The Texas Longhorns have taken a hit... or more accurately, quite a few hits... to their depth chart over the last couple of weeks. This week, it included taking hits to their secondary.
With both Graceson Littleton and Kade Phillips listed as "questionable" on the Horns' availability report, Texas could be without two of its starting cornerbacks as it face the No. 18 Missouri Tigers.
So, while Texas will still have most of their key players, like safeties Jelani McDonald and Derek Williams Jr., the Horns may want to ask their younger defensive backs to step up to the task; most notably, true freshman and former five-star recruit John Meredith III.
Meredith was a top-10 prospect in the class of 2027 and reclassified to 2026 when he committed to Texas, joining the Longhorns a year earlier than initially expected.
So far, he has appeared in only one game, earning a solo tackle against the Texas State Bobcats, but with the depth chart so depleted at his position, it may be time for head coach Steve Sarkisian to see exactly what the blue-chip cornerback has to offer.
John Meredith III could be Horns' answer for Tigers' Donovan Olugbode
If both Phillips and Littleton are officially ruled out against Missouri, it will most likely be Bo Mascoe, a transfer addition for the Horns, who is assigned to the Tigers' WR1, Cayden Lee.
However, that still leaves a rather large, lingering issue: Missouri's WR2, Donovan Olugbode, who has accounted for nearly 600 receiving yards so far this season. Even though Meredith is "just" a true freshman, his on-paper talent may make him the perfect fit to cover Olugbode.
Coming out of high school, Meredith was known for his lightning-quick reactions and on-field speed, benefiting from the fact that he was a dual-sport athlete who competed in track and field as well as football.
Sure, he has limited snaps at the collegiate level, but why not test him out, at the very least, because if he can shut down Olugbode as Mascoe shuts down Lee, it would greatly limit the Tigers' ability to utilize their air-raid offense.
Of course, Texas may also be without edge rusher Colin Simmons, once again, as he continues to rehab a high ankle sprain. However, Rasheem Biles, Lance Jackson, and Colton Vasek absolutely dismantled the Mississippi State offensive line even without Simmons in the rotation.
So, before the ball even leaves Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons' hands, the Longhorns may already be in the backfield, shutting down the passing game before the secondary even has to react.
The good news is that Sarkisian has prepared the Horns to deal with injuries, both through his recruiting efforts and in the transfer portal. Now, it's just time to see if he's ready (or if he simply has to) to put those highly touted recruits to the test.
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