Watch list season continues to have Red Raiders appearing on the latest list. Texas Tech already has players on the Maxwell, Outland, and Nagurski watch lists. On Wednesday, tight end Terrance Carter Jr. became the latest Red Raider to find his name on a coveted watch list.
Carter Jr. has landed on the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, given annually to the top tight end in college football. The senior’s selection comes as no surprise after the kind of season he put together in 2025.
Carter broke out last year as one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in the country. It did not matter whether he was split out wide, in the slot, or lined up in-line. He hauled in 55 receptions for 624 yards and five scores.
Those numbers were second-best on the team in catches and fourth in both yardage and touchdowns. That production earned him a spot on the All-Big 12 Second Team.
Heading into 2026, Carter carries some serious momentum. He’s the nation’s leading returning tight end in receiving yards and was named to the All-Big 12 preseason team at this summer’s Big 12 Media Days.
Additionally, Pro Football Focus rates him as the top returning tight end in the country by grade. It’s a résumé that would be hard to top by any other nominee.
Carter joins 43 players nationally on this year’s watch list as the Mackey Award enters its 26th year. Texas Tech hasn’t had a semifinalist since Jace Amaro broke through in 2013.
It’s worth noting Amaro was a semifinalist for the award without even appearing on that year’s preseason list. He became the first Red Raider to reach that stage for the Mackey. Carter now has a chance to be the next.
The Mackey Award watch list is part of a larger rollout from the National College Football Awards Association, which is unveiling preseason lists for its member awards throughout August. Several more Red Raiders could see their names surface as those announcements continue over the coming weeks.
Texas Tech opens the 2026 season with high expectations, and Carter’s recognition adds another marker of a team loaded with returning talent heading into preseason camp.
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This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Terrance Carter Jr. lands on Mackey Award watch list
Reporting by Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
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By Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire | USA TODAY Network
