3 key injured Texas football players that could return vs. WVU
Through the first few weeks of the regular season, Texas football had an unfortunate string of injuries that hampered this team, especially on the offensive side of the ball. I’m fact, you can trace it back to the early stages of fall camp when the unfortunate injury issues first started taking place for Texas.
During the first fall scrimmage last month, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns lost both redshirt sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Neyor and senior interior offensive lineman Junior Angilau to season-ending ACL tears. Considering Neyor and Angilau were figured to be two of the most important projected starters for this Texas offense in 2022, those losses were really impactful.
Moreover, if there was ever a time when Texas needed to get as close to full health as possible this season, though, it appears that now would be it. Texas is reeling after a tough loss on the road in overtime last weekend at the hands of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
And this team will need as many key players back in the fold as possible to ensure success when Texas faces the West Virginia Mountaineers at home on Oct. 1.
Quinn Ewers and the Texas football players that could return to action vs. WVU
Here’s a look at three key injured Longhorns players that could return this weekend against West Virginia.
Steve Sarkisian said Moro Ojomo suffered an ankle injury in practice last week that they “just didn’t feel great about in Thursday’s practice.”
— Joe Cook (@josephcook89) September 24, 2022
“I feel like we could have used him there late in that game.”
Moro Ojomo, DL
An injury that largely flew under the radar last weekend was an issue that kept senior defensive lineman Moro Ojomo from traveling with the team to face Texas Tech in Lubbock.
If you look closer at the film, you can see the impact that the absence of Ojomo had on some of the plays for this defensive front against Texas Tech.
Ojomo isn’t going to blow anyone away with his box score stats this season. But what he does well, such as moving multiple bodies in the trenches and closing up gaps in run defense, is something that is hard to replace on a consistent basis.
It was clear that the absence of Ojomo opened up more running lanes for the Texas Tech backs and quarterback Donovan Smith. Texas also wasn’t getting as clear of angles while rushing the passer without Ojomo taking up space along the interior of the defensive line in the midst of his absence last weekend.
Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian said Moro Ojomo practiced on Monday, WR Xavier Worthy is day-to-day, and WR Troy Omeire's health is improving.
— Anwar Richardson (@AnwarRichardson) September 26, 2022
Sark mentioned in his Monday press conference on Sep. 26 that Ojomo practiced on that day. I would assume that trend continued since we haven’t heard anything different since then. That leads me to believe that there is a high likelihood that Ojomo will be able to return for Texas this weekend against the Mountaineers.