No. 5 recruit in '27 class commits to Texas Tech

Texas Tech's offseason talent acquisition spree continued on the high school recruiting trail Thursday with a commitment from five-star outside linebacker LaDamion Guyton, ESPN's No. 5 overall prospect in the 2027 class.

Guyton, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound recruit from Savannah, Georgia, is the No. 2 defender in the ESPN Junior 300. He picked the Red Raiders over Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

"They do a very good job of making you feel like you're one of their players already when you're in the building," Guyton told ESPN of Texas Tech. "It's a feeling that draws you in. They have things going in the right direction and it's exciting knowing I'm going to be part of that someday."

Guyton cannot formally sign with a college program for another 16 months, but his commitment marks the latest domino in an abundant run for coach Joey McGuire and Red Raiders general manager James Blanchard.

The program invested heavily in the winter and spring transfer portal windows, ultimately securing 21 additions within ESPN's top-ranked transfer class ahead of the 2025 season. The lengthy list of newcomers this fall is headlined by defensive linemen David Bailey (Stanford), Romello Height (Georgia Tech) and Lee Hunter (UCF) and FCS All-American safety Cole Wisniewski (North Dakota State). Former five-star signee Micah Hudson rejoined the program this spring following a winter transfer to Texas A&M.

The Red Raiders have also been active on the high school recruiting trail this summer, adding nine commitments in the 2026 class since June 1. The most significant was the pledge of five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo (No. 20 overall) on the back of a seismic, seven-figure revenue share contract.

In Guyton, the Red Raiders now hold one of the most coveted commitments in the 2027 recruiting cycle.

Guyton has been credited with 134 total tackles and 16.5 sacks over two varsity seasons at Savannah (Georgia) Christian Preparatory School. He transferred to nearby Benedictine Military School in January, and Guyton told ESPN that he has not ruled out the possibility of reclassifying into the 2026 class and joining Texas Tech next year.

While the Red Raiders hold only two ESPN 300 pledges in the 2026 cycle, sources told ESPN that Texas Tech is expected to invest heavily in the 2027 class with four-star offensive tackle Cooper Hackett (No. 19 in the ESPN Junior 300) and No. 2 overall quarterback Kavian Bryant (No. 48 overall) among the priority targets.