Texas Longhorns injury update: OT Kent Perkins is day-to-day

During Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong's Monday media availabilty, he provided several injury updates heading into a big road game against the TCU Horned Frogs this weekend.

The most heartening news was Strong listing junior right tackle Kent Perkins as day-to-day. When Perkins left the game after taking a helmet to his knee, the Texas offensive line collapsed, allowing five of the seven Oklahoma State sacks recorded on the day. And since Strong said after the game that it might "take some time" before Perkins could return, seeing him listed as the starter on the depth chart was a positive development.

Another significant revelation was that freshman safety DeShon Elliott is working his way back from the toe injury that he suffered at the start of fall camp. He's now practicing with the team and Strong said that he will play this season. Missing so much time probalby hasn't helped his progression, but the Longhorns badly need some help at safety, so there's not an especially high standard he'd have to surpass in order to offer meaningful contributions.

Strong didn't provide an update on the other injury from the Oklahoma State game, but The Football Brainiacs reported that freshman cornerback Davante Davis is not suffering any lingering effects from a leg injury that forced him to leave the game on Saturday and not return.

The latest player to return from an injury is senior wide receiver Marcus Johnson. On a 47-yard pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Jerrod Heard, Johnson looked relatively healthy, as he was able to create some separation on the ankle that he sprained against Notre Dame. However, Johnson said on Monday that he didn't feel fully healthy during the game, so perhaps his impact continues to increase as that ankle gets closer to 100 percent.

Strong also said that Heard was suffering from a fever late last week, which was why he wasn't made available after the game. He'll be fine.