Texas Tech, rising star general manager James Blanchard agree to terms on lucrative new contrac

One of the top rising stars in the college personnel space has been rewarded with a lucrative new contract.

Texas Tech and general manager James Blanchard have agreed to terms on a new deal that’s expected to make him one of the highest paid front office figures in college football, sources tell

It’s the latest indicator of the growing investment in college personnel developments and it comes from Joey McGuire and Texas Tech, who have at the forefront of the shift towards more of an NFL-style front office and personnel setup.

Blanchard has been key in the Red Raiders posting their two highest ranked recruiting classes in more than a decade and their most wins over a two-year period since 2008-2009. Texas Tech’s 2024 recruiting class ranked 25th-best nationally and was the Red Raiders’ first top-25 signing class since 2011.

Blanchard followed McGuire to Texas Tech from Baylor, initially joining McGuire’s staff as director of player personnel before being promoted to general manager last year. In addition to his work in the college space, Blanchard also has experience at the NFL level, having worked as a scout with the Carolina Panthers in 2020.