A key projected starter is dealing with an injury as the Texas Tech football team prepares to open the 2026 season.
Joey McGuire said in his first game-week press conference of the season Monday in Galaxy Stadium that the Red Raiders are mostly healthy heading into the Week 1 matchup against Abilene Christian. However, the head coach said outside linebacker Trey White is "banged up" and considered week-to-week with a knee injury.
"He was just turning the corner against Howard (Sampson) and Jett (Carpenter) and just stepped wrong," McGuire said. "It's going to be how he feels. You want to put him in the best position to where it doesn't continue to bother him throughout the year. We want to get him as healthy as we can."
White was listed as the
projected starter at the DOG rusher position. Freshman LaDamion Guyton is slotted second on the depth chart, but McGuire said the talented youngster won't be the one getting the first reps of the season if White does miss time.
"We got a couple guys that we trained on both sides, like Adam Trick will probably go to the DOG position, maybe Ansel (Nedore) starts at the field," McGuire said. "Jamond Mathis could start there and keep Adam to the field. But first snaps out there, we'll go with the old guys that have got the most reps banked."
McGuire and the rest of the Texas Tech coaching staff have noted how advanced Guyton has seemed in his short time with the team. Guyton joined the squad the first day of fall camp after reclassifying to the 2026 recruiting class and wrapping up his high school requirements before getting to Lubbock in August.
"He's just been limited as far as like, he wasn't here during the summer," McGuire said. "He's a football guy. He's picking up stuff really, really fast. But we'll go with some of those old guys."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Projected Texas Tech football starter dinged up heading into season opener
