After several reports indicating as such, Texas Tech RB Da’Leon Ward confirmed on Tuesday night that he is indeed ticketed out of Lubbock after entering the NCAA transfer portal.
Ward was the team’s second-leading rusher last season, starting the year strong before injuries eventually took hold on his way to 341 yards and three scores on the ground in ex-coach Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid system. He sat out most of spring practice under new head coach Matt Wells -- for undisclosed reasons -- but had a number of off-the-field incidents (such as a felony theft charge that was eventually dismissed) that likely contributed to his slide down the depth chart the last few months.
Back as a recruit, Ward was rated by most services as a three-star back who held offers from Louisville, TCU, Boise State and several others. He certainly has talent after bursting onto the scene as a true freshman and leading the team in rushing back in 2016 but he’ll be looking for a new home with at least two years of eligibility left.
With Ward out of the picture in Lubbock, the Red Raiders are likely to lean even heavier on sophomore Ta’Zhawn Henry, junior Jax Welch and redshirt freshman SaRodorick Thompson as the program embarks on a different direction on the ground under their new staff.