The Aporia · No. 12 Texas Tech expects repeat after 1st Big 12 title and playoff appearance last year

No. 12 Texas Tech expects repeat after 1st Big 12 title and playoff appearance last year

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Hawkins, S. (2026, August 21). No. 12 Texas Tech expects repeat after 1st Big 12 title and playoff appearance last year. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/football/no-12-texas-tech-expects-repeat-after-1st-big-12-title-and-playoff-appearance-last-year/article_a375e919-68ab-5e7b-919c-2f0391bc7c3e.html

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Quick Summary

Texas Tech is expecting a repeat performance after winning its first Big 12 championship and making the College Football Playoff last season, despite losing several key players to the NFL draft. The team has reloaded through the transfer portal, adding 10 upperclassmen to the defensive front seven, including edge rushers Trey White and Adam Trick. Texas Tech's offense is expected to be led by quarterback Will Hammond, who will succeed Behren Morton after recovering from an ACL injury last season. The team's defense is a concern due to the influx of new players, but they are still considered one of the nation's best with a deep and talented roster.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-08-21, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Texas Tech, ranked 12th nationally, is looking to repeat its success from last year after winning its first Big 12 championship and making the College Football Playoff. Despite losing six defensive players in the NFL draft, including a school-record nine total picks, the team has reloaded through the transfer portal with 10 upperclassmen on defense, including edge rushers Trey White (19.5 sacks over three seasons) and Adam Trick (13 sacks over three seasons). The team is also bringing back key players such as three-year starting linebacker Ben Roberts, who had 90 tackles last season, and cornerback Brice Pollock, who led the Big 12 with five interceptions. The Red Raiders' expectations are high, but they've already overcome an offseason saga surrounding quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was at the center of a NCAA gambling investigation and subsequent lawsuit.

Written for “Texas Tech Football Hopes” on 2026-10-16, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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Uncertain

1 of 17 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

63/100

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Running correction rate · 21 correction(s)

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Who wrote this

Stephen Hawkins

14 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 The loss answered that, and they will find out Sunday how far they drop in the new poll.

2026-10-11 · assertive framing · Oklahoma upsets No. 1 Texas on Tate Sandell's game-ending 47-yard field goal

🔮 After just missing the College Football Playoff last season as the Big 12 runner-up, the Cougars could start 4-0 for the third year in a row.

2026-10-01 · assertive framing · BYU opens 9-game stretch at TCU as the No. 10 Cougars chase another Big 12 run

🔮 I know the (last) game didn’t go well, but we also wouldn’t have been there without some of the performances Jacob gave us over the course of the season.” Such as when deGrom exited his start at Seattle on Sept. 10 after six scoreless innings because of groin tightness.

2026-09-29 · assertive framing · Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager finished the season with a bone spur in his elbow

🔮 “I don’t have brothers, but if I did, he would be one of the few guys in my life that’s like a brother,” Lashlee said.

2026-09-25 · assertive framing · Kevin Jennings stands out at No. 22 SMU after Missouri State was 1st D1 offer for the dynamic QB

🔮 In this season when it will never be more than three games out of the division lead, Texas has to try to finish one game ahead of Houston.

2026-09-25 · assertive framing · Revitalized Rangers win home finale to go into final weekend still with AL West title chance

🔮 The ball ricocheted off the heel of Nimmo’s glove when it appeared center fielder Ezequiel Duran might crash into him.

2026-09-23 · assertive framing · Mets win 1st game after Andy Green named full-time manager, beating AL West-leading Rangers 6-3

🔮 The Dallas Stars had deals in place this offseason that would have sent high-scoring forward Jason Robertson and young standout defenseman Thomas Harley to other teams.

2026-09-17 · assertive framing · Robertson and Harley in camp with Stars after team had offseason deals in place to trade them

🔮 Edge rushers Trey White (19 1/2 sacks the last three seasons at San Diego State) and Adam Trick (13 sacks in three seasons at Miami, Ohio) are also expected to fill big holes.

2026-08-21 · assertive framing · No. 12 Texas Tech expects repeat after 1st Big 12 title and playoff appearance last year

🔮 Returning receiver Jordan Dwyer (54 caches, 730 yards and seven TDs) will have an even bigger role after the departure of 1,190-yard receiver Eric McAlister.

2026-08-21 · assertive framing · TCU coach Sonny Dykes looking for more from Horned Frogs after back-to-back 9-win seasons

🔮 And the early part of the schedule could very well determine the fate of their championship expectations and the QB’s Heisman Trophy campaign.

2026-08-19 · assertive framing · No. 19 SMU eyes another ACC run as QB Kevin Jennings' final season opens with early road tests

Also by Stephen Hawkins

Oklahoma upsets No. 1 Texas on Tate Sandell's game-ending 47-yard field goal

2026-10-11 · Toronto Star

Bear Bachmeier runs for 2 TDs as No. 10 BYU overcomes loss of LJ Martin to beat TCU 17-10

2026-10-04 · Toronto Star

Mason McTavish scores right away in Blues debut in a 4-0 opening-night win over Stars

2026-10-03 · Toronto Star

BYU opens 9-game stretch at TCU as the No. 10 Cougars chase another Big 12 run

2026-10-01 · Toronto Star

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 14 articles by Stephen Hawkins →

Topics

Big 12 Houston Miami NFL Texas Tech

Subjects

Big 12 ORG · 3× Texas Tech ORG · 3× Hammond PERSON · 2× Houston ORG · 2× Miami ORG · 2× NFL ORG · 2× Austin Romaine PERSON · 1× Brendan Sorsby PERSON · 1× NCAA ORG · 1× Red Raiders ORG · 1×

Narrative

Back are three-year starting linebacker Ben Roberts, who last season had 90 tackles and was the top defensive player in the Big 12 championship game when he had two interceptions, and cornerback Brice Pollock (Big 12-leading five interceptions).

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-08-21

🔮 Edge rushers Trey White (19 1/2 sacks the last three seasons at San Diego State) and Adam Trick (13 sacks in three seasons at Miami, Ohio) are also expected to fill big holes.

2026-08-21 · Toronto Star

No. 12 Texas Tech expects repeat after 1st Big 12 title and playoff appearance last year · assertive framing

Claims (17 extracted, 1 hedged)

Texas Tech expects a repeat after winning its first Big 12 championship and making the College Football Playoff last season. asserted

Tech → expect → Playoff

And there’s no reason to think the 12th-ranked Red Raiders can’t do it again, even after a school-record nine NFL draft picks, including six defensive players. asserted

Raiders → ’ → players

They should also be just fine after the offseason saga surrounding departed transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby, the expected starter before an NCAA gambling investigation and since-dropped lawsuit over his eligibility. asserted

They → surround → eligibility

Well-funded Texas Tech reloaded through the transfer portal, including 10 upperclassmen for the defensive front seven. asserted

Tech → fund → seven

Linebacker Austin Romaine had 162 tackles the past two seasons at Kansas State. asserted

Romaine → have → State

Edge rushers Trey White (19 1/2 sacks the last three seasons at San Diego State) and Adam Trick (13 sacks in three seasons at Miami, Ohio) are also expected to fill big holes. asserted

White → expect → holes

he → have → interceptions

Will Hammond will succeed NFL draft pick Behren Morton as the starting quarterback. asserted

Hammond → succeed → quarterback

The schedule does not include No. 14 BYU or No. 21 Utah during the regular season, though there is a September game against No. 23 Houston. asserted

schedule → include → Houston

Strengths include returning skill players Coach Joey McGuire said Hammond will be ready for the opener and is “going to have a lot of people around him to help him succeed.” asserted

him → include → him

That includes the returning running back duo of Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams, receiver Coy Eakin (48 catches, 637 yards, six TDs) and tight end Terrance Carter Jr. (51 catches). asserted

That → include → Dickey

Several receivers were added from the portal. asserted

receivers → add → portal

Dickey ran for 1,124 yards and Big 12-leading 14 TDs last season, while Williams had 868 yards and six TDs rushing. asserted

Williams → run → yards

They also combined for 60 catches and four more TDs. asserted

They → combine → catches

Concerns might be the influx of so many new players on defense Tech’s defense is deeper and could end up being better than last season, when it was one of the nation’s best. uncertain

it → end → nation

But all the newcomers have to jell like last year’s group did, and will have to play some games to see if it all comes together again. asserted

it → have → games

The entire expected starting defensive front is new, with many also backed up by new incoming players. asserted

many → back → players