Texas Tech football: Takeaways from the first 2023 depth chart

Ledet and Banks listed as backup defensive tackles

One of the strengths of this year’s defense is supposed to be the defensive tackle room.  That’s where Jaylon Hutchings and Tony Bradford Jr. return to give Tech arguably the best DT tandem in the Big 12.

However, McGuire has said that the program asked Hutchings and Bradford to play too many snaps last year causing them to wear down during games.  The hope is that the team’s depth will prevent that from happening in 2023.

To take some of the load off of the starters, it appears that Quincy Ledet Jr. and E’Maurion “Dooda” Banks will be asked to play significant roles.  Those are two names that aren’t likely all too familiar to most Red Raider fans.

Ledet is a senior transfer from Louisiana-Monroe who has two years left to play.  He’s 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds and he arrives with 31 career appearances and 18 starts to his name, all at Louisiana-Monroe.

Meanwhile, Banks is a redshirt sophomore from Wichita Falls, Texas where he was the No. 112 player in Texas in the class of 2021 according to 247Sports.  However, unlike Ledet, he’s still green being as he’s played in only three games thus far at the collegiate level.  Now, it appears that the light has come on for the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder and he’s ready to contribute.

It will be crucial that this duo proves ready to spell Bradford and Hutchings this year.  Tech needs the starting defensive tackles fresh in the fourth quarter as well as late into the season and that will happen if Ledet and Banks can prove to be useful pieces of the rotation.