David Bailey, former Stanford edge rusher, signs with Texas Tech
By Sam Khan Jr.
2
April 4, 2025Updated 9:56 pm CDT
Stanford edge rusher David Bailey, a top-10 player in the transfer portal, signed with Texas Tech, the Red Raiders announced Friday.
Bailey, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound California native, spent his first three years with the Cardinal, but entered the portal after the recent firing of coach Troy Taylor. In 2024, Bailey posted the highest pass-rushing grade among ACC edge rushers, according to Pro Football Focus. He is ranked as the ninth-best transfer to enter the portal in the 2024-25 cycle by On3 Sports and ranked 10th by 247Sports.
Last season, Bailey recorded eight tackles for loss, seven sacks, eight quarterback hurries and five forced fumbles, leading Stanford in every category. He logged 1,142 snaps in 34 career games in his Stanford career and was a freshman All-American in 2022.
Texas Tech’s addition of Bailey further bolsters one of the strongest transfer portal classes in the country. The Red Raiders spent more than $10 million combined on the 17 transfers they signed in the winter portal window. The Red Raiders, who are 23-16 in three years under coach Joey McGuire, are going all-in in an attempt to achieve two program firsts: win the Big 12 and make the College Football Playoff.
The Red Raiders heavily focused on the line of scrimmage in their portal recruiting. Bailey is the fifth Tech transfer who is either an edge rusher or defensive lineman, and Tech also signed three offensive linemen.
Texas Tech general manager James Blanchard worked closely with Cody Campbell, co-founder of the Matador Club, the school’s NIL collective, to construct a portal class that they believed could take the program to new heights.
“We thought we might be able to get five or six guys who were top five (at their position) on our board,” Blanchard told The Athletic last month. “We ended up getting five or six who were No. 1 on the board.
“I thought, oh s—t, I’m spending a lot of Cody’s money. But he didn’t flinch.”
Multiple coaches and personnel staffers anonymously surveyed by The Athletic last month tabbed Texas Tech’s portal class as the best or one of the best.
“Listen, they might have overspent for some kids, but that’s relative,” a former Power 4 scouting director said. “If a guy becomes who you wanted him to become, is it really overspending?”
