Texas WR Collin Johnson and S Brandon Jones out vs. Texas Tech

The odds of the Texas Longhorns pulling out a victory on Saturday night in Lubbock against the Texas Tech Red Raiders took a hit when head coach Tom Herman told Longhorn Network that junior wide receiver Collin Johnson and junior safety Brandon Jones won’t play.

Johnson tweaked his knee in practice on Thursday and left the field on crutches, but Herman had originally expected him to play against the Red Raiders. Freshman Brennan Eagles is Johnson’s backup at the X position, but look for junior Lil’Jordan Humphrey to play there some, with senior Jerrod Heard moving into Humphrey’s slot position. The other option is senior John Burt, who can play both outside wide receiver positions.

Jones suffered freak accident last Saturday when he sprained his ankle during the walkthrough before the West Virginia game. It will be the third game he’s missed this season as a result of ankle issues. Senior PJ Locke III has moved from his nickel position to the safety position normally occupied by Jones when the junior has missed time. However, Locke doesn’t have nearly as much speed as Jones and he’s struggled to wrap up consistently and bring offensive players to the ground.

So the Horns will be without the team’s second-leading receiver and leader in tackles per game.