As if the mood around the Texas Tech football program wasn’t already bleak following Saturday’s narrow escape against Abilene Christian, things have taken a turn for the worse as the Red Raiders get ready to face Washington State. On Monday, the program issued a troubling injury report.
The most significant setback is the season-ending knee injury to outside linebacker Joseph Adedire. This news comes as a major blow to Red Raider fans, who were already frustrated by their team’s inability to put pressure on the quarterback during the ACU game.
Despite recording only two career sacks, junior Joseph Adedire has contributed 7.5 tackles for loss over his two seasons and was anticipated to be a key pass rusher for the team this fall. His season-ending knee injury is a significant setback, especially after he missed the game against Abilene Christian.
The injury report reveals more concerning news. Star running back Tahj Brooks is listed as “questionable” with an arm injury. If Brooks can’t play on Saturday, it will greatly impact the offense, considering his backups—junior Cam’Ron Valdez and redshirt freshman Cam Dickey—have limited experience. Brooks carried the ball 27 times last week, while Valdez and Dickey combined for just two carries.
Additionally, starting safety C.J. Baskerville is also “questionable” with a shoulder injury. His potential absence could be particularly damaging to a secondary that struggled against an FCS opponent and will face Washington State’s “Air Raid” offense, which could exploit the Red Raiders’ vulnerabilities in the air.
The injury report worsens with outside linebacker Harvey Dyson listed as “questionable” due to a foot injury. Dyson, who struggled in his first career start against ACU but was previously considered Tech’s top pass rusher, might not be available. With the season-ending injuries to Adedire and fellow outside linebacker Dylan Spencer, the Red Raiders’ depth at edge rusher is becoming increasingly thin.
The injury news keeps piling up for Texas Tech. Starting nose tackle Quincy Ledet is now listed as “questionable” with a knee injury. Although he played against ACU despite being questionable and recorded two tackles, his status for the Washington State game remains uncertain.
Additionally, the Red Raiders’ top cornerback, Brayln Lux, is also on the injury list. Lux missed the ACU game, but Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire had hoped he would return for the Washington State matchup. However, his thigh injury raises doubts about his availability.
To cap off a challenging injury report, backup linebacker John Curry is also questionable with a shoulder injury. While this is less concerning given the presence of standout linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Ben Roberts, Curry’s absence could still be felt, especially since he contributed just one tackle against ACU.
Moreover, outside linebacker Charles Esters, who missed the ACU game, has already been ruled out for the Washington State matchup due to a thigh injury. This leaves Texas Tech potentially missing three outside linebackers for sure, with a possibility of being down another if Harvey Dyson can’t play.
In total, eight members of the defense’s two-deep roster could be unavailable for the Washington State game, which is far from ideal for a defense that struggled significantly last Saturday. Hopefully, the Red Raiders’ training staff can make significant strides this week to get as many players as possible back on the field for Saturday night’s game.
Leave a Reply