The Texas Tech football team put on full pads Wednesday in its sixth preseason practice, the first time its allowed under the NCAA acclimatization protocol.

Among the players Tech coach Joey McGuire was eager to see was young defensive tackle Trevon McAlpine, who's been brought back carefully from a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in spring practice 2022. In the spring of 2023, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound redshirt freshman did work on the field, but was not fully cleared.

"We were really cautious," McGuire said before preseason camp started, "because they've really kind of changed the science behind ACL (recoveries). You want a full year."

When McAlpine was a high-school senior in Alabama during the 2021-22 school year, the Rivals and 247Sports recruiting services ranked him the No. 19 prospect in his state. He took visits to West Virginia, Kansas State and Arizona State and was offered scholarships by Arkansas, Nebraska, TCU and Virginia Tech among others.

He signed with Tech, enrolled in January 2022 and got hurt in spring practice.

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McGuire said he's pumped up from his brief glimpses of McAlpine.

"Man, I'm really excited about what he did (this spring)," McGuire said. "Can't wait to turn him loose. He's really athletic. He's very strong, and it's exciting. We didn't have that depth that we have now in the defensive tackles."

On the Red Raiders' depth chart, McAlpine is third at one defensive tackle spot behind Tony Bradford and Dooda Banks. The order at the other defensive tackle has Jaylon Hutchings backed by Quincy Ledet and Blake Burris.

The Red Raiders' defensive tackles group also has converted end Robert Wooten and four true freshmen: Tre'Darius Brown (6-2, 300) from Natchitoches (La.) Central; Jayden Cofield (6-2, 305) from Manor; Braylon Rigsby (6-2, 300) from Woodville; and Amier Washington (6-2, 270) from Orange Little Cypress-Mauriceville.

Cofield and Rigsby reported in January. Rigsby underwent shoulder surgery for an injury that dated to high school.

"You've got Cofield, who came in and had a good spring for us," McGuire said, "so you've got really good depth in that D-line room."

Texas Tech football wide receiver Coy Eakin sidelined

Wide receiver Coy Eakin had his left arm in a sling during Wednesday's practice. The nature and extent of his injury was not immediately available.

Eakin suffered a broken collarbone during spring practice, but came into August listed second at X receiver behind Loic Fouonji and in front of Drae McCray.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech football defensive tackle Trevon McAlpine ready to go