It appears that we will have to wait another week for the return of defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard.
LUBBOCK, Texas - The initial injury report for the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals has released ahead of Oregon and Texas Tech's class in the Capital One Orange Bowl on New Year's Day in Miami.
The list features one key ruling for the Red Raiders in mauling defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard, who is once again listed as out with a foot injury. Backup quarterback Will Hammond also remains out after tearing his ACL in midseason.
Gill-Howard was one of Texas Tech's best interior defensive linemen on an elite front seven at the beginning of the year, but an Oct. 11 ankle injury forced him to have immediate surgery and miss the remainder of the regular season.
Initial rumors suggested that he could be eyeing a return sometime in the CFP, but it appears Tech will have to advance past Oregon in order for the possibility to be seen through in another week.
The senior leader has totaled nine tackles (four solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, 11 pressures and half a sack in six games this season. His season-best highlight includes a 55-yard interception returned for a touchdown, which was commonly referred to around campus the following week as "The Thick Six".
For Gill-Howard, a return for at least one, or possibly multiple, games to end his collegiate career would be the cherry on top of what has already been a remarkable journey.
He is a former zero-star high school recruit who clawed his way up through Division II Upper Iowa and then Northern Illinois before arriving in Lubbock as a three-star transfer portal gem. He's made the most of his opportunity from there with the Red Raiders.
This is his first season with Texas Tech, distinguishing him as one of the pillars of the nation's best transfer portal class from a year ago, that also featured the likes of All-American edge David Bailey and future draft picks Lee Hunter and Romello Height on the D-line.
That defense powered Tech to the program's best season - which includes a record 12 wins, the first Big 12 Championship and a berth as a top-four seed in the 12-team postseason bracket.
Though they've done work without him, Gill-Howard has remained a steady influence within the locker room, often traveling with the team to each game, hyping up the squad in the locker room and riding around on his leg-propped scooter on the sidelines and infusing infectious energy into the players and fans.
You can bet that that juice will be translated to the field the second he is cleared.
If the Red Raiders survive and move on to the semifinal at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Gill-Howard could become a massive X-factor against the winner of Indiana–Alabama.