Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech announces signing of Cash Cleveland
April 25, 2025 | Football
Colorado transfer arrives at Texas Tech after earning Freshman All-America honors this past season
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech added further to the nation's top transfer class Friday with the signing of offensive lineman Cash Cleveland, who earned Freshman All-America honors this past season by multiple publications.
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Cleveland returns to the Lone Star State with three seasons of eligibility remaining after playing in six games as only a true freshman this past fall at Colorado. He made an instant impact in his limited time for a Colorado program that finished 9-4 overall following an appearance in the Valero Alamo Bowl, garnering Freshman All-America accolades by On3.com, 247Sports and Pro Football Focus.
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"The opportunity to bring in a talented, young offensive lineman like Cash only adds to the depth we've built up front," head coach Joey McGuire said. "We project him at being able to play either guard spots and of course center at a high level. We're looking forward to getting him on campus this summer and adding him to our culture."
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Cleveland became the first true freshman walk-on to start at center for the Buffaloes in school history when he made his first career start at home against Utah late in the 2024 season. Cleveland, who proceeded to start the final three games immediately following, previously made his collegiate debut a few weeks earlier at Arizona before logging his first serious snaps against his new team in Colorado's visit to Lubbock on Nov. 2. Cleveland played 68 offensive snaps against the Red Raiders, setting up his first career start the next week.
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Pro Football Focus credited him with 296 offensive snaps on the season, including 234 pass-blocking opportunities where he allowed only sack and four total pressures. The publication awarded him a 77.5 grade as a pass blocker, which ranked fifth nationally among underclassmen centers nationally and fourth from those in a power conference.
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Cleveland joined the Colorado program out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He moved to Florida following three seasons as the starter at Rockwall-Heath High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Cleveland was listed as a three-star prospect coming out of high school by On3.com, which ranked him No. 279 overall among interior offensive linemen.
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Cleveland joins a bolstered Texas Tech offensive line that features returning starters in junior Sheridan Wilson and senior Davion Carter. Texas Tech previously signed fellow transfers Will Jados (Miami of Ohio), Howard Sampson (North Carolina) and Hunter Zambrano (Illinois State) earlier this offseason to go along with another veteran in Vinny Sciury, who started the first two games at left guard a year ago before suffering a season-ending injury.
