It’s official — Texas Tech just made college football history.
On Friday, the Red Raiders secured a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, one of the top recruits in the 2026 class. Ranked No. 20 overall in the ESPN 300 and the No. 4 offensive tackle in the nation, Ojo isn’t just bringing elite talent to Lubbock — he’s also bringing a groundbreaking contract with him. The 6’7”, 285-pound prospect out of Mansfield, Texas, signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $5.1 million revenue-sharing deal with Tech. Yes, you read that right: $5.1 million as a high schooler.
This deal makes Ojo the highest-ranked football recruit in Texas Tech history since ESPN started ranking high school players back in 2006. He had offers from powerhouse programs like Florida, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas, but ultimately chose Tech after visiting all of them.
The financial side of this commitment is what’s turning heads. His agent, Derrick Shelby from Prestige Management, called it one of the largest fully guaranteed revenue-share contracts in college football to date. It comes as part of the new era in college sports where, thanks to a recent federal settlement, schools can now directly pay student-athletes — a huge shift from the NIL-only world we’ve seen over the past few years.
“Football is a brutal sport, and athletes can’t even go pro until they’ve been in college for three years,” Shelby told ESPN. “For Felix, locking in that financial security now gives him and his family peace of mind as he works toward becoming a first-round NFL draft pick.”
Ojo’s commitment is just the latest major move for Texas Tech under head coach Joey McGuire. According to ESPN’s Max Olson, the Red Raiders dropped over $10 million during the winter transfer portal window, landing 17 new players and assembling the No. 2 transfer class in the country. Tech isn’t messing around when it comes to investing in its future.
This isn’t just about football. Tech’s NIL collective, the Matador Club, made waves last summer by signing softball star NiJaree Canady away from Stanford with a one-year, $1.05 million deal. That gamble paid off — Canady led the Red Raiders to their first-ever Women’s College World Series and a national runner-up finish. She re-signed again this year for another seven-figure deal.
Now with Ojo leading the 2026 recruiting class — which already has 18 commits, 13 of them from Texas — Tech is building something serious. The offensive line group is also looking strong with three-star guard Jerald Mays and tackle Jacob Crow already on board.
Other schools like Texas and Utah made late pushes, reportedly offering competitive revenue-share deals, but in the end, Tech closed the deal. Ojo will enroll in 2026, and it looks like he’s going to be the foundation of the Red Raiders’ offensive line for years to come.
This isn’t just a win for Texas Tech — it’s a clear sign that college football is entering a whole new era. And Lubbock? It’s right in the middle of it.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Rivalry Report.