Where will Texas Tech turn after Duda Banks injury?
The Red Raiders will look to fill the void left by Banks’ injury (Photo by Chase Sebold)
Early in the first quarter, with Texas Tech trailing Baylor, Bears running back Bryson Washington scored the game’s first score from a yard out.
On the play before that, Washington beat a huge 44-yard scamper and appeared to score before the rush was ruled short.
The 7-0 loss was a blow for the Red Raiders, but what made it worse was a goal-line injury to defensive tackle Emawrion “Duda” Banks.
Banks was carted off and ruled out for the season with a knee injury on Monday. This injury has left a huge hole in the defense that needs to be filled quickly.
“As we all know, Duda is a huge contributor to our entire defense and of course the D-line. We’ve seen that all season,” fellow defensive tackle Debraylon Carroll said. “But we have a pretty deep room, so we’ve got to get our players to step into this challenge and be ready like we’ve been preparing.
Everyone is gearing up for that moment. Just like we prepare week in and week out. In terms of production, we need to hire some more young people. Just step up and be ready for that moment. ”
Banks, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 300 pounds, has developed into a solid contributor throughout his college career.
Banks, a senior, entered Tech’s bowl-qualifying win over Central Florida a season ago with a hit on John Rhys Plumlee and a game-changing interception. But Banks’ biggest play of the night was a blocked subsequent scoring attempt that ultimately sealed a 24-23 victory.
Banks followed that up with another PAT block against Arizona State this season. Banks’ huge size in the middle of the trenches will be greatly missed on both sides of the game where he was a major contributor.
“It’s tough knowing a player like him. He had NFL aspirations and was a leader,” defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. “He’s worked so hard. I think the true test of humanity is how hard he works on his PAT, his field goal block, because a lot of times they’re either driving the ball in or making a touch. It’s either a knockdown or a knockdown, and in many cases you can see that teams and players aren’t putting in much effort. And they say those two seconds are the toughest in sports. Because you have to drive as hard as you can and put your hands up.
It’s hard for people with that kind of personality to have something taken away from them. He’s scheduled to have surgery here in the next day or two, but we want him to know that we love him and that we’re going to support him in any way we can. . ”
Where do the Red Raiders go from here? This group has been one of the most talked about going into the season, and chatter about the defensive tackles has always centered around how deep the room is.
The true depth and effectiveness of Zarnell Fitch’s room will be tested, as will the outside linebacker room, which has been hampered by illness throughout the campaign.
Head coach Joey McGuire already has in mind who will step up to replace Banks, another big body from Saraland, Alabama.
“Tre McAlpine, I talked to him and said, ‘Hey, your snaps are going to go up soon.’ “The other day, whenever he took more snaps, I thought he was playing really well. He’s really athletic,” McGuire said. “But we lost our leader. That was just an emotional moment. Any time you have to cart someone without limping, off, you’re off, it’s always a bit of a weird moment during the game. , he was the two best players in the defensive tackle room. They’re all going to have to step up. We’re going to lose a really physical player, he’s got really good length. I have.”
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