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4 key injured Texas players heading into Vanderbilt

Entering a key road matchup this week against No. 25 Vanderbilt, Texas has some notable injury updates to key players on each side of the ball.

By Andrew Miller

Andrew Mukuba, Texas football
Andrew Mukuba, Texas football / Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
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No. 5 Texas football emerges from a humbling 30-15 loss against the Georgia Bulldogs and head coach Kirby Smart at home at DKR last weekend looking to bounce-back in Week 9. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian face the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores and head coach Clark Lea in a tough game on the road 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, thankfully, emerged from the loss to Georgia last weekend with one injury of note. This Texas squad is pretty healthy entering the Week 9 battle on the road against Vanderbilt.

Safety and running back injuries continue to be a recurring theme for the Longhorns on the injury report this fall. Texas has already lost one safety for the rest of the season, and multiple running backs are still dealing with lingering injuries or are out for the entire campaign.

It is not only vital for the Longhorns to get more effort and intensity in the trenches on both sides of the ball this weekend (and at the quarterback position), but also to have as many starters healthy as possible for the Vanderbilt game.

Here are four key injury updates for the Longhorns entering Week 9.

Derek Williams Jr., S

The aforementioned safety for the Longhorns who is out for the season is sophomore Derek Williams Jr. Williams was knocked out for the season due to a knee injury he suffered in a play on kickoff coverage in the win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game on Oct. 12.

Williams' missing the rest of the season has opened the door for sophomore defensive back Jelani McDonald to step up with a heavier workload of defensive snaps in the safety rotation in SEC play this fall. McDonald has taken 80 defensive snaps (a career-high for him over any two-game stretch since 2023).

Texas exclusively relied on McDonald, redshirt junior Michael Taaffe, and senior Andrew Mukuba in the safety rotation against Georgia last weekend. We could also see true freshman Jordon Johnson-Rubell get more defensive snaps down the stretch for Texas's safety rotation in the secondary.

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