Texas Tech lands astonishing 15th portal addition in former USC RB
12/19/2024 05:55 PM
Texas Tech football is showing some recruiting prowess in the 2024-25 transfer portal. The Red Raiders now have 15 total new additions through the portal, including Thursday’s addition via USC.
Running back Quinten Joyner emerged as the newest future arrival to the Lubbock, Texas university. But noted by Pete Nakos of On3.com, TTU is sitting atop the rankings with the highest number of portal additions.
The Red Raiders additionally earned On3.com’s highest portal index score of 73. Texas Tech has reeled in nine total four-stars through the newest method of recruiting. Six are heading to Lubbock as a three-star portal entry. And the school’s adjusted NIL (name, image, likeness) value is $3.2 million.
Only Ole Miss has the next closest portal additions at 12. But the Red Raiders have swooped up talent from various power conferences — including their conference the Big 12.
Defensive lineman Anthony Holmes jumps from Houston to Texas Tech. Former Central Florida DL Lee Hunter leaps to Lubbock as one of TTU’s four-star additions. The Red Raiders even added former Atlantic Coast Conference talent — as offensive tackle Howard Sampson brings his 6-foot-8, 330-pound frame over from North Carolina.
One of their most recent additions came from the Southeastern Conference. Ex-Mississippi State defensive back Brice Pollock joined Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil as the Red Raiders’ Saturday additions. Texas Tech even snatched the top offensive tackle in the portal by 247Sports in Hunter Zambrano of Illinois State.
Joyner, however, emerges as Texas Tech’s biggest portal recruiting coup.
What Texas Tech football is getting out of past prized USC RB
Joyner walks in as the newest highest rated TTU portal addition by On3.com. He also ranked as the fifth-best available portal RB by 247Sports.
Head coach Joey McGuire and his staff, though, are bringing a past Lonestar State talent home. Joyner starred for Manor High in Texas, located six hours southeast of the TTU campus.
Joyner’s game resembled a “downhill” and physical style. He also brought a track and field background to the gridiron. That speed gave Joyner the advantage in wearing down opposing defenses against Texas 5A competition. And Joyner played against foes from the Austin metro region.
The 5-foot-11 RB landed a reported 20 scholarship offers. However, only five Texas universities offered him out of high school: Texas-San Antonio, Rice, SMU, TCU, and Houston. Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley worked his extensive Midwest connections to land Joyner.
Joyner played sparingly in his true freshman season of 2023. He carried the football 18 times for 125 yards and scored once. The sophomore showed more promise this past season — averaging 7.6 yards per carry and crossing the end zone three times. He raised his carries to 63 and yardage to 478.
Riley and USC ultimately couldn’t keep him from drifting off. Now, Joyner joins the most aggressive transfer portal school during this cycle. And returns to his home state in the process.
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