4 key injured Texas players heading into OU

Derek Williams Jr., S

On Texas's first SEC-mandated injury report before the Mississippi State game a couple of weeks ago, Williams was listed as "doubtful" for the SEC opener on Sep. 28. But Williams would later be downgraded to "out" for his injury status for the Mississippi State game.

Williams has missed Texas's last two full games after suffering a lower-body injury in the Week 3 win over the UTSA Roadrunners. He's been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury that has bothered him for the last three or four weeks.

Among the two or three Texas safeties we've seen on the injury report in the past couple of weeks for the Longhorns, it sounds like Williams is the least likely to play this weekend against the Sooners.

The last full game Williams played was in the Week 2 31-12 win on the road over the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines at the Big House. Williams got his first career interception in the double-digit win over the defending champs in Week 2. He also registered five combined tackles against the Wolverines during his only start of the 2024 campaign so far.

Williams also picked up two combined tackles over two dozen defensive snaps in Texas's season-opening win in Week 1 over Colorado State, 52-0. He last played a dozen defensive snaps for the Longhorns in Week 3 against UTSA.