The landscape of college football has shifted for good, and some would argue, for the greater good! You don’t have the blueblood programs taking every NFL-worthy talent. Amid all the narratives surrounding NIL, it’s tough to argue that the current version doesn’t have more parity—definitely more than the last decade. The math is simple: you have money, you get the talent. However, is it really that simple? If money were to solve all recruitment woes, big programs would still be dominating. So, it does take more than that. You could say that it involves more rigorous planning, research, and, above all, scouting.

Football scouting, for the longest time, has been simple. Simple to explain, not to carry out. You have people in your programs whose job is to go on different treasure hunts throughout the year. The program may be playing in a national championship final, but the scout? Well, they’d be in attendance for a crucial high school game—to spot that talent. Countless games, smaller competitions, bigger tournaments. It’s grueling, and if it works out, it’s deeply satisfying. However, now that we are in a new world, the world of scouting doesn’t have to remain old. So, there are newer methods. One team, in particular, has mastered an interesting approach.

Texas Tech, the program that gave us the legend that is Patrick Mahomes (the legend remains despite the Super Bowl loss), is onto something. Under the guise of head coach Joey McGuire (who joined the Red Raiders in 2022), they are rather taking a very advanced and smart approach to escape the early evaluation nuisance when it comes to recruiting. According to 247Sports.com, Texas Tech reshuffled its lineup, bringing in 17 transfers to secure the No. 3 transfer class nationwide. But they are craving more. Head coach Joey McGuire and his team aren’t just stockpiling talents; rather, they are looking to build up a class of players capable of fighting the best of the Big 12.

They have to shoot for the best, and for the time being, it’s reportedly to reach the number 2 ranked portal class, climbing one spot higher than where they are now. And for that matter, they are heavily relying on the NFL scouts. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports spilled the secret mantra, noting, ‘‘They basically leave much of the scouting to their sources in the NFL, and they let the NFL guys get draft lists and stuff from the NFL, and they sit there and say, Yeah, we have a seven, you know, sixth-round grade on this guy or seventh-round grade on this guy going forward, and they kind of just trust their friends in the NFL.”

Shortlisting potential candidates for a specific position and assessing their qualities and capabilities through films and external sources is a significant task. The recruiting staff constantly needs to be on their edge not to skip any essentials. Because investing the time and money isn’t a joke in this highly competitive timeline.

In this case, making a strong bond with the NFL insiders, dragging out exclusive information, and making your moves accordingly is certainly a genius choice, but only if they execute the whole process seamlessly. ”You know what they are doing, and they track them the whole year. The guy’s got a high ankle sprain, and he missed the last six weeks. You know, maybe he’s gonna, and they put together this list, and to see once they hit the portal, they feel like at Texas Tech, they have to jump immediately and get them in early,’‘ Wetzel added.

But with great progress comes great evil eyes, something the Red Raiders and Joey McGuire are currently facing.

SEC powers feel threatened by Texas Tech’s unstoppable recruiting mojo

Traditional college football powers have consistently disapproved of the sincere efforts of non-A-lister-brand programs to capture the limelight and challenge their monopoly. However, now that the NIL model has given traditional mid-tier programs multiple means and ways to make a significant mark in the talent acquisition game.

Now, with the addition of NFL theory to the practice, Texas Tech stands out more than any other program. They are just silently screaming that they are gearing up for the best.

Wednesday, On3 Sports suggested a graphic on X featuring the five football programs that spent the most on their 2025 transfer portal class. Top-tier programs such as Auburn, Ole Miss, Michigan, and Texas are included, and to your surprise, Texas Tech is also included. As it’s clear that it’s no longer the rich becoming richer narrative working in college football, an SEC personnel staffer couldn’t help but remark, “In theory, Tech [messed] up the market for everybody.” They are doing it for the best, by the way.