Well, the talent drain from college football to the NFL always hurts. But for Texas Tech, it hurts a bit more. They lost Patrick Mahomes, the star who brought them the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a junior after leading the FBS in passing yards and total touchdowns. Now that he flies high in the NFL and has already racked up three Super Bowl rings, does that mean he has forgotten his alma mater? Not at all. Rather, the Texas Tech GM shared how Mahomes makes it a point to contribute to the growth of the Raiders. While the Raiders have been lucky to have the back of one of their celebrated alumnus, a NIL figure of $40 million is doing the rounds. But there are a lot of things hidden under that hefty figure. And how can one miss out on the Mahomes effect in the NIL front?

The man who sings highly in Mahomes’ praise is none other than Texas Tech’s general manager, James Blanchard. The Raiders’ head coach, Joey McGuire, brought Blanchard from Baylor when he was hired in 2021 and promoted him to GM in 2023. By then, Mahomes had already left as he entered the NFL Draft in the spring of 2017. However, Blanchard is a lucky man. Even though their timings did not align, he gets to taste the Mahomes magic. The Red Raiders fans have witnessed the power of the now Kansas City star’s undeniable talent, an uncommonly good arm. Though his college journey was cut short before his senior year, he ended his career ranked third in passing yards (11,252), touchdown passes (93), attempts (1,349), and completions (857). But right now, for the Texas Tech fam, numbers don’t matter. Compassion does. And Mahomes scores 10/10 in that.

On the June 5 episode of the Next Up with Adam Breneman podcast, the host had one question for Blanchard. “I wanted to ask about Patrick Mahomes and such an important alum for program and your school. What’s his involvement? Is he supportive of the program and all the new resources that are getting allocated?” Blanchard had his answer ready. He immediately replied, “Uber supportive, man. Pat is, I mean, you can catch him on the sideline doing interviews and man, video shoots that he has for endorsements. He’s watching Texas Tech softball, he’s tweeting about Texas Tech football, he has a by-week he’s in love with games, basketball, and football. Man, there can’t be many more mega superstar alumni more all-in than Patrick Mahomes.”

Amidst his busy schedule, the quarterback showed up at Devon Park in Oklahoma City for Game 2 of the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) to support the Texas Tech softball team. In the process, he kept on posting on social media, voicing his support for his alma mater. Maybe, for Mahomes, his attendance at the game was not enough. Ahead of Game 1, the Red Raiders received a surprise package from one of their most famous supporters. The City Chiefs star sent the entire team personalized Adidas letterman jackets in Texas Tech’s signature red and black, each featuring the player’s number. 

Now you know why Blanchard is extra sweet towards their old alumnus. And it has nothing to do with his gridiron numbers. But a big heart. “The things that he’s doing for the university on and off the field endorsement-wise with his Adidas everything, it’s unimaginable, it’s crazy, He’s a rock star.” As Blanchard gets carried away with the Mahomes’ conversation, there is a lot of buzz about their NIL. 

Patrick Mahomes’ NIL push amidst Joey McGuire’s $10M move

By now, we are aware of the Texas Longhorns NIL hoopla. Houston Chronicle columnist Kirk Bohls, who has covered the Longhorns for more than 50 years, came up with a surprising update. It reported, the team’s roster budget currently sits somewhere “between $35 million and $40 million.” However, Steve Sarkisian has shot down the report, calling it an instance of “irresponsible reporting.” Even though Texas Tech is yet to hit the alleged figure, they too are coming off as front-runners in the race. 

As per the reports, McGuire’s squad spent more than $10 million on just its transfer portal class this offseason. The Red Raiders also managed to churn through their roster (shoutout to that aforementioned NIL push and the transfer portal) that resulted in 20-ish new players showing up in Lubbock to help reinforce things across the board. While McGuire tries to leave his mark in the NIL landscape, we have seen how Mahomes extended his helping hand in the NIL too.

Last year in August, Adidas and Patrick Mahomes announced the signing of six student-athletes at Texas Tech University to NIL deals. The group included Micah Hudson from football, NiJaree Canady from softball, and Jasmine Shavers from basketball, among others. The student-athletes who joined Team Mahomes participated in brand marketing campaigns, including for Mahomes’ signature shoe and apparel line with Adidas.

In light of these events, Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt noted, “The creation of Team Mahomes further positions Texas Tech Athletics as a national leader in NIL. This wouldn’t be possible without a tremendous partner in adidas that believes strongly in investing in our student-athletes under the Patrick Mahomes brand.” So, Patrick Mahomes may wear a Chiefs jersey now, but his heart still beats Red Raider red.