The Texas Tech football program still doesn’t know whether it will have defensive end McKinner Dixon this season, but hopes were renewed on Friday.

“He’s in the gray area, but he’s not definitely ineligible as we speak,” Tech coach Mike Leach said Friday afternoon. “Thought he was (going to be ineligible) yesterday. Today we discover he’s not.”

On Thursday night, Leach said it appeared Dixon was going to be ineligible, pending the possibility of going through an appeals process. More review of Dixon’s transcript on Friday, Leach said, showed that a class that had not previously been counted toward his being eligible might be countable.

“He’s still alive, and the reason he is, there’s a chance they may not have to do an appeal,” Leach said. “Long story short, he may be OK.”

However, Leach said Tech coaches won’t give Dixon snaps in practice unless and until they know for sure. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior from Lufkin has been suited up at every workout this week except the one on Wednesday.

Once a highly regarded recruit, Dixon played for Tech as a true freshman in 2005, then tumbled into academic ineligibility the following spring. Over the next year and a half, he took classes at Angelina College in his hometown and at Cisco Junior College, where he played last season and recorded nine sacks.

Dixon returned to Tech at mid-term and went through spring practice in March and April.

However, he has been stuck at third-team on the depth chart at an end position behind Brandon Williams and Daniel Howard, not making as many plays as those two. And his ongoing eligibility issues have been a source of irritation for Leach.

Asked in a conversation earlier Friday to what extent not having Dixon would impact the team, Leach said, “Not very much. We’d be short a talented player, but he’s got some people playing ahead of him right now, so we’ll play those and develop others.”

Leach also sounded miffed at Dixon when asked about his situation on Thursday night.

Asked to evaluate his progress so far, Leach said, “In the classroom, not very good.”

When the reporter clarified that he meant on-field progress, Leach said, “It’s irrelevant, because if you don’t make it in the classroom, you don’t get on the field. It’s not even relevant. We’re not going to rep him until he can get on the field.”

The Raiders’ other big-name transfer at defensive end was in the clear after Thursday. Brandon Sesay had to pass in summer school because he said two academic credits didn’t transfer to Tech, but he said he never had any doubt.

“It wasn’t a relief,” said Sesay, who played last season at a California community college. “I knew for sure that I was going to pass, because with the coaches and tutors and stuff around, I had no choice but to do great. I did great, and now I’m here and I can focus on football at this point and get ready for this national championship.”

Last winter, the Rivals.com recruiting service ranked Dixon the No. 14 and Sesay the No. 10 junior-college recruits in the nation, regardless of position. From the time he signed in December, Sesay has faced expectations of fans and coaches that he be an immediate difference maker.

He doesn’t mind.

“That’s what I’m here for,” he said. “I really appreciate everything everybody’s saying, but at the same time I’m very humble. I always have to work hard. I’ve got work hard, hard, hard, and that’s what I want to do. I want to please the fans. I want to please the people in Lubbock. I want to please everybody around here, and let them know that I’m here and I’m a Red Raider for life.”

The 6-foot-6 Sesay said he got up to 295 pounds before trimming back to his current 278. Sesay said he used Tech strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie’s workout program this summer so he doesn’t think his conditioning is an issue.

“Practice is a breeze to me,” he said. “Not saying we don’t go hard, but all of us are physically fit. We’ve all been working out together as one, and I feel really good on the field.”

Sesay is working at left defensive end, where Jake Ratliff and Brandon Sharpe are the top returnees.

“He’s been lifting hard, and as we get him in better shape I think he’ll improve more and more,” Leach said. “He does some good things, he’s imposing, and I think just needs to kind of get in a rhythm out here.”