Gerlich’s Bold Move: Krista Gerlich Welcomes Ole Miss Standout Snudda Collins to Lady Raiders — ‘Instant Game-Changer,’ Declares Texas Tech Coach Today

In a program‑altering splash that is already reverberating across the Big 12, Texas Tech head coach Krista Gerlich has reeled in one of the most coveted names still circulating in the women’s basketball transfer portal: former Ole Miss sharpshooter Snudda Collins. The graduate guard officially signed her paperwork last week, but Gerlich doubled down on the significance of the move during Monday’s on‑campus media session, describing Collins as “an instant game‑changer who upgrades us on both ends of the floor the moment she walks into practice.” 

Collins brings a bumper‑to‑bumper résumé to Lubbock after four seasons in the unforgiving crucible of the SEC. At Ole Miss the 6‑foot‑1 wing:

Those numbers only trace the outline of her impact. Collins was routinely tasked with guarding the opposition’s top scorer and still paced Ole Miss in made threes every season she suited up. Her 22‑point barrage against then‑No. 22 Louisville last winter is etched in Rebel lore and serves as a handy reminder that her offensive ceiling travels.

The Red Raiders were respectable defensively but finished in the bottom third of the league in three‑point accuracy and late‑clock shot creation—precisely the two boxes Collins loves to tick.

We were searching for a veteran who could stretch the floor and impose length on the perimeter. Snudda checks all of that and then some,” Gerlich explained, adding that the Mississippi native impressed staffers during her official visit by diagramming half‑court sets on a whiteboard. “She’s a film junkie. When the film room becomes your second apartment, you fit right in here.”

Starting slot: Expect Collins to slide into the vacated off‑ball guard position next to rising sophomore scorer Bailey Maupin. Her 6‑1 frame lets Tech toggle seamlessly between four‑out looks and the dribble‑drive spacing Gerlich has preferred the last two seasons.

Spacing dividends: Collins’ gravity should unclog driving lanes for All‑Big 12 forward Jasmine Shavers, whose efficiency dipped from 47 percent to 42 percent whenever Tech’s three‑point rate sagged below 30.

Defensive versatility: On tape Collins defended positions 1–4 in the SEC, accumulating 16 blocks and 17 steals in just 28 games during her last active season, an attribute Tech sorely lacked on the wing.

Privately, staff insiders believe Collins’ combination of size and offensive polish will allow them to downshift returning 5‑11 guard Rhyle McKinney into a sixth‑woman microwave role—another domino that could raise Tech’s second‑unit scoring ceiling after it averaged just 13 points a night in conference play.

The Gerlich‑Collins pact also carries symbolic weight. Baylor, Kansas State and BYU all deployed high‑usage transfers last year, and new Oklahoma State skipper Jacie Hoyt has already flipped three Power‑Six guards since April. Texas Tech, by contrast, had struggled to convert portal momentum into ink. Bringing in Collins—arguably the best remaining two‑way wing on the market—signals that Lubbock is again a destination for top‑tier talent.

ESPN analyst Andraya Carter framed the signing succinctly on Sunday’s “Outside the Lines” segment: “If you can shoot 37 percent from deep in the SEC and defend SEC wings, you can win a Big 12 game on a Tuesday night in Ames.”

Collins touched down in West Texas on Thursday and immediately joined voluntary workouts inside the Womble practice facility. According to graduate forward Bre’Amber Scott, the newcomer wasted little time staking her claim.

Social feeds lit up in parallel: Guns Up Nation’s announcement post topped 13,000 likes in its first 24 hours, and the program’s own tweet featuring Collins in a scarlet‑and‑black jersey eclipsed every non‑game‑day post since February.

The Lady Raiders have two scholarships left and remain linked to a pair of rim‑running centers, but Gerlich made it clear the staff will not rush the final pieces. For now, the headline is Collins—a player whose three‑level scoring, plus‑length defense and postseason pedigree check every box a rebuilding program could script.