This upcoming weekend, the five-seed Texas football and head coach Steve Sarkisian battles the ACC Champion 12-seed Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney in the first round of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Monday was a big day for the media to speak to Sarkisian and some of the Longhorns players and coaches. The media also witnessed the Longhorns practice during a brief press viewing window on the Forty Acres on Dec. 16.
Another noteworthy point coming out of today’s practice was that redshirt freshman defensive tackle Sydir Mitchell did not practice on Dec. 16, since he entered the transfer portal. Two other Longhorns players who have entered the transfer portal, senior defensive tackle Tia Savea and junior edge rusher Justice Finkley, were practicing today.
Texas have a handful of players dealing with injury issues going into the Playoff game this weekend against Clemson at DKR in Austin. Here are three key injury updates for the Longhorns entering the College Football Playoff on Dec. 21 against the Tigers.
Quinn Ewers, QB
On Senior Day on Nov. 23 against the Kentucky Wildcats, junior quarterback Quinn Ewers suffered an ankle injury when he was brought down awkwardly on a QB run in the first half. Ewers has dealt with the lingering injury for the past few weeks, including for the Texas A&M game and the SEC Championship Game against Georgia a couple of weeks ago.
Ewers was a full participant in Monday’s practice, despite dealing with the ankle injury that’s still lingering for him for the past few weeks.
“I think he’s continually getting better. He said Ewers felt better coming out of the SEC Championship than he did going into the game, one in which he was sacked six times while throwing for 358 yards and a touchdown.”Steve Sarkisian on Quinn Ewers
Inside Texas reported on Dec. 16 that Ewers didn’t have a brace on the injured ankle during today’s practice.
Isaiah Bond, WR
The one injured Longhorns player who didn’t participate in practice on Monday was junior wide receiver Isaiah Bond. Since the win over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game in Dallas on Oct. 12, Bond has been dealing with a lingering ankle injury.
Bond re-aggravated the ankle injury in the SEC Championship Game a couple of weekends ago against Georgia in Atlanta when he was rolled up on while blocking downfield.
Due to the lingering ankle injury, Bond missed Texas’s win over the Vanderbilt Commodores in late October. He was also limited for his snaps in the loss to Georgia on Oct. 19 and in the win over the Florida Gators in early November.
Bond didn’t participate in Monday’s practice during the open media viewing window. He was the only injured Longhorns player who the media didn’t see participating in practice on Dec. 16 either.
Sarkisian said that the Longhorns “shut him down” last week during walkthroughs and practice drills and that Bond is doing “everything in his power to play” against Clemson this weekend in the Playoff.
“We took last week to shut him down completely to try to get him as healthy as we could. Isaiah and I had a great meeting last week and he’s going to do everything in his power to play this week, but we’re going to have to monitor that daily as it goes.”Steve Sarkisian on Isaiah Bond
In Bond’s absence on Monday, freshman Ryan Wingo took the first-team wide receiver reps in practice alongside sophomore slot DeAndre Moore Jr. and junior Matthew Golden.
Bond has registered 33 receptions for 532 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. He also has four rushing attempts for 98 yards and one rushing touchdown.
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT
After missing the SEC Championship Game against Georgia a couple of weeks ago, junior starting left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. was a full participant with the first-team offensive line in practice on Monday.
In the double-digit win over Texas A&M on Nov. 30, Banks injured his left ankle when he was rolled up on in the first half in College Station. Second-year offensive tackle Trevor Goosby played the rest of the game at left tackle for the Longhorns against the Aggies, and he didn’t allow any quarterback pressures or sacks, for the Texas offensive line.
Banks was reportedly wearing a full brace on the injured ankle while working with the first-team offensive line for Kyle Flood and the Longhorns on Monday.
“I was probably the one that held him back more than he actually wanted to do, but I wanted him to come back today feeling really good about where he was at. I’m comfortable with him.”Steve Sarkisian on Kelvin Banks Jr.
Banks was also “confident” that he’ll be able to play this weekend in the first round of the Playoff against Clemson at DKR. He described the rehab process he’s been going through for the past couple of weeks since he sustained the ankle injury against Texas A&M on Thanksgiving Week.
“The ankle is feeling a whole lot better. I’ve been attacking my rehab process. I’m feeling confident in my ankle and where I’m at in my process.”Kelvin Banks Jr.
The Outland Award winner, Banks has made a lot of progress during the off-week for the Longhorns since the SEC Championship Game before the Playoff this weekend against Clemson.
