Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Tech Suffers Transfer Portal Blow on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Jan 2, 2026 1:44 PM ET

The No. 4 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders were eliminated from the College Football Playoff on New Year's Day. They lost to the No. 5 Oregon Ducks 23-0 in the Orange Bowl.

They officially ended the 2025 season 12-2 and 8-1 in Big 12 matchups. While their road to a national championship ended, head coach Joey McGuire leads the Red Raiders into the offseason.

Like many programs, Texas Tech has already been hit by transfer portal departures. The latest loss came on Friday, the first day the portal officially opened.

ESPN's Max Olson reported that Texas Tech cornerback Maurion Horn will be entering the transfer portal.

Texas Tech Red Raiders cornerback Maurion Horn.Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over the past three seasons, Horn has appeared in 30 games, racking up 64 tackles and eight pass deflections. His best year came in 2024, when he hit career highs in tackles (56) and pass deflections (five).

He has spent his entire collegiate career with the Red Raiders. Coming out of high school in the 2022 cycle, he was a four-star recruit, the No. 10 athlete and the No. 313 player in the nation, according to Rivals Industry Rankings.

Despite having offers from other programs such as the USC Trojans, Texas Longhorns, Oregon Ducks, Oklahoma Sooners and Nebraska Cornhuskers, he committed to Texas Tech. As a redshirt junior, he has just one more year of eligibility.

While this is a significant loss for the Red Raiders, reputation suggests they could find a replacement in the portal. Last offseason, McGuire put together the nation's top transfer class, bringing in 21 players while losing 31.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: