ULM transfer DT Quincy Ledet Jr. recaps OV, commitment to Texas Tech
During the middle of last week, Texas Tech defensive lineman Philip Blidi announced he was going to enter the transfer portal. Blidi played 217 snaps this season, and there was now an immediate need for a plug-and-play defensive tackle at Texas Tech.
Quickly after Blidi's announcement, the coaches went shopping in the portal and set up a visit with Louisiana-Monroe defensive tackle Quincy Ledet Jr.
Ledet Jr. is a guy the staff had known about for a while and had some connections to. Rising super senior Myles Cole came over from ULM prior to last season, and Ledet Jr. also played his high school football at West Orange-Stark, which coincidentally happens to be the same high school that Texas Tech Director of Player Personnel James Blanchard played at during his playing days.
One of the big selling points for Ledet Jr. on Texas Tech was the coaching staff, which includes Blanchard but also defensive line coach Zarnell Fitch and head coach Joey McGuire.
"I love the guys on the staff, I love the guys on the team, I really feel like Lubbock has something real good cooking down there.
(Coach Blanchard) we really have a relationship probably more in the past I would say. We're from the same home town but we've both been in this college process so we really haven't been talking much. He's busy, I'm busy, but we have a good relationship. Him and my uncle, they're real good friends. They grew up together so our relationship is real good.
(Coach Fitch and coach McGuire) that's some really, really good guys. They made it feel like home. It was a click right away, especially with coach Fitch. We have something in common, we both played basketball so he said he can beat me on the court and we had a little debate about that. Coach McGuire, he was real fired up which fired me up honestly. I'm really just excited to get to work."
Ledet Jr. was considering several opportunities from other Big 12, SEC and Big Ten programs, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity at Texas Tech.
"I really just felt like this is the program that fits me best, fits my game. I wanna rush the passer. I wanna be versatile and put on tape that I'm a versatile player, so I feel like the Big 12 and Texas Tech is the best look for me."
Ledet Jr's decision was also confirmed by talking with Myles Cole and getting the low down on Texas Tech from his former, and now future, teammate.
"He helped me by I really asked him 'how are the coaches?' because you know on these recruiting visits coaches can try to sell you a dream or anything. I really just got with him to see if what they were telling me was real and he just told me that it was real, they're real guys, they look out for you and they really take care of you there so that really helped my decision."
Now committed, Ledet Jr will arrive on campus in the next couple weeks in time for the spring semester. He will have 2 seasons of eligibility remaining and says Tech fans have a lot to look forward to.
"(Texas Tech) is getting a leader, they're getting an absolute dog on the field. Off the field I wanna be actively working in the community, actively working with (Tech fans) if they wanna talk to me, meet me, anything just making me like a regular guy but a dog on the field."
In his career Ledet Jr. has played 1,113 defensive snaps and put up 75 tackles, 6 tackles-for-loss and 4 sacks.
Per PFF his best season came in 2022, where he totaled 16 pressures, 11 hurries and 15 stops with a season grade of 68.6.