Eli LedermanNov 1, 2025, 06:39 PM ET
- Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.
Texas Tech secured a commitment from one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 cycle on Saturday night, with a pledge from four-star recruit Kavian Bryant, No. 47 in the ESPN Junior 300.
A dual-threat passer from Palestine, Texas, Bryant is ESPN's No. 2 overall quarterback in the 2027 class. He picked the Red Raiders over finalists Texas, Florida State, Colorado and SMU.
"They reached out the most," Bryant told ESPN of Texas Tech. "They came with the best offer and the best opportunity for me to play. I just feel like it's the best fit."
Bryant lands as a cornerstone commit in Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire's 2027 recruiting class.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound prospect is Texas Tech's first offensive pledge and fourth overall commit in the cycle. Bryant now joins five-star defensive tackle Jalen Brewster (No. 6 overall), who picked the Red Raiders over a group of Big Ten and SEC powers on Oct. 4, as the program's second top-100 commit in 2027. September defensive line pledges K'Adrian Redmond (No. 154) and Antonio Underwood (not ranked) round out Texas Tech's collection of commits in the cycle.
The Red Raiders also hold the pledge of five-star linebacker LaDamion Guyton, who debuted at No. 13 in the 2026 ESPN 300 this week after reclassifying from the 2027 cycle last month.
Bryant has emerged as a highly productive quarterback across three seasons as the starter at Texas' Palestine Westwood High School. He threw for 4,724 and 67 touchdowns to 10 interceptions across his freshman and sophomore seasons, accounting 1,521 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground over that span. Although Texas Tech was among the programs to offer Bryant in both football and basketball, he plans to focus solely on football at the next level.
Sources told ESPN that Texas, Florida State and Colorado lingered to the very end of the process late this week. But Bryant said no program recruited him more persistently than Texas Tech, highlighting his relationship with Red Raiders offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich as a key element in his decision.
Bryant worked out for Leftwich and McGuire in the summer, then returned to Texas Tech on Sept. 13 as part of a string of visits with each of his finalists this fall.
"They really, really wanted me," Bryant said. "They watch my film every day. They show me what I'm good at and what I'm bad at, and I just listen. It's part of why they're the best."
Sources expected the Red Raiders to remain aggressive in recruiting top talent in the 2027 cycle, with defensive tackle Georgia Toia (No. 29 overall), wide receiver Julian Caldwell (No. 40) and linebacker Kaden McCarty (No. 91) among their top targets. Now on board with the Red Raiders, Bryant will be tasked with helping to recruit an elite class to Texas Tech.
"I feel like I can go in there and lead a class," Bryant said. "And whether it's as a true freshman or the next year, I feel like I can go there and win a national championship."
Anchored by five-star pledges in Guyton and offensive tackle Felix Ojo (No. 24), Texas Tech's 2026 class sits at No. 18 in ESPN's latest rankings for the cycle. The 13th-ranked Red Raiders visited Kansas State on Saturday at 7-1 with the nation's fourth-ranked scoring offense.
