The Texas Tech basketball team is set to undergo another roster makeover with another key player set to hit the transfer portal.
On3 reported Wednesday that freshman guard Jaylen Petty will enter the transfer portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag.
Petty was a late addition to the Texas Tech 2025-26 roster but made a major impact, starting 22 of his 33 appearances and averaging 9.9 points per game and shooting 37% from 3-point range.
Petty’s departure means Texas Tech will likely be replacing or filling the void of its top 5 scorers from this season with LeJuan Watts heading to the portal, Donovan Atwell exhausting his eligibility, Christian Anderson declaring for the NBA Draft and JT Toppin’s future in question after suffering a torn ACL in mid-February.
What Jaylen Petty’s transfer portal departure means for Texas Tech basketball
Petty was a surprising standout for Texas Tech throughout the season and had some excellent moments, including the stretch in the NCAA Tournament against Akron where he took over the game to lead the Red Raiders to the second round.
The ultimate issue with Petty, though, was always going to be his size. It’s not a be-all, end-all, but college basketball has shifted back into the big-man era. Of the teams to make the Final Four, Michigan’s Elliott Cadeau was the only starter listed at 6-foot-1 (Petty’s listed height). Cadeau was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four so smaller guards can surely make an impact, but the Big 12 is getting increasingly bigger as well, something Texas Tech has tried to adjust to the last two years.
Petty’s expanded playing time was two-pronged. First, the Seattle native was legitimately good and fearless, forcing his way into the starting lineup. That came as a result of Tyeree Bryan not fitting the mold of what the Red Raiders expected out of him. Had Bryan been more playable, Petty’s playing time likely would not have been as significant as it was.
Texas Tech needs to get bigger and Petty, though a bulldog on both ends of the floor, isn’t the most ideal for a team trying to compete for national titles with much bigger teams.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Another Texas Tech basketball guard heading to transfer portal
Reporting by Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
