Texas Tech’s first session of summer school started on May 30. With that, the Texas Tech football team plunged into running, lifting weights and “football school” — light on-field drills with no pads or contact.
NCAA rules permit eight hours a week of countable athletically related activities at this time of year with not more than two hours of that devoted to individual skill workouts. The Red Raiders do their one-hour football schools on Monday and Wednesday with lifting and conditioning on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Several Tech players were coming off injuries — in some cases, surgeries — dating to spring practice or the 2024 season. As reported earlier this week, wide receivers Caleb Douglas (knee) and Coy Eakin (back surgery) have been medically cleared and participating from the start in the summer workouts, and Reggie Virgil (broken toe) is expected back for the beginning of preseason practice.
Tech coach Joey McGuire said quarterback Behren Morton (shoulder surgery) is up to 75 throws at a time, of all varieties with good velocity.
Here’s a look at how other players’ rehabs are coming along, according to McGuire:
Offense
Guard Vinny Sciury: Fully cleared and participating. Sciury was starting at left guard before he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game of the 2024 season.
Offensive tackle Hunter Zambrano: He was cleared in mid-April, participated in a couple of the last spring practices and could have played in the spring game had the staff wanted. Zambrano missed most of last season at Illinois State after hip surgery before he transferred to Tech in January.
He’s since had a tonsillectomy.
“We wanted to get his tonsils taken out as fast as possible,” McGuire said, “so we could get the weight back up going into the summer, because he could have played in that spring (game).”
Tight end Trey Jackson: Another player who could have played in the spring game had the staff wanted after he missed time with a torn meniscus. Jackson’s fully back and participating in the football schools.
Defense
Defensive tackle Dooda Banks and defensive end Dylan Spencer: Spencer missed the 2024 season with a knee injury he suffered in preseason practice, and Banks suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Oct. 19 game against Baylor.
Both were cleared on Monday, June 9.
“They’ve been doing half volume,” McGuire said, “so they’ve been doing football school, but they’ve only been taking like half the reps. Or, if we’ve got a team run, they only do half. They do full weight room.”
Defensive end/outside linebacker Terrell Tilmon: He suffered a broken toe in spring practice, the same injury as wide receiver Reggie Virgil and is about a week behind Virgil in the rehab process, McGuire said. That would put him back sometime in August.
Linebacker Bryce Ramirez: He played with a shoulder injury and had a repair after the season. He’s fully back and participating in football schools.
Linebacker Justin Horne and safety Chapman Lewis: Both suffered season-ending knee injuries in November. Both are expected back late in the 2025 season. Lewis hasn’t redshirted, so he will this year, though he’s likely to play in some late-season games and stay within the four-game redshirt window.
Horne redshirted his first year on campus.
“I think both of them will get the last four games of the season,” McGuire said.
Cornerback Macho Stevenson: He suffered a shoulder injury in spring practice and underwent surgery.
“I want to say that he should be back for camp,” McGuire said, “but I feel good about saying he should be back for week one (of the season).”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football boosted by return of key linemen after surgeries
