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Stanford transfer David Bailey joins spring practice with Texas Tech football team
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- Stanford transfer David Bailey joins spring practice with Texas Tech football team
The Texas Tech football team reached an unofficial stopping point on its pursuit of talent in the NCAA transfer portal when the Red Raiders added 17 players during the 20-day window in December.
However, at programs going through a coaching change, players have a 30-day window to ponder going elsewhere. That put another big fish on the market when Stanford fired coach Troy Taylor on March 25.
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Stanford edge rusher David Bailey had his name entered into the portal, signed on Saturday with Texas Tech and practiced with the Red Raiders on Tuesday. Bailey graduated from Stanford, which had winter-quarter exams from March 17-21 and conferral of degrees last week.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound graduate of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei High School played in 33 games for the Cardinal over the past three seasons. He was credited with 31 tackles last season, a career low, but made seven sacks, eight quarterback hurries and five forced fumbles, all career highs. Over his career, Bailey's been credited with 111 tackles, including 22 1/2 tackles for loss and 14 1/2 sacks.
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Stanford transfer David Bailey goes through a drill during Texas Tech's spring football practice, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Womble Football Center.
During the December period, Tech added edge rusher Romello Height , who made 4 1/2 sacks last season with Georgia Tech after playing two years each at Auburn and Southern Cal.
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Bailey donned jersey No. 31 for Tuesday's practice.
"I don't see it as competition. I definitely see it as more depth," Height said. "We need it. That's taking more snaps off of me. When it comes time, David Bailey can come in with fresh legs and the (offensive) tackle is going to have to ... He's got another load coming up, so that's big-time."
In this offseason's transfer-portal evaluations, On3 ranks Bailey as the No. 9 player on the market and 247Sports ranks him No. 10 — in both cases, higher than any of the Red Raiders' December signees. For comparison among other Tech transfer additions, On3 ranked offensive tackle Howard Sampson No. 25, defensive tackle Lee Hunter No. 31, offensive tackle Hunter Zambrano No. 42 and Height No. 47.
The 247 rankings have Sampson No. 13, Height No. 27, Zambrano No. 39 and offensive tackle Will Jados No. 51.
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When Tech announced Bailey's signing, Tech coach Joey McGuire called him "one of the best defensive players in the country."
"David is great addition to what I believe is already one of the best front sevens in the country," McGuire said. "We're looking forward to having him join our program and add to the culture we are building around this team."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Stanford transfer David Bailey starts drills with Texas Tech football
