This story has been updated to add new information.
College football’s transfer portal was open from April 16-25. The Texas Tech football program was one of the nation’s most active during the December portal period, adding 17 players.
The Red Raiders went into the spring portal period looking to make a few targeted additions, but not planning to add volume. As of May 13, they are three above the projected 105-player roster limit for 2025 that’s part of the House v. NCAA settlement proposal. However, the settlement has hit a major barrier with U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken unwilling to grant full and final approval until the parties resolve her concerns over roster limits.
In an April 7 hearing, Wilken expressed concern about the proposal’s recommended roster caps in all sports. She suggested a phase-in period that would preclude drastic cuts of players already on teams. On April 23, Wilken drew a hard line, giving the parties 14 days to modify the settlement so that athletes would not be forced out by the immediate implementation of roster caps.
In the meantime, USA TODAY Sports reported, she will be setting up a case management order that includes a trial date.
Because of where Texas Tech stood in relation to the expected cap, Tech coach coach Joey McGuire said in mid-April his staff would add only players who “make a dramatic change to this roster.”
“We took David Bailey (edge rusher from Stanford). He made a dramatic change,” McGuire said.
The Red Raiders project to be at 108 players for next season. That’s based on 98 players with eligibility remaining and 10 freshman signees scheduled to arrive after the spring semester. The 16 portal-bound players listed below are not included in the 100.
Unless they have graduated, players who want to transfer with immediate eligibility elsewhere for next season must have their names in the portal during the specified window, though they don’t have to decide on a new school within that time frame.
You can keep track of the Red Raiders’ comings and goings here. All the players listed below either personally announced transfer plans, were confirmed having their names in the portal by Tech athletics or their transfer intentions were reported by reputable outlets.
Players leaving Texas Tech football via the transfer portal
Cam’Ron Valdez, 5-foot-9, 200 pounds, RB
Valdez spent four years in the Texas Tech program after coming out of Rockdale as a consensus top-100 prospect in Texas. He’s carried 85 times for 511 yards and 1 touchdown in his career. He missed the first eight games of the 2022 season with patella tendon and hamstring injuries and missed the last 11 games of the 2024 season with a knee injury.
Isaiah Crawford, 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, OLB
Crawford was part of the Red Raiders’ 2023 signing class, redshirted with no game action that year and got into one game in 2024. Coming out of Post, he was ranked 52nd among prospects in Texas and 276th nationally on the 247Sports composite index. He spent his first year on campus rehabbing from a knee injury suffered in high school.
Isaiah Collins, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, CB
Collins has committed to North Texas. He was part of last year’s Texas Tech signing class, coming from Huntsville. He redshirted in 2024 with no games played.
L.J. Johnson Jr., 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, WR
Johnson has signed with Texas State, according to On3 Sports. He redshirted as a Texas Tech true freshman during the 2024 season and didn’t play in a game. He signed with the Red Raiders out of Madisonville.
Joseph Adedire, 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, DE
Adedire has committed to North Carolina State. A consensus state top-100 prospect coming out of Mansfield Summit, he spent three years with the Red Raiders. Adedire played in 24 games in his true freshman and sophomore years, then redshirted last season with a knee injury. He was credited with 19 tackles, including 3 1/2 tackles for loss, in 2022, 24 tackles, including 4 tackles for loss, in 2023, and one sack each season.
Charlie Robinson, 6-foot, 230 pounds, TE-LB
The Coronado graduate spent four seasons with the Red Raiders and played in four games at tight end. He spent his first season at linebacker and moved back there this spring.
Sammy Morris IV, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, DB
Morris played in 17 games over three seasons, including all 13 games in 2024. He played on special teams and was credited with two tackles.
Devynn Cromwell, 6-foot, 200 pounds, DB
Cromwell has committed to Michigan State. He joined the Red Raiders in 2024 after four years at the University of Guelph in Ontario. He played in nine games for the Red Raiders, starting two. Of his 20 tackles, 17 came in the games he started against Arizona and Baylor. He got an extra year in December after an NCAA ruling giving a blanket waiver to 2024 seniors who began their careers at a non-NCAA school.
Jordan Sanford, 6-foot, 195 pounds, DB
Sanford has committed to California. He appeared in 24 games over the past two seasons, including 11 in his true freshman season. Recorded 16 tackles as a sophomore with seven coming during Big 12 play. His portal entry was reported by 247Sports.
Sam Carrell, 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, DE
Carrell has committed to Rice. He transferred to Texas Tech in 2022 after one season at Washington State. He played in seven games for the Red Raiders over the past three seasons and was credited with two tackles, including one tackle for loss.
Aiden Meeks, 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, WR
Meeks has committed to Stephen F. Austin. He spent two years with the Red Raiders out of Rockwall High School, redshirting during the 2023 season and being a scout team member in 2024, not appearing in any games. He announced his portal entry on social media.
Tyler Murray, 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, OL
Murray came to Texas Tech in 2024 as a preferred walk-on out of San Antonio Brandeis. He redshirted with no games played last season.
Nick Fattig, 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, OG
Fattig has committed to Stanford. He was a consensus state top-100 recruit in 2023 when he signed with Texas Tech out of League City Clear Springs. He redshirted that season and got into his first four career games last season as a backup.
Isaac Smith, 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, DE
Smith has signed with Michigan State. He was a 2021 Texas Tech signee out of Wagoner, Oklahoma. He redshirted in 2021, played in 11 games with two starts in 2022 and played in 12 games with six starts in 2024. He was credited with 42 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in his career. He missed the 2023 season with a knee injury.
Anthony White, 6-foot, 190 pounds, S
White has committed to West Texas A&M. The Abernathy graduate joined the Red Raiders as a preferred walk-on and redshirted in 2023 and didn’t get into a game in 2024. He was rated a state top-100 recruit by 247Sports, but missed his senior season with a knee injury.
Dylan Shaw, 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, OG
Shaw has committed to North Texas as a transfer. He’s a Corpus Christi Flour Bluff graduate who signed with Tech and redshirted in 2023. He played in three games in 2024, when he was listed as a backup at both guard spots.
Players joining Texas Tech football from the transfer portal
Ian Hershey, 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, K-P, Arizona State
Hershey spent 2022 at Idaho State, making 7 of 11 field goals, punting 56 times for a 38.7-yard average and handling kickoffs. Then he transferred to Arizona State, where he punted 16 times for a 39.6-yard average in a four games in 2023, maintaining his redshirt. Last season, he made 7 of 12 field goals and 20 of 21 extra points.
Roy Alexander, 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, WR, Incarnate Word
Alexander had a breakout year with 100 catches, 1,108 yards and 13 touchdowns last season with the Cardinals. He started his career from 2021-23 at UAlbany, catching 87 passes for 1,175 yards and 6 touchdowns over three seasons. The Fort Myers (Fla.) Riverdale graduate has one year of eligibility remaining. Tech announced his signing Wednesday.
Micah Hudson, 6-foot, 195 pounds, WR, Texas A&M
After one semester away from the program, Hudson has committed to return to Texas Tech, where he started his college career. Last season, he played in eight games and caught eight passes for 123 yards. He transferred to Texas A&M over the winter, but left the program shortly thereafter.
Cash Cleveland, 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, OL, Colorado
Cleveland was named a freshman All-American by multiple outlets after starting four games and appearing in six as a walk-on true freshman with Colorado last season. He allowed just one sack on 296 offensive snaps, including 234 pass-blocking snaps. He has three years of eligibility plus a redshirt year available. Cleveland played three seasons at Rockwall-Heath High School before transferring to Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy for his senior year.
David Bailey, 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, DE, Stanford
An NCAA rule gives players whose head coaches have been fired a 30-day window to look elsewhere. Stanford fired coach Troy Taylor on March 25. Bailey signed with Tech on April 4 and was a spring-practice participant beginning April 8. He was credited last season with 31 tackles, 7 sacks, 8 quarterback hurries and 5 forced fumbles. He has one year of eligibility plus a redshirt season if needed.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football transfer portal tracker: Devynn Cromwell picks Michigan State
Reporting by Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
