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Texas Tech has dominated the 2026 recruiting trail in the Big 12. Sports Illustrated reported on July 6 that the Red Raiders have moved to No. 1 in the Big 12 recruiting rankings for the 2026 class. It comes after a strong start to July, capped off by the addition of highly sought-after offensive line prospect Felix Ojo.
A significant portion of Texas Tech's newfound success in recruitment can be attributed to Donald Trump's billionaire friend, Cody Campbell. Campbell is a business guru and former Texas Tech offensive lineman.
According to USA Today, the high-profile Texas Tech booster detailed his plan for college sports.
"I have been in conversations with President (Donald) Trump for some time now, and the one thing I can tell you is he deeply cares about maintaining and preserving college sports," Campbell said. " It's not just football, but women's sports and Olympic sports, and the opportunities they provide. It is one of the best things we have culturally in this country."
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Campbell concluded by saying,
"I don’t want to see it die. And we can all see it’s dying.”
Campbell has been instrumental in Texas Tech's recruitment of some of the biggest names in collegiate sports. Just last year, he helped convince All-America pitcher Ni'Jaree Canady to leave the Stanford Cardinal for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
It was a relative surprise at the time, given Stanford's baseball tradition. However, Campbell's impact on the Red Raiders' 2026 recruitment haul makes it more plausible in retrospect.
What's next for the Texas Tech Red Raiders?
The Texas Tech Red Raiders have been on a generational run this offseason. They landed five-star Felix Ojo, four-star safety Donovan Webb, and four-star running back Ace Rowden for their 2026 class.
According to Sports Illustrated, they beat out the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas and Michigan for the above-listed prospects. This run has seen them breeze through the rest of the Big 12 for the No. 1 spot in the 2026 recruitment cycle.
Next up for the Raiders is training camp, where they'll likely figure out their 2025 season rotation. The program is looking to improve its 8-5 record from last season. Raiders
The 2026 campaign begins with a game against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions. A win in that game could give them momentum for the rest of the regular season.
