Texas Football: Ja’Tavion Sanders Thursday injury update

Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian provided injury updates for two key starters for his squad in his Thursday press conference on Oct. 5. The two Texas starters that are dealing with injuries this week are redshirt junior boundary cornerback Ryan Watts and junior tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Watts suffered a lower-body injury in Texas’ sizable 40-14 win over the No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks last weekend at home. He exited the game around halftime and didn’t return.

Sark said in his press conference on Oct. 5 that Watts “is going to be a game-time decision” after suffering the lower-body injury against Kansas in Week 5.

Texas football TE Ja’Tavion Sanders will be “good to go” vs. OU

Sanders, meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury in Texas’ win over Kansas last weekend. A Kansas defender rolled up on his ankle when he was blocking for a run play, and he didn’t return to the game after that.

It sounds like there is good news regarding Sanders’ injury status heading into the Red River Rivalry game on Oct. 7 against the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners. Sark said Sanders “looks great” and he’ll “be good to go” against Oklahoma this weekend.

A report from CJ Vogel of TFB Texas on Oct. 4 (donor content) gave a similar message that Sanders was trending in the right direction to play for the Longhorns this weekend against Oklahoma.

Sanders gives Texas’ offense an invaluable weapon vs. Oklahoma

Sanders playing against the Sooners means Sark has potentially the most dangerous tight end mismatch in the Power Five on the field this weekend. Texas can weaponize Sanders in so many different ways, whether it’s flexing him out wide, getting him down the seams, or lining him up in the slot. He’s a mismatch at almost every spot to line up pre-snap against opposing defenses.

He’s already gone over 100 receiving yards in two games this fall. And Despite missing most of the Kansas game last weekend, Sanders still ranks in the top three in the FBS in receiving yards this season at 278.

Sanders torched the Sooners last season

Sanders was extremely effective for Sark and the Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry game last season. He went for 71 receiving yards on five taches (14.2 yards per catch), with two receiving touchdowns.

Texas and Oklahoma head into Red River with undefeated 5-0 (2-0 Big 12) records this season. This is the first time the Longhorns and Sooners are both undefeated heading into Red River since 2011. The kickoff time between Texas and Oklahoma is set for 11 a.m. CT on Oct. 7 at the Cotton in Dallas at the Texas State Fairgrounds.