Texas Tech football team lands Illinois State tackle Hunter Zambrano from transfer portal
Upgrading both lines of scrimmage is one of the objectives Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire has mapped out during the NCAA transfer portal's December window, which opened this week.
The Red Raiders have started by fishing a highly rated left tackle out of the portal pond.
Illinois State offensive tackle Hunter Zambrano picked Tech on Wednesday, becoming the first player to pledge to the Red Raiders during the 20-day period. Though he's spent the past four years at an FCS program in the Missouri Valley Conference, Zambrano is ranked the No. 24 prospect overall in the portal by ESPN and the third-best offensive lineman. He's ranked No. 4 offensive tackle available by On3.
ESPN first reported Zambrano's commitment, citing information from his agents. In a sign of the times, it also was announced by The Matador Club , the donor collective that supports Texas Tech athletes.
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Zambrano, listed by Illinois State at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, made 25 career starts for the Redbirds at left tackle. Only two of those were this year, however, as he missed most of the season with a hip injury. He received preseason FCS all-America recognition.
He was named second-team all-Missouri Valley Conference in 2023 and had the team's highest blocking grade by an offensive lineman at more than 90%. The Redbirds averaged 433 yards per game and their seven sacks allowed ranked among the top five fewest in the FCS.
Zambrano's hometown is Weston, Florida. He went to University School in nearby Davie, Florida.
From Texas Tech's 2024 roster, 12 players are reported to have their names in the transfer portal. Four are offensive linemen. Among the four, three were on scholarship, including two who were part-time starters. The starters are Ty Buchanan, who started seven games this season at tackle, and Dalton Merryman, who started six games, all at left tackle.
Merryman announced earlier Wednesday he has his name in the portal.
The Red Raiders also must replace three offensive-line starters whose eligibility is up at the end of the season: Caleb Rogers, who started 54 games over five years, and Davion Carter and Sterling Porcher, who came to Tech last winter as transfer-portal additions. Carter started 11 games this season and Porcher started in 10.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football team lands Illinois State tackle Hunter Zambrano
