This offseason, the NCAA football transfer portal has been more active than ever. So naturally, Texas Tech has seen its share of defections. However, many of the players who have left Lubbock are finding that the grass may not necessarily be greener in other ports of call.

Thus far, 15 members of the 2023 roster have jumped into the portal. That’s not that high of a number, though, when compared to other programs around the nation.

What’s been telling has been that thus far, only seven have found new homes for 2024. Even more interesting is where the former Red Raiders have landed.

Texas Tech transfers are not landing at big-time programs

Of the seven Red Raiders to find a place at a new program this year, none have wound up at what one might consider a blue-blood program. What’s more, many have committed to programs that Texas Tech fans perceive to be beneath the Red Raiders.

The two players who seem to have landed at the best program are QB Tyler Shough and offensive tackle Monroe Mills. Both have found refuge at Louisville, a program that played for the ACC championship this year and which just lost the Holiday Bowl to Southern California on Wednesday night.

While the Cardinals have to be pleased with a 10-3 record in the first year of head coach Jeff Brohm’s reign, factors away from the football field could put Louisville in a less desirable situation than Texas Tech moving forward. With Florida State trying to leave the conference and challenging the league’s media grant of rights, the future of the ACC is in jeopardy with many believing that a PAC-12-style mass exodus could spell the end of that league as well.

Now, none of that will impact Shough or Mills given that each will be long gone before any potential conference realignment impacts the Cardinals’ program. Still, regardless of where Louisville eventually lands on the spinning wheel of conferences, to say that Shough and Mills jumped up to a better zip code in the college football hierarchy just isn’t true. If anything, the duo made a lateral move.

Meanwhile, a quartet of former Texas Tech pass catchers each took a step down after leaving Joey McGuire’s program. Jerand Bradley, the preseason All-Big 12 selection who massively disappointed this year, has committed to Boston College while Myles Price has found a home at Indiana. Boston College and Indiana? Could there be two more insignificant Power 5 college football programs in the nation?

After going 3-9 last fall, Boston College hadn’t won more than six games in a season since 2018 and hasn’t won eight games since 2009 until this fall. Meanwhile, the Hoosiers also went just 3-9 in 2023 and they haven’t climbed past the modest six-win plateau since 2019.

As for Loic Fouonji, he can at least say that he landed in the S.E.C. However, committing to Vanderbilt is not quite the same as playing for Georgia, Tennessee, or Florida. Winning two games this year, the Commodores have not had a winning season since 2013 and are the laughingstock of their conference.