A pair of Texas Tech football players have entered the transfer portal, one of whom was reported to have entered long before.

Edge rusher Steve Linton and offensive lineman Matt Keeler were confirmed Friday to have officially entered the portal.

Keeler had been reported to have entered the portal months ago, but did not officially enter until this week. Joey McGuire told the media in early December that Keeler intended to graduate from Texas Tech before making any other decisions.

The third-year sophomore from La Grange Park, Illinois, made two starts at right tackle in 2022 and played in every game in his two years in Lubbock, mostly on the kicking team.

McGuire alluded to the possibility of Linton transferring in that same pre-Independence Bowl availability.

"We're hoping that he comes back," McGuire said on Dec. 8. "If he does come back, he graduates and he's fixing to graduate in a couple of days, so he could be a grad transfer."

In that same answer, McGuire mentioned that Bralyn Lux graduates in the spring and could also be a grad transfer, though that would likely come later, if it were to happen.

Linton appeared in eight games for the Red Raiders in 2023, totaling 22 tackles, 4.5 for a loss of yards, and three sacks. He previously transferred to Tech from Syracuse. His final game in a Red Raider uniform came Oct. 21 in the loss at BYU.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football's Linton, Keeler enter transfer portal