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Texas Tech’s Loaded Tight End Room Could Terrorize the Big 12
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- Texas Tech’s Loaded Tight End Room Could Terrorize the Big 12
(Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Texas Tech football spent much of the offseason rebuilding its passing attack, but one position never needed emergency repairs.
As RedRaidersWire wrote, the Red Raiders' tight end room is already loaded.
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MORE: John Curry Could Be Texas Tech's Next Defensive Superstar
Terrance Carter Jr. returns as one of the Big 12's most dangerous offensive weapons, while veteran transfer Jett Carpenter gives Texas Tech another proven option with the experience to play immediately.
Add highly regarded freshman Matt Ludwig , and offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich has a group capable of creating matchup nightmares throughout the 2026 season.
Carter is the unquestioned centerpiece.
The Killeen native caught 55 passes for 624 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, finishing second on the team in receptions and earning Second-Team All-Big 12 honors.
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No Texas Tech tight end had produced receiving numbers that strong since Jace Amaro 's All-American season in 2013.
That's elite company.
Carter originally arrived from Louisiana after earning First-Team All-Sun Belt recognition in 2024.
One season in Lubbock proved his production could translate against Big 12 defenses, and another major year could push him firmly into the John Mackey Award conversation and strengthen his early 2027 NFL Draft stock.
He won't have to carry the room alone.
Carpenter joins the Red Raiders after leading Nevada with 35 receptions and 374 receiving yards last season. He also scored twice and earned honorable mention All-Mountain West recognition.
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Now entering his seventh college season through a medical hardship waiver, Carpenter has appeared in 35 games and made 22 starts across stops at Nevada and Eastern Washington.
That kind of experience matters, especially for a Texas Tech offense that may lean heavily on its tight ends while its quarterback and receiver rotations settle into place.
Carpenter also brings value as a blocker, giving Leftwich the flexibility to use multiple tight-end formations without tipping off whether Texas Tech plans to run or throw.
Behind the veterans, Ludwig offers significant long-term potential. The 6-4, 255-pound freshman was a consensus four-star recruit and the top-rated high school prospect in Montana .
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His size should translate quickly as a blocker, while his receiving ability could eventually make him another complete offensive weapon.
Seniors Jack Esparza and Jason Llewellyn provide additional depth, making this one of the few Texas Tech position groups without an obvious weakness.
MORE: Texas Tech's Offensive Line Could Decide a Big 12 Title Run
For quarterback Will Hammond , that's enormous.
Carter can stretch defenses, Carpenter can handle the dirty work and Ludwig represents the future. Together, they give Texas Tech perhaps the Big 12's deepest tight end room and a powerful safety net for a championship-or-bust offense.
