some of these young guys are going to have to step in and really help Kenny Perry out,” McGuire said, “and I think they will. Like a Cord Nolan, I’m expecting him to be a really good special-teams player for us. (With no four-game redshirt) we don’t have to take three or four guys and add them together to equal one player in one spot. We can play everybody.”
Maddox Quiller, 6-foot, 205 pounds, safety
Tech signed six defensive backs last winter, several of whom have already gotten some praise. Quiller got it during the first couple of practices.
On Thursday, in a discussion of safeties, McGuire said, “The young guy that has really shown up at those positions is Maddox.”
The Pflugerville Hendrickson graduate had 74 tackles, 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles last year.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: 5 Texas Tech football freshmen who you should expect to see this fall
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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By Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | USA TODAY Network
