In the final non-conference tuneup of the year, the Texas Tech football team will be without one of its best playmakers on offense. Tight end Terrance Carter Jr. will reportedly miss today's game due to an AC joint injury sustained in last week's 28-26 victory over Houston.
The news is being reported by college football insider Pete Thamel of ESPN. It is a disappointing development for an offense that needs to find its identity and develop a rhythm before entering the meat of the Big 12 schedule. Now, the Red Raiders will have to accomplish those tasks without one of their best weapons.
Carter is considered a sure-fire NFL draft pick in 2027. His athleticism and ability to make plays in the passing game will be enticing to teams at the next level.
In 2026, though, he's gotten off to a slow start, in large part due to injuries. In the opener against Abilene Christian, he caught only three passes for 28 yards.
Sources: Texas Tech star TE Terrance Carter will miss the game against Sam Houston State today, as he's battling an AC joint issue. Carter also missed Tech's game at Oregon State earlier in the year with a foot injury. He's @Jordan_Reid No. 3 overall TE prospect for 2027 NFL… pic.twitter.com/Dp415mF3BM
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 26, 2026
Then, he missed the week two game at Oregon State with a foot injury that had him in a walking boot. Carter returned last week against Houston but hauled in only two passes for 34 yards.
At the end of the Houston game, Carter was seen limping off the field after the Cougars' fourth-quarter onside kick attempt. That caused many fans to be concerned that he had aggravated the injury that kept him out the week prior.
However, the AC joint is along the clavicle, near the shoulder. Obviously, that is a part of the body that takes quite a bit of punishment when blocking, and it could also be painful when a player tries to reach up to catch a pass.
The good news is that Tech should be able to handle its business against Sam Houston even without Carter. Senior TE Jett Carpenter and freshman TE Matt "Moose" Ludwig are more than capable of holding down the fort.
Hopefully, Tech is just holding Carter out for precautionary reasons and allowing him to get healthy before Big 12 play resumes next weekend at Colorado. Still, it is disappointing that the Red Raiders will be without such a key member of the offensive attack in a game that provides one last chance to iron out any wrinkles against a non-conference opponent.
Add us as a preferred source on Google