The Texas Tech football staff signed one more defensive lineman out of the NCAA transfer portal than originally planned in January, based on the expectation Jayden Cofield would miss a big chunk of next season recovering from Achilles tendon surgery.
Well, maybe not.
Tech coach Joey McGuire said on Monday, April 13, that Cofield’s projected timeline to return has moved up to perhaps late September.
“We think he could be back as early as the Houston game [Sept. 18],” McGuire said. “If not, the Sam Houston State game [Sept. 26]. He’s a lot farther ahead than what we expected, so that just adds depth. When you start looking at it, we’re going to have a legit three-deep at both defensive tackles with the guys that we have going through spring and then you add Cofield back in it.”
Cofield’s a 6-foot-2, 330-pound junior from Manor. As a young backup the past two seasons, he’s been credited with 23 and 24 tackles, respectively, and 4 1/2 tackles for loss both years. He suffered a partial Achilles tendon tear in Tech’s New Year’s Day loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl. He underwent surgery shortly thereafter.
In February, McGuire said Cofield’s expected return was in October, based on medical staff assessments.
Asked what caused the timeline to change for the better, McGuire said, “Going through all his MRIs and going through his rehab, he’s healing at a little bit faster rate than what we expected. A lot of times with big guys, you probably can get them a little bit back faster off an Achilles than some of your skill guys, but we feel really good about where he is.”
Tech returns second-team All-American defensive tackle A.J. Holmes. From the portal, the Red Raiders added Julien Laventure from Akron, Bryce Butler from Washington, Mateen Ibirogba from Wake Forest and JoJo Johnson from Oregon State.
Counting Cofield, McGuire said, “There’s six guys right there that have played college football and have been in some really big games.”
Other returning defensive tackles are sophomore Keyshawn Williams from Spring Dekaney and redshirt freshman Dylan Singleton from Loreauville, Louisville. Singleton has missed spring practice recovering from a shoulder injury.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football DT Jayden Cofield’s return date moved up
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