Hollywood Smothers made a surprise appearance on the Texas Longhorns' first SEC availability report, dealing with a reported ankle injury throughout the week.
First listed as questionable and then probable, the possibility of the Horns missing their RB1 in the backfield was daunting. Just a couple of hours before Texas and the Tennessee Volunteers kicked off, Smothers was no longer on the injury list.
Then, when the Horns took the field to warm up ahead of their top-15 clash, Smothers was seen on the field without any additional taping or brace on his ankle.
With a sigh of relief, Texas fans realized their star running back was a go for the first conference matchup of the season.
Hollywood Smothers and Colin Simmons available vs. Tennessee
Smothers wasn't the only question mark throughout the week, initially joined by star edge rusher Colin Simmons on the Horns' availability report.
Simmons was initially listed as probable on Wednesday, so the outlook on his availability was already in a better place halfway through the week. However, his absence from the final list was an undeniable relief nonetheless.
So, both Texas's offense and defense had their stars available, but there were a few missing pieces from the depth chart, with four Longhorns remaining on the injury list ahead of kickoff.
4 Longhorns out for Week 4 SEC opener vs. Volunteers
Tight end Nick Townsend, who was initially listed as doubtful, was listed as out for Texas's Week 4 matchup. That meant he would miss his third straight game after injuring his knee during warmups ahead of the Ohio State game in Week 2.
While Townsend has been out, quarterback Arch Manning has found connections with Emaree Winston and Spencer Shannon out of the TE room, with tight end Michael Masunas providing elite blocking in his appearances.
Townsend joined defensive lineman Justus Terry, defensive back Xavier Filsaime, and offensive lineman Jordan Coleman, who were projected as out from the start of the week.
Like Townsend, Terry has missed the last three games, injuring his knee against the Texas State Bobcats in Week 1. Filsaime also has a knee injury that he suffered while playing against the Buckeyes.
Coleman played in the first three games of the season on an offensive line that helped his team earn more than 1,250 total scrimmage yards to start the year (417.3 yards per game).
Fortunately, O-Line leaders like left tackle Trevor Goosby and center Connor Robertson have remained healthy through the start of the year, and true-freshman offensive lineman Dylan Sikorski has emerged as a genuine star, earning the starting job at left guard.
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