Texas Tech junior running back Quinten Joyner will miss the entire 2025 season after tearing his ACL during Saturday’s scrimmage. The transfer from USC was expected to start for the Red Raiders.
Joyner was a part of Texas Tech’s transfer-specific 2025 class that’s ranked #2 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite. The program’s donors stepped up with NIL donations to help Joey McGuire and his staff bring in 21 transfers.
Of those 21 imports from the portal, 13 are four-star transfers and 11 are from Power-Four schools.
McGuire announced the news on his “What’s Next!” podcast on Monday when he said, “I hate it so much for him, just because of how well he has done in the spring, summer and camp. He has really come in here and been a pro, and we’ve asked him to do a lot of stuff that he hasn’t done before. … He’s really taken to it, so it’s unfortunate.”
Joyner played in 12 games for Lincoln Riley at USC last year, producing 478 rushing yards, three touchdowns and a 7.6 yards-per-carry average. He added 12 catches for 89 yards and one TD.
As a freshman in 2023, Joyner had 125 rushing yards and one TD on just 18 attempts for a 6.9 YPC average.
Phil Steele’s National Unit Rankings have Texas Tech #19 at QB, #54 at RB, #7 at WR, #14 on the offensive line, #7 on the defensive line, #21 at LB, #45 in the secondary and #22 on special teams. So according to Steele, the RB position is the Red Raiders’ weakest and the one where they couldn’t afford to lose a key player.
Texas Tech lost star RB Tahj Brooks, who was a sixth-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals with the #193 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Brooks, who is the program’s all-time leader in career rushing yards with 4,560, had 1,505 rushing yards, 17 TDs and a 5.3 YPC average in 2024.
There is some experience in the backfield, though. As a true freshman last season, RB J’Koby Williams had 236 rushing yards, two TDs and a 5.8 YPC average. He also hauled in 10 receptions for 100 yards and one TD.
RB Cameron Dickey also played well as a freshman last year when he was given opportunities. He contributed 225 rushing yards and one TD on 41 attempts (5.5 YPC), in addition to making nine catches for 47 yards and one TD.
I have Texas Tech #31 in my Preseason Power Rankings. The Red Raiders will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Week 1 on Aug. 30.
They have a season win total of 8.5 (‘over’ -138, ‘under +112) at FanDuel. The betting shop has Texas Tech’s odds to win the Big 12 at +600. Those are tied for the fourth-shortest odds behind Arizona St., Utah and Kansas St., who are the +550 co-favorites.