This fall, the Texas Tech football program is more transparent than ever about the injury situation, announcing that Red Raiders injury updates will be provided weekly every Monday and then again 45 minutes before each game.

Practice began this week and one notable player who appeared on the injured list is nose tackle Quincy Ledet Jr. He is listed as questionable due to a lower leg injury.

Two other Red Raiders defensive linemen, junior outside linebacker Charles Esters III and redshirt freshman defensive back Javeon Wilcox, are listed as out for Week 1. Ledet, however, is the Red Raider who will be missed the most.

This season, Ledet will be expected to help fill the shoes of Jaylon Hutchings, who is currently trying to make his mark in the NFL. Last season, Hutchings made 44 tackles (7.5 for a loss) and has been credited with 193 in his career. He was one of the most physical and reliable defensive tackles the program has produced in quite some time.

That’s why Ledet is so important. Last year, the 300-pound player was Hutchings’ main backup and made 20 tackles.

Now he has secured the starting spot as nose tackle. However, his season debut could be delayed due to his injury.

If Hutchings doesn’t play, Tech should be in good shape, especially against Abilene Christian. That’s because the program is expected to rotate six defensive tackles this year.

In fact, there are two senior defensive tackles behind Ledet on the list. Second is De’Braylon Carroll, a super senior who played five seasons at Rice before coming to Tech. He has 42 career appearances and 101 tackles.

James Hansen, a Nevada native, is the third-ranked nose tackle. He is also a super senior and in his first year with the Red Raiders. He played in 29 games as a college player and made 46 tackles.

Of course, the Red Raiders would prefer if Ledet was available this weekend, but with Saturday night’s opponent being an FCS program, it would be unwise to take unnecessary risks if he is not at full health.

Additionally, head coach Joey McGuire and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter have touted the program’s depth on defense all season, and now it looks like that depth could be reinforced in the first game of the season.