$28 million college football roster suffers key injury blow before season opener

Star running back Quinten Joyner, one of No. 23 Texas Tech's key transfer portal additions, is expected to miss the entire 2025 college football season due to injury.

Head coach Joey McGuire and the Red Raiders managed to sign Joyner after he entered the transfer portal following two seasons at USC. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound tailback was rated as the No. 4 transfer at his position and brought with him an On3 NIL valuation of $474,000.

Joyner was a part of a transfer class that paced the country thanks to substantial NIL backing from billionaire booster and The Matador Collective founder Cody Campbell. Texas T ech is reportedly spending around $28 million to field its roster this year.

Unfortunately for McGuire and Co, Joyner suffered a torn ACL in preseason practice, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports. He will likely miss all of his junior season after setting career-highs in carries (63), rushing yards (478) and touchdowns (4) as a sophomore at USC in 2024.

Joyner's injury creates a major question for the Red Raiders with just two weeks before the season begins. He was expected to take over for Tahj Brooks, who posted back-to-back 1,500-yard seasons before going through the 2025 NFL Draft.

Now, there will likely be a committee approach with former four-stars Cam Dickey and J'Koby Williams.

The Red Raiders will open the season at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+).