No. 5 Texas football is looking to rebound in Week 9 after a humbling 30-15 loss at home against the Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart. Now, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are preparing for a challenging road matchup against the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores, led by head coach Clark Lea, in Nashville on Oct. 26.
Injury updates for key contributors and starters ahead of No. 5 Texas football in Week 9 vs. No. 25 Vanderbilt
The Longhorns managed to come out of their loss to Georgia last weekend with just one notable injury. As they head into the Week 9 matchup against Vanderbilt, this Texas team is relatively healthy.
However, injuries to safeties and running backs have been a recurring issue for the Longhorns this fall. They’ve already lost one safety for the season, and several running backs are either dealing with lingering injuries or are sidelined for the entire campaign.
It’s crucial for Texas to not only amp up their effort and intensity in the trenches and at the quarterback position this weekend but also to have as many starters healthy as possible for the game against Vanderbilt.
Here are four key injury updates for the Longhorns heading into Week 9.
Derek Williams Jr., S
The safety for the Longhorns who is out for the season is sophomore Derek Williams Jr. He sustained a knee injury during a kickoff coverage play in the victory over the Oklahoma Sooners on Oct. 12, which has sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
With Williams unavailable, sophomore defensive back Jelani McDonald has stepped up to take on a larger role in the safety rotation for SEC play this fall. McDonald has logged 80 defensive snaps, marking a career high for him over any two-game span since 2023.
In the game against Georgia last weekend, Texas relied solely on McDonald, redshirt junior Michael Taaffe, and senior Andrew Mukuba in the safety rotation. Additionally, true freshman Jordon Johnson-Rubell may see an increase in defensive snaps as Texas navigates the remainder of the season and bolsters its safety rotation in the secondary.
Andrew Mukuba, S
Andrew Mukuba suffered a concerning lower-body injury during the second half of the Longhorns’ game against Georgia last Saturday. Fortunately, the injury is not season-ending, which is good news for Texas.
In his Monday press conference, head coach Steve Sarkisian mentioned that Mukuba’s status for the Vanderbilt game this weekend is “questionable” due to the knee injury he sustained against Georgia. He stated, “He’ll be questionable this week. We’re going to have to monitor him. We do have the bye after this game before we come back, and I believe we play Florida after that. We’re just going to monitor him closely this week. I’m not going to put him back out there if he’s not ready to go, knowing that I can have a couple of more weeks after this to get him healthy, similar to the Quinn situation.”
With the upcoming bye week after the Vanderbilt game, Mukuba will have an extra week to recover in preparation for the Florida game on Nov. 9.
Before his injury, Mukuba had a significant impact on Texas’s defense against Georgia’s passing offense, recording his second interception of the season, five combined tackles, and one tackle for loss.
If Mukuba is unable to play against Vanderbilt, Texas may have to lean more on true freshmen like Jordon Johnson-Rubell and Xavier Filsaime or consider shifting someone else to the safety position. Senior Jahdae Barron, who has experience at multiple positions in the defensive secondary, could be a candidate to move to safety if needed.
Quintrevion Wisner, RB
According to On Texas Football, sophomore running back Quintrevion Wisner was seen in a green practice jersey during Tuesday’s practice for the Longhorns after suffering an upper-body injury against Georgia last weekend. OTF’s CJ Vogel described Wisner as being “cautious” while wearing the non-contact jersey earlier this week.
We will receive the first SEC-mandated injury report on Wednesday night, which will officially clarify the status of injured Longhorns players, including Wisner.
Several Texas running backs have faced various injury challenges this fall. In addition to Wisner’s reported shoulder injury, true freshman Jerrick Gibson and junior Jaydon Blue have also been dealing with lower-body injuries since early to mid-September.
Wisner was Texas’s most utilized running back in the game against Georgia, but the Longhorns’ ground game struggled overall, resulting in a 15-point loss. Wisner managed to post a team-high 52 rushing yards on 15 carries (3.5 yards per carry).
Gibson is a player to watch in Texas’s running back room for the upcoming game against Vanderbilt’s defensive front. His ability to run between the tackles and gain tough yards in short-yardage and goal-line situations could benefit the Longhorns’ zone ground game.
If Wisner is unable to play against Vanderbilt, Blue will be the only running back with starting experience available on the road.
Wisner leads Texas in rushing this season, being the only Longhorn running back with over 300 rushing yards and an average of more than five yards per carry.
Isaiah Bond, WR
Junior wide receiver Isaiah Bond has been dealing with an ankle injury he sustained during the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma a few weeks ago. Despite the injury, he was able to play at the start of last weekend’s game against Georgia, where he was targeted multiple times, resulting in two catches for 11 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Bond injured his ankle in the first half of the Oklahoma game, and while he initially tried to play through it, he aggravated the injury in the second half after landing awkwardly on his leg while attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Quinn Ewers. He did not return after that play.
Although Bond managed to play through the ankle injury in the first half against Georgia, his snaps were limited. He participated in only six offensive plays during the game, significantly lower than his usual average of 17 snaps per game.
This season, Bond is Texas’s leading receiver, boasting 23 catches for 380 receiving yards (averaging 16.5 yards per catch) and four touchdown receptions. Additionally, he has rushed for one touchdown and gained 51 yards on two attempts this fall.
In the loss to Georgia, Texas primarily targeted running backs, tight end Gunnar Helm, and true freshman wide receiver Ryan Wingo in the passing game.
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