Texas football RB Jonathon Brooks misses Friday practice due to illness

After Texas football showed a clean bill of health through the first two days of fall practice this week, we got our first absence due to injury/illness on Aug. 4. Mulitple reports (including from Jeff Howe of Horns247) indicated that redshirt sophomore Texas running back Jonathon Brooks missed the third fall practice on Friday evening due to an “undisclosed illness”.

A school spokesperson reportedly broke the news that Brooks missed Friday’s practice due to the aforementioned undisclosed illness. Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods also reported on Aug. 4 (subscriber content) that “Longhorn officials did not provide any further information” regarding Brooks’ illness.

In Brooks’ absence, redshirt senior Keilan Robinson received the first-team reps in individual and team drills on Aug. 4. This was the first full practice that Robinson took the first-team reps at running back.

Third-year Texas football RB Jonathon Brooks misses practice on Friday due to an illness

Brooks took most of the first-team practice reps in the first two days of fall practice this week.

Moreover, sophomore running back Jaydon Blue took the second-team practice reps at the position on Aug. 4, followed by true freshman CJ Baxter Jr with the third team.

It also sounds like the converted wide receiver and sophomore running back Savion Red got more exposure with the additional practice reps on Friday evening.

The latest reports show no updates regarding the timetable of Brooks’ return to practice.

Brooks is the favorite to win the starting job at RB

In the first two days of fall practice, Brooks looked the part of the favorite to be RB1 heading into Week 1 on Sep. 2 against the Rice Owls. Earlier this week, we wrote on the site that Brooks is the “bell cow” at RB for Texas and that he and Baxter are the projected top duo in the backfield heading into the season.

Texas will practice for the fourth day this week on Aug. 5. For the first time, Texas practiced during the evening in training camp on Aug. 4. Texas also put shoulder pads and shells on for the first full practice on Friday evening.