David Bailey arrives in Lubbock, giving the Texas Tech Red Raiders a new hope that could culminate in postseason success.
David Bailey Heads to Texas Tech, Sparks Excitement
When Bailey steps onto the field as a member of Texas Tech’s football team, he brings a level of excitement that will engulf the fan base. For a fandom that ended the season ranked just ten times in the last 73 decades, excitement comes few and far between. For the majority of its existence, TTU existed on the periphery of Texas football.
With the University of Texas and Texas A&M dominating the headlines, the Red Raiders motor along. Now, with the Longhorns and Aggies competing in the SEC, some believe that Bailey could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
Chris Level from Locked on Texas Tech extols Bailey’s virtues and makes the case for a TTU run at the Texas Tech Big 12 championship.
“The position that David Bailey plays,” Level said. “These are premium positions, and he’s a force multiplier in that everything around him becomes better because of his skill set.
“Thank you to Andrew Luck (Stanford GM) for getting rid of (former Stanford Head Coach) Taylor. He was in Lubbock shortly after he got into the portal. This has been an Achilles’ heel for the Red Raiders. You can never put enough pressure on the quarterback.”
A few clips from Stanford’s win over Kyle McCord and Syracuse last year that show why David Bailey will be a coveted player in the transfer portal.
Bailey (23) finished the game with four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.pic.twitter.com/HApMslykO7 https://t.co/HicsoOsHdG
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) March 28, 2025
With 21 sacks on the season, Texas Tech proved Level’s assertions correct. Last year, Tech could not get home with a bus pass.
Back in 2022, Bailey ranked third nationally in the 24/7 Sports edge defender rankings. The four-star Mater Dei product spurned USC, UCLA, and Cal on his way to Palo Alto. 24/7 Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins describes Bailey as a freshman like this:
“Long, athletic pass rusher with unlimited upside,” Biggins said. “A natural pass rusher who’s explosive off the edge uses his hands well, and has very good closing speed. He’s a naturally strong kid who can bullrush an opposing tackle or beat him with sheer speed.
“He’s versatile enough to drop in coverage and can break down in space. He’s an excellent open-field tackler and has the athleticism to run downplays from behind.”
Now, if you marry that to the film from his days with Cardinals, the assessment stands. Bailey’s first step can catch the tackle a half-step of his backpedal as a result, he gains the corner, forcing some tackles to lunge and reach when they do not have their feet under them, leaving them in an unathletic position to make a block.
Additionally, the newest Red Raiders can dip, bending the corner at full speed with no hesitation or hiccups. Plus, even when the blocker does steer the edge rusher wide, Bailey can still reach out for the fall, forcing seven tackles during his career.
A year ago, no one gave Arizona State a snowball’s chance to compete for the Big 12 championship. Kenny Dillingham’s team went on an unprecedented tear, culminating in a conference title and attention-grabbing performance in the College Football Playoff. On top of that, Texas Tech decided to heavily invest in the program.
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Now, NIL cash flows from TTU like oil in West Texas. Tech envisions a run for a championship. Under any other circumstance, the Red Raiders would not necessarily fit into the title picture. However, the Big 12 Conference does not have a favorite in football.
What you do see is at least seven teams that, with a break here or there can capitalize and hoist the trophy. David Bailey, with just one year remaining, could be the catalyst for an ascension in Lubbock.
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