After going down with an injury in the fourth quarter against the Florida Gators, a game that the Texas Longhorns ended up losing, the status of star edge rusher Colin Simmons was a major concern.
Now, the Horns have released their first availability report ahead of their next game, a matchup against the top-10 Ole Miss Rebels, and Simmons' status as "doubtful" only deepened the concerns for his presence moving forward.
Of course, earlier in the week, rumors coming out of the 40 Acres were that Simmons had suffered a sprained ankle and would be out for three to four weeks. However, the availability report only solidified worries about his status over the next month.
Simmons wasn't the only Longhorn on the injury list, joined by fellow edge rusher Richard Wesley, who was listed as "out," as well as running back Hollywood Smothers, wide receiver Kaliq Lockett, and offensive lineman Jaydon Chatman, who were all listed as "questionable."
Texas Longhorns injury list vs. Ole Miss Rebels
- OUT: edge Richard Wesley
- DOUBTFUL: edge Colin Simmons
- QUESTIONABLE: running back Hollywood Smothers, wide receiver Kaliq Lockett, offensive lineman Jaydon Chatman
Ole Miss Rebels' lengthy injury list gives Longhorns hope to get back on track
While possibly being without both Simmons and Smothers when the Horns face the No. 7 Rebels, Texas's availability report was much less concerning than Ole Miss's own list, which featured 17 players:
Ole Miss Rebels injury list vs. Texas Longhorns
- OUT: wide receiver Izaiah Hartrup, safety Edwin Joseph, safety MJ Preston, linebacker Ant Davis Jr., wide receiver Kervin Johnson Jr., safety Nascar McCoy, offensive lineman Emanuel Faulkner
- QUESTIONABLE: cornerback Pat Broomfield, offensive lineman Terez Davis, offensive lineman Brycen Sanders
- PROBABLE: wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, running back Kewan Lacy, safety Anthony Robinson III, safety Craig Tutt, running back Je'Michael Jones, offensive lineman Patrick Kutas, tight end Hayden Bradley
Seven of those Rebels were listed as "probable," giving Ole Miss more hope that they would have a return of depth across the board, including star running back Kewan Lacy.
However, it included 10 players who were listed as "out" or "questionable" for the game against Texas, including three offensive linemen: Emanuel Faulkner (out), Terez Davis (questionable), and Brycen Sanders (questionable).
While the Horns could be without both Simmons and Wesley, the Ole Miss offensive line could also be without a few players who are usually in the rotation, arguably balancing the scales at the line of scrimmage when the Rebels have the ball.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian adamantly refuses to give updates on players beyond the SEC-mandated availability reports that the Longhorns release throughout the week. However, with three updates remaining before kickoff, the status of players on both sides of the ball will undoubtedly change.
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