Texas Tech Confirms Inferiority By Admitting Shady Recruiting Tactics That Will Prove Costly

The Texas Tech football program is making a splash on the recruiting in the new world of NIL and the transfer portal.

The Red Raiders boast one of the biggest bankrolls in the sport. General Manager James Blanchard intends to spend whatever is necessary in order to land talent.

Blanchard is responsible for identifying every Texas Tech prospect offered a scholarship. That includes both high school and transfer players.

He’s been recognized as one of the best in the recruiting business. Now, he has an “open checkbook” to work with on the trail.

Texas Tech football is sparing no expense.

According to a recent article from The Athletic, the Red Raiders paid multiple transfers north of $1 million to join their roster in the offseason. A number of others will see high six-figure payouts.

The total roster budget is estimated to be around $25 million.

It resulted in the nation’s No. 2 transfer class this past cycle. The program is hoping that talent equates to a championship season.

“[If] we don’t win the Big 12 championship,” said head coach Joey McGuire, “I think we’ve missed the mark.”

Blanchard echoed those sentiments. He believes a College Football Playoff berth is the expectation. This, coming from a program that hasn’t won an outright conference title since the 1950s.

The Red Raiders admitted inferiority.

They know their spot on the totem pole in regard to college football blue bloods. If they don’t overpay, they will fall behind.

“We can’t say, ‘Someone offered this player $500,000, so we’re going to match.’ That’s not gonna work. You’ve got to put your ego and pride to the side and say, ‘If one of the top five schools in the country offered $500,000, for us to be equal, we have to offer $675,000.

“Some people may say that’s over market value. No, I got the f—ing player.”

-James Blanchard

On top of competing with Big 12 rivals, Texas Tech is battling national powers like Texas and Oklahoma for top talent. If they don’t get players the first time around, they’ll continue to recruit them while on another roster.

“If somebody is underpaying an elite guy … only paying him $100-$200k I’m going to give him $300-$400k and go steal somebody.”

-James Blanchard

Blanchard stopped short of admitting to tampering, but the recruiting tactic has raised questions in other regards. While it might prove effective in the short term, it will be costly over an extended period of time.

That isn’t stopping the Red Raiders for the time being. The program has a “win now” outlook.

That gamble paid off for the TTU softball team last season as it made a national championship appearance after swiping superstar pitcher NiJaree Canady from Stanford. NIL also proved beneficial in retaining first-round NBA Draft prospect JT Toppin.

However, if the pricy additions don’t result in wins on the football field, Texas Tech’s well might just run dry.