After being labeled as "questionable" all week, and recently being downgraded to "doubtful", it looks like Anthony Hill Jr. will be OUT for the matchup against Arkansas this afternoon.
Hill Jr. broke a bone in his hand on a tackle against the Bulldogs last weekend, and he's been taking care of that this week. Although it doesn't appear to be too serious, the Longhorns likely want to hold him out before the big Texas A&M game. Steve Sarkisian and his staff want to avoid taking a chance on the injury worsening.
Hill Jr. is the heart and soul of Texas' defense, and through 10 games in 2025 he's totaled:
- 69 tackles
- 7 tackles for loss
- 4 sacks
- 2 interceptions
- 3 forced fumbles
- 1 fumble recovery
- 1 pass deflection
Possible replacements for Hill Jr. against the Razorbacks
Though Hill Jr. will definitely be missed, Pete Kwiatkowski is incredibly confident in the depth that Texas has at the linebacker position. Ty'Anthony Smith has been playing very well when on the field in 2025, and he'll most likely get the start next to Liona Lefau on Saturday. There's even a chance that true freshman MIKE Elijah Barnes could see some playing time this weekend.
Barnes has only played in two games this year, and could still be a redshirt option despite playing against Arkansas.
Another option available to the Longhorns' defensive staff could be to start Trey Moore at SAM and bump Liona Lefau inside to MIKE. This would give the defense a more "experienced" duo at linebacker in this one.
It'll be interesting to see what they decide to do against Arkansas' high-powered offense today.